June/July 2014

Welcome to the third edition of i-build magazine! This issue is packed with inspirational projects and products as well as useful advice for your self-build.

 

As warmer British weather allows self-build projects to progress at full speed, the demand for products, labour and, consequently, budget heightens. Encouraged by Government incentives and money-saving motivations, self-building projects are more popular than ever, however roughly two out of three self-builders need a mortgage to see their project through. Encountering cashflow problems due to an exhausted budget is potentially disastrous for any project. On page 16 i-build guides you through the different types of self-build mortgages available in the market and how they differ to normal mortgages.

Responding to the self-build community working to tight budgets, Barry Jackson’s Hivehaus is a new modular living system that is both stylish and affordable. In this issue’s Sustainable Living, Barry talks to i-build about how adopting new modular concepts could change the future of the home-building industry. Barry asks why we build houses that are built to last 500 years if we ourselves are only going to live for 90. At a time when the average age of first time buyers is on the rise, encouraging modular concepts could mean that the next generation will be able to join the property ladder as housing would become more affordable. Read about Hivehaus’ honeycomb-inspired design and thought-provoking aims on page 18.

Elsewhere in this issue, London renovation projects take precedence, from a radical Victorian terrace revamp based on unique research into the family's daily living habits on page 40, to a vision of polished, on-trend interior design in professional photographer Mike Penn’s vogue mews renovation. This month’s i-scape features another inspirational London project, where a family conundrum was the catalyst for the breathtaking building at the back of the family’s garden.

We hope you’ve found this issue packed with inspirational projects and products as well as useful advice. Are you completing a home-building project of your own? We always love to hear from our readers, so feel free to contact me on the address below and tell me how you are getting on!

Don’t forget you can also download the i-build app for on-the-go specification and inspiration. Simply search ‘i-build’ in App Store or Google Play.