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There is no such thing as throwing away power. If you are capped you just can’t generate it in the first place. Your system is forced to reduce its output. Passive house plus wasn’t designed as bragging rights for rich people, but a shame that is what happened here.
I think this is where passivhaus is missing a trick. All the energy consumption requirements are per square metre, and it ignores embodied energy in the materials. So you can build something hugely excessive in size per occupant from masses of concrete and it still ticks the box.
But saying that, most people motivated to build a (non grand designs) passivhaus will be trying to make something of an appropriate size using lower impact materials. I always wanted to make a hempcrete house but in reality think the stress would have destroyed me....
Anyone know the lovely village that monster was built near?? Never mind, I found it 🙂
I think this is where passivhaus is missing a trick.
It's not as Grand Designs trendy, but this is where AECB and working in a way which takes in a bigger picture is needed.
Unfortunately most people seem to get focussed on one key thing, or (as last one did) ignore real issues such as having a frikking mansion being as unsustainable as you can get....
Not that eco, scale aside, some fairly carbon positive building materials in that build. Timber based products have some of the lowest carbon in production and lock carbon into the structure beyond a tree's normal lifespan where it effectively sequesters carbon. Even more so if worked locally. TRADA/TDUK have some good examples and stats along with a Danish graphic on carbon impact of various building materials.
Passivhaus just seems an A* epc rating for running energy usage
Oh my God what a massive house. Why?
Very close to the assistant but I bet he can't afford to have an affair.
Even the initial computer render it looked massive. Ruined a lovely site
Yes , i did note he spends more time with the assistant than his wife!
The site must have cost huge amount in that village.
The pre episode 3D computer generated walk through must be the longest on the series so far!
I think his wine cellar will not be stocked for some time!
Has the client bought it yet?
It must be some way of building a house via his company somehow? Experimental project....
Too big but nice design otherwise..... so much money to experiment with! They must be really loaded!
I was laughing at Kevin’s suggestion that large scale developers would copy this approach.
Finally finished this episode. Hmmm.
But to return to the point about "wasting" energy, we have some friends who are in the position that they can't dump any more power back to the grid either. 4 bed decent size detached with the whole back roof solar panelled south facing in the balmy sub tropical paradise that is the Wirral.
Battery in the garage, charges his car, runs a sex pond off it, charges the neighbours' cars for them etc.
Their road is quite affluent and plenty of their neighbours also have panels now. apparently there's so much power being sent back to the grid that the road trips out the local grid quite often. So it's a lot to do with the grid not coping, which is what the programme seemed to end with.
Watched this last night. Was intrigued as to where this is as "north Cotswolds" is quite a broad area. - any pointers? Looked like it could be somewhere near Broadway but there's honey coloured villages for miles around here so who knows.
@speeder its near a village called Morton-in-Marsh I make a game out of trying to work out where the builds are 🙂
I make a game out of trying to work out where the builds are 🙂
The advanced level of the game is to find which local authority it falls under, then track down the planning drawings and building control sign offs, along with reading any planning objections submitted by neighbours
Well that one went well... .I had my doubts a the start.
A lovely old Mill.
But the budget issue was never mentioned again!
They worked damned hard to get there.
It seemed very well finished..... a win on the lottery or something? Just the garden finishing would have cost a fortune. .....
It seemed very well finished….. a win on the lottery or something? Just the garden finishing would have cost a fortune. …..
It was an old one rebooted to see the finished article, lovely external not so sure about the inside, Kevin overdid it on the retaining original entirely rotten woodwork. My money on the budget is an inheritance?
there was no mention of the bridge in front of the house cracking which I believe was in the original programme, I can't remember the outcome of that.
Didn't they get someone to inspect the culvert who said was cracked and decided to ignore his advice to repair?
Ah that’s right, looks like the y covered it with a nice bit of landscaping!
Anyone watching tonight?
Its been absolutely textbook so far...
I'm cynical but there's more than a faint whiff of bullshit about tonight's show
Completely deluded people, massive debt, blah blah blah
Is it on Rightmove yet?
Death in family - check
Pregnancy - check
Absolutely gigantic - check
Over budget - check
Just about a classic grand designs episode.
I just don't understand how they could afford it, and I guess the answer is they couldn't. Was the last update filmed pre or post mortgage rates going through the roof do you think?
Not a new series though, this was a repeat.
No evident means of servicing the debt, but went for the fanciest Italian marble kitchen natch.
A classic- my teenage son shouted down from GCSE revision-'is the lady pregnant yet', and within a minute the news was confirmed. Quick work Kevin!
CBA to watch that one again.
I just don’t understand how they could afford it
There was a suggestion here:
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/grand-designs-full-commitment-again/page/9/
House had great views. I liked how the house looked, less sure I'd find it practical to live in. I don't mind the very separate bedroom wing and the courtyard between was a wonderful space but like others I guess the usefulness of the spaces in the original reservoir were limited. The finances though are just ludicrous. £600K mortgage, £80k more borrowing (where? Credit cards?) And more borrowed from friends and family. That doesn't add up for normal folk, so they clearly aren't normal folk, yet they seemed to try to come across as .. well... not quite sure.... they weren't ordinary folk but....
