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I recently looked at a rather horrible 1970s house in a spectacular and historic setting. Here is a ‘back of the fag packet’ sketch for a makeover.

BEFORE

AFTER

Here are those reclaimed Cast Iron Casement windows freshly installed in new oak frames:

Above: ‘Before’.

Above:  with repaired ancient window seat.

We are blessed with West Dorset’s master thatcher, Pete Symonds, who is currently installing the thatch to our Cottage:

The thatch is organically grown long wheat straw. Straight, long, strong, and of course authentic.  To be topped with a traditional and simple ‘Dorset Ridge’.  Pete is a proper expert artisan (and his prices are reasonable!)

Dinner last night at Home House, with brother-in-law Tim, on a rare visit from California.

Excellent company, good service, enjoyable bottle of Pinot Noir, but the food didn’t quite match up to the magnificent setting. Dozen oysters slipped down fine, but Cornish hake had been around the block a few times before landing on my plate, relieved only by fresh crunchy French beans and spinach.  A good pud was a relief.

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After a long search we found some old cast iron casement windows at Leominster Reclamation in Herefordshire. They are almost a perfect fit for existing openings, allowing for a new oak frame. The slim profiles of the glazing bars make these windows special – virtually impossible to replicate these days.

I removed the glass and the worst of the paint and then took them down to Townsend Engineering in Bridport for sandblasting (actually aluminium oxide particles – not sand – are shot at high pressure), then primed in Red Oxide. They scrubbed up well:

All the Casements have now been glazed with Victorian ‘Machine drawn glass’ I reclaimed from some old sash windows. Machine Drawn Glass is not quite as good as Hand Drawn Glass or Cylinder Glass, but it still has some pleasing irregularities (such as tiny bubbles) and a wavy surface, which looks beautiful in the sunlight.  Modern plate glass is so perfect it has a deadening effect on the character of older buildings.

Finally the naked stone walls are receiving a soothing coat of lime plaster.  Made of ‘fat’ lime putty, sand and hair, this age-old material allows the walls to continue breathing and moving. It is an historically authentic and technically appropriate solution – as well as being chemically inert and sustainable.  Cementitious renders or plasters – whilst strong – are brittle and impervious, trapping moisture and cracking at the slightest movement.  Our Contractor purchases lime plaster from the excellent Rose of Jericho  

The reclaimed quarry tiles have also been laid on the Ground Floor, staggered pattern, with the thinnest possible joints (grouted with NHL5 Lime).  Who would know that floor had only been down for days rather than centuries?

Between the oak joists the ceiling has been finished in Clayboard another marvellous breathable, natural and sustainable material. These boards are made from Clay, Reed and Hessian.

We worked closely with  Ben Rousseau on the design and manufacture of a very special bespoke DJ Booth and a leather-clad Media Wall for our recent project on Kensington Park Road.

The roof to the Cottage has now been enclosed. On top of the Oak rafters we have laid reclaimed pine sarking boards. These will form the finish internally, remaining visible.  We bought a load from the liquidators auction of stock at Walcot Reclamation.

Then a layer of Pavatherm ‘Isolair’ wood fibre board. This fantastic product is made of wood waste. It provides additional thermal insulation and a 90 minute fire barrier. No membranes or ventilation is required as it is fully breathable. It has low embodied energy, and is 100% recyclable or compostable.

Then a breather membrane to protect the roof during thatching. The thatch will be traditional combed wheat straw, grown 100% organically, locally.

The old chimney stacks are being fitted with Pumice flue liners. These maintain temperature to ensure that gases fully combust, and also prevent the stack from overheating – and potentially igniting our timber frame and thatch!

The phenomena of ‘Green Walls’ or ‘Living Walls’ has proliferated recently. You may have seen one in West London at The Athenaum Hotel, at the Westfield Shopping Centre or even on private houses. They are particularly beloved or Architects, Developers and Corporations seeking ‘green credentials’.

Call me a kill-joy, but this is not a seriously sustainable or ecological approach to greening our cities – in fact it’s a perfect example of ‘green-wash’.  Firstly, manufacturing and installing the system itself consumes energy and entails large quantities of synthetic materials, not to mention the cost and resources consumed by the constant irrigation-fed fertilizers and the necessary maintenance in plant care, pruning and replacement. Consider this description:

The green wall is supported by a trellis. “A plastic-coated aluminum frame is fastened to the wall and covered with synthetic felt into which plant roots can burrow. A custom irrigation system keeps the felt moist with a fertilizer solution modeled after the rainwater that trickles through forest canopies.”

Then consider the costs and resources consumed when it all goes pear shaped, as in this fine example three years after installation:

Of course the glossy photos taken shortly after installation looked great in the publicity……..

What’s wrong with the good old approach of planting a climbing plant IN THE GROUND?  Keep It Simple! Requires:

• 1 man with spade
• 1 Plant, say £10 – £50.00
• 1 Watering on first day, thereafter finds its own food and water.
• Pruning annually or even less frequently.

To illustrate my point are pictures of the village square at Saignon,  in Provence, France.  For me, the loveliest village square in the world. Virtually every building is cloaked in creepers and roses. Planted in the ground. Not a drip-fed –synthetic-rooting-felt-pouch in sight ………