October 2010

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This month's issue of SelfBuild & Design is jam-packed with information, features and advice to get you started and help you on the way towards achieving your dream home.

Our panel of experts delves into topics such as whether it's possible for the UK to meet all its energy needs by the use of renewables, and our legal eagle looks at issues surrounding contaminated land.

We have a wealth of real-life stories from people who have fought hard to achieve their dream home, creating an impressive array of properties in the process.

Read on for a full round-up of what's in store for you from the SelfBuild & Design team.

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Setting the Scene

Ornate mirrors, formal paintings and statues mounted on marble pillars are just a few of the characteristics of a compact Georgian lodge house. The unusually shaped building has been refurbished using lots of reclaimed materials and products, giving the interior a comprehensive interior makeover.

Bridging the Generation Gap

Double height spaces, pristine white walls and lots of glass does not constitute most people's vision of a child-friendly house, but this Bauhaus inspired home on the south coast is fun and accessible for the children of the house, and stylish to satisfy the needs of owners Richard and Helena Meikle.

A Triumph of Design

Getting planning permission in place can be a stumbling block for many innovative selfbuilders. For Devon farmer Michele Meyer (pictured) it presented a two and a half year battle to build her dream house. The journey led her to design her own eco home, with the help of her builder, which she describes as a "New England-cum-Scandinavian-cum-Danish with a warm feel and natural materials”.

Small but Perfectly Formed

Architect Sam Stork has designed a wooden eco-home on a tiny plot on the edge of the New Forest for her young family. The timber-clad house sits neatly on an awkwardly-shaped plot and has an impressive array of eco credentials including a sedum roof, thick layers of insulation, solar panels, extensive glazing to maximise solar gain, and a rainwater store buried in the back garden.

Beyond Recognition

This light-filled, contemporary family home started out as a grimy unmodernised 70s house with dark dismal interiors. Faux window shutters and ugly balconies were replaced with contemporary finishes, including zinc roofing and high performance glazing. The two-storey property was relatively spacious, but consisted of a maze of small, dark rooms.

Simple & Practical

Charlie Luxton, architectural designer and broadcaster, has been creating and talking about environmental architecture for the past decade. He previously helped to found Make, who designed exhibitions for the RIBA, 100% Design, and the V&A, before creating Electric Storm for Shell – a renewable energy exhibition that included a 27m wind turbine on the South Bank. We chat with him to discover what makes him tick, and glean a few words of green wisdom.

Affordable Homes in the Countryside

Community self build is growing in popularity, and the trend looks set to continue under the government’s new planning policies. We look at the opportunities available for wannabe selfbuilders with limited cash.

Garage Doors

There's a widely varied range of garage doors, encompassing several different materials and operating mechanisms. We take a look at the difference between them all, and compile a showcase to demonstrate what's on offer.

Adding Instant Character

Recycling has become a popular and necessary trend, but it need not simply constitute a bi-monthly trip to the bottle bank. New houses or conversions may be built using demolition salvage and fitted out with architectural antiques to add instant character.