Anyway, ignore the situation and people, s****y looking house with great views. I'd probably love a long weekend visit but maybe not too live.
Yay! New series!
This week featuring a right weasel who doesn't 'do' detailed drawings; has scant regard for planning laws; bought a property without telling his wife; and is all about showing off, sorry, I mean is all about family.
Plus - windows!
And.... we're still not done with covid!
Hmmm, another one using their “commercial” teams to build their personal projects . I wonder how much of that cost “disappears” into other jobs 😉
Well it was definitely an improvement on what was there and the views and coast are fantastic.
I think there was more of a story with the initially very understanding neighbour and his party wall/chimney mess.
But yeh well off nob who doubtlessly his and passed of costs elsewhere. Nice to have a little 'bolt hole' eh.
My only claim to fame is car camping overnight there in my old Sierra estate 20 years ago, before it was a thing. The lighthouse light kept me waking up all night, I'm sure his big windows will help do the same for him.
“Yeah; we’re going to have massive windows, near a lighthouse and a golf course, facing east over the sea but haven’t fitted the electric blinds yet. “
That makes the house unliveable in for me and why aren’t the blinds/curtains/shutters integrated into the design when they will so clearly be needed?
Well it was definitely an improvement on what was there
I thought the original building looked great
Well it was definitely an improvement on what was there
I thought the original building looked great
Well yeh if it was in better condition. I'd no problem whatsoever if that had actually been renovated. Old and interesting buildings are cool.
We also thought the outside stairs were bonkers. Everyone seeing you in your PJs when going up and down for a cuppa lol!
Hmmm, another one using their “commercial” teams to build their personal projects . I wonder how much of that cost “disappears” into other jobs 😉
I suspect somewhere a VAT officer will be submitting a note into the system today. I would aslo expect that the HSE may spare an inspection to an ongoing project having seen the state of the "edge protection" installed for work at height.
Came across as a "rules are for other people entitled git". The neighbour could have made that over run by several more years by use of the submitted plans and objecting to any built, unapproved variations.
If you want an alterative, This chap, Alec who used to help out up at Stainburn has an interesting project on the go.
He has a background in filming (he did us some trailbuilding video's) and its also worth having a look for his Yamaha TR1 project too. He's a talented chap.
I’ve driven passed that location a few times for work and not realised it was a going to be a home, thought it was the coast guard updating. Great location, but an odd build and a very odd way of going about things.
The 25yr look back a fortnight ago was quite fun
How on earth did he consider that as a refurb when there was nothing left but a party wall?! Not surprised it was knocked back.
I wonder how much he paid off the planners and neighbours with. Should have been rejected purely on the basis he knocked the old one down instead of renovating!
And leaving that chimney teetering after the demolision!!!!
Nice to see something relatively understated and lowish budget compared to some of the monstrosities they noramlly start a new series with. Yeah the guy was a bit of a tool with plenty of loopholes to exploit, rules to break etc (normal Grand Designs candidate) but the end result is actually quite fitting with what was originally there.
However, that only works if you know what was there before. For the thousands of tourists who will pass it they will see a glass cube stuck on the end of a terrace of Edwardian houses and wonder who approved that.
I'm surprised he had permission to bring the front of the property so far forward compared to his neighbours.
Hmmm, another one using their “commercial” teams to build their personal projects . I wonder how much of that cost “disappears” into other jobs
Perks of the job innit! I'm a subby and that happens alot, 'Oh can you do my lounge just book the time/materials to X job' Personally I'm not fussed I'm getting paid regardless
Someone on faceache made this comparison and I can't unsee it now!
That said it looks better than the knackered tower it replaced IMO. And I like the contrast between old and new.
Well, I've started work this week hopefully for a few months on the Passivhaus, North Cotswolds one.
Really nice people.
I'm currently working under the spiral staircase fettling all these curved doors that a mate of mine made.
There's about 7 around the staircase bottom and several more here and there.
Cool house and interesting chatting to the owner.
What an absolute throbber. Five years ruining his neighbours life. How can that be acceptable? Pretending it's a renovation?! No way did that cost 375k What a entitled.....
Are those patio doors legal ? I actually quite like the fact you can open the door and fall out but surprised it got signed off!
The stairs look great, but no banister? Right trendy but completely impractical for young kids or recovering from surgery / old age etc
Are those patio doors legal ? I actually quite like the fact you can open the door and fall out but surprised it got signed off!
The stairs look great, but no banister? Right trendy but completely impractical for young kids or recovering from surgery / old age etc
they did say it wasn’t finished when Kev came back for the final visit. However, with grand children running round the house, surely anyone would make those a priority? Although based on his previous decisions , there probably isn’t an area to fix a Juliette balcony to