Building Technologies

Precisely how we build our buildings is a very important subject, and I will say a lot more here, including why Wikihouse didn't work, and why the technology that I want to champion is Beattie Passive.

The National Self Build and Reconstruction Centre

There is a whole movement, both around the world, and here in the UK, to support "self build".  Self build encompasses everything from people learning all the building trades, grabbing a trowel and starting to lay bricks, up to people deciding what they want, but employing professionals to build it for them, and everything in between.  If you're even remotely interested in taking some control of your dwelling I can't recommend highly enough a visit to the National Self-Build and Reconstruction Centre (NSBRC) right by J14 of the M4.  And it's free (as are most of the NSBRC training events) provided you book online at least 24 hours in advance.



One of the first developments in the world of self-build was to develop a method of building that cut out the "wet trades" (anything that involved cement, concrete, plaster, etc).  They all require significant skill, so it's unlikely you'll do a good job if you're an amateur, and they take time.  This led to designs using wood frame dwellings and one of the earliest designers was Walter Segal who pioneered a system of self-build, using wood frames.  You can see a Segal house at the Centre for Alternative Technology in North Wales and even attend a course to build one.

The Segal House at the Centre for Alternative Technology

But it's still a big job, so I was fascinated when I came across Wikihouse.  It's a brilliant system (or so it seemed at the time), and pretty much anyone could build a Wikihouse.

The Wikihouse Farmhouse

All it requires is the ability to use Sketchup to design your house, and a CNC machine to cut out all the parts from 18mm sheets of plywood.  To learn more, check out this PDF document.

But there have been very few proper houses built with Wikihouse technology (to the best of my knowledge),  The reason seems to be quite technical, and it's all to do with whether anyone can afford to have all the structural engineering calculations done to allow any Wikihouse structure to get Building Regulations approval.

After following the saga for the best part of 10 years I was beginning to lose faith when, at the NSBRC I learned about Beattie Passive.

Beattie Passive

The first thing to learn about here is what, precisely is a Passive House, or PassivHaus?  Here's PassivHaus explained in 90 seconds!

PassivHaus has been around for quite a while, and if you're having a house built to PassivHaus standards then you will need to have it certified by the UK PassivHaus trust.  Hear what people say about living in a PassivHaus:

PassivHaus has been the Rolls Royce of sustainable housing for quite a while, but it has also had the reputation of being a more expensive way to build, albeit producing a house that is cheaper to run.

However, Ron Beattie, a house builder for many years, realised that very often the houses that were getting built and delivered to the occupants, didn't actually meet their specifications.  So Ron designed a system that means that Passive Houses can be built quickly and easily, and they are constantly checked while being built to ensure they meet the standards.  It works so well that Beattie Passive are licensed by the PassivHaus trust to certify their own buildings.

To be completed.