August/September 2014
Welcome to the August/September edition of i-build magazine! This issue is packed with inspirational projects and products as well as useful advice for your self-build.
With eco-credentials more important than ever, sustainability is a word that continues to unite the industry through a shared passion for a more sustainable way of life. Further encouragement by the Government’s financial benefits – such as the Renewable Heat Incentive – coupled with product design innovations, has made ‘green’ living all the more popular.
This issue’s Sustainable Living is the perfect example of the self-build community’s ability to bring people together and, in this case, create life-long friendships. In pursuance to find the perfect self-build plot, two couples – who had never met before their self-build journey – hired eco-aware architect Keith Renton to design their new homes on adjacent plots. Keith excelled at the challenge and has created modern buildings that utilise sustainable technologies and sit organically within their rural surroundings. Read more about these projects on page 28.
If a sense of community is important to you, don’t miss the large-scale custom-build project announcements in this month’s Viewpoint. The term custom-build is synonymous with self-build but it tends to describe multi-plot sites being delivered to market with overarching planning permission in place. The Government has recently confirmed its support for custom-build by providing a new £150m investment fund for 10,000 serviced plots that are open to planning applications. The fund is intended to help address one of the challenges that custom-builders face, the availability of suitable land, by supplying finance to projects providing five or more serviced plots.
Other issue highlights include expert advice and project inspiration to alleviate some of the pressures of home extensions and conversions. From a Manchester extension that has radically transformed a modest bungalow to breathtaking vision of modern living on page 42, to exclusive advice from oak frame specialist Aboreta in an Orangeries & Conservatories special.
As always, we hope you’ve found this issue both inspirational and useful. For this resource on the move, you can download i-build’s dedicated app for specification and inspiration at your fingertips. Simply search ‘i-build’ in App Store or Google Play. Don’t forget, if you’d like to see your self-build project in an issue of i-build please contact me on the usual address and tell me all about it!
