3.  Experimenting with the Living Wall

We have been busy experimenting with the construction of a living wall.  This is because we intend to create a 5 meter high wall by 6 meters wide on the north face of the new house.

Earlier in the summer we bought a range of evergreen plants suitable (we think) for a north facing sheltered wall.  These we have recently divided into three or four smaller plants to try and increase our stock.  Also plants that are too large will be difficult to get going in the matting so we are starting them off small to find their roots, and for us to see how best to manage them.

We have searched the internet for help on how commercial living walls have been constructed, but although there are a number of companies who do this - they give little away in terms of helpful information.  They are not interested in small projects like ours, and to be honest we are not very interested in them either as they charge mega bucks to do what we believe is not rocket science.  Hence our belief that a bit of experimentation will help us create a self built green wall that will be very effective.

We have visited a number of irrigation companies for the advice on what we need to do to keep the plants alive and happy.  You will see from the photos that there is no soil, they are grown between mats that hold the water, and we will regularly dose the water with nutrients.

The wall will be made up of 600mm square trays that will be hung on a support system.  Each tray will therefore be individually managed, enabling simple maintenance to be carried out.  The mat has a series of small cuts made in it to take each plant at 100mm centres.  Each row of cuts will be spaced under the spaces of the previous row so that it is like a chequerboard of plants. 

1. plants laid through small cuts between two mats2. the roots between the two mats3. the plant stapled in position to keep it secure4. the completed mat

Each tray will have about 30 plants.  About 80 trays on the wall.  2400 plants.  I have sourced a wholesale nursery that supplies trays of plug plants for reasonable prices.  To us, it looks a goer, if we can have success with our trials.

This is what we are after  (click to find out)

The photos should help you see what we are up to.  I will keep you posted on how it goes.

2.  Planning Permission and Permitted Development Rights

Having received planning permission for Phase 1 we put in for Phase 2 three days later. 

Originally when we first approached the planning authority they stipulated that we would not be allowed to build larger than the existing house. 

This after many conversations turned out to mean that we would be allowed to create the same ‘volume’ as the existing house.

The word ‘volume’ rather than ‘square footage’ was important for us because the bungalow actually has a considerable amount of empty unused space due to a very high ridge and steep roof.  This has been very much to our advantage because the architect has designed our house with flat roofs which provides a lot more living area within the cubic space.

We also made sure that our ‘permitted development rights’ (PDRs) would not be revoked (as they sometimes are).  This is the right everyone has to extend their house (within certain size limits).  Sometimes if you gain ‘planning permission’ they will take away these rights, however because there were no records of this existing bungalow ever having been extended they agreed to allow us to keep these rights for the property.

One limitation they have imposed is that we cannot apply for planning permission for an 'extension' until Phase 1 has been built.  How unaccommodating of them.

Delving deeper, we discovered that their meaning of the word ‘built’ was ‘habitable’ – i.e. the kitchen and bathroom were complete, but without a need for us to have moved in..

Whilst having to wait to apply for planning permission is an inconvenience, and potentially a risk (because there is always the possibility that it may not be granted), the fact is you don’t actually need planning permission if your extension is within certain criteria – e.g. size of extension no more than half of the existing, distance from road frontage nomore than 7meters, and the angle from the secondary roads if you happen to be on a corner like we are no more than 45'.  Staying well within the limits enables one to take up the PDRs without the need to put in an application.  One has the right to build it.  So looking at the meaasurements and evidence below we may be able to proceed with Phase 2 pretty much as one operation with Phase 1. 

We knew all this at the outset because our architect delved into all the possible difficulties before we bought the site.  So, with great care and skill he took all these criteria into consideration to meet the planning criteria for Phase 2 as he was designing Phase 1. 

So our letter of request to the planning authority to confirm that what we want to do falls within our permitted development rights went in on 9^th August just 5 days after obtaining planning consent on Phase 1.

The authority say that they will respond within 17 working days – so we are not far off that day.

We are of course optimistic, but at the same time we have to be realistic in that there is never any consistency with the particular authority that we are dealing with. And anyway, there have to be some difficulties along the way.  We certainly won't have a trouble free ride all the way, life doesn't work like that.

We are optimistic because our planning officer for Phase 1 was enthusiastic about our new house. She happened to visit the site to check out the plans of Phase 1 whilst we were at home.  We invited her in to see the boards that we had prepared for the parish council, and neighbours.  We showed her around the site and explained what we were planning to do and demonstrated that we were keen to blend the house with its environment.  She volunteered her own view that Phase 2 added to the architecture and made the house sit within the surroundings in an even more convincing way.  So we hope that she recalls this when she makes her assessment. Actually we haven't relied on 'hope' at all,  we have reminded her - don't let's miss these opportunities.

So not long now – let’s hope for an easy ride without the need to go for planning later on in the build cycle.  Watch this space.

1.  Planning Consent - so we begin

This week is to be the launch of my blog as we have reached a milestone in the process of building our new home.  

At the beginning of the month we received planning permission after 13 months of work by ourselves, our architect and our planning consultant .  It has been a team effort, not one of us could have done it ourselves without the help of the other parties and had such a fantastic result.  'Consent with no conditions'.

The architect met our brief: placing the house precisely where we wanted it and orientating it at the 167'S angle that we stipulated.  This is so that as well as the main areas of the house having the view,  my desk chair also enables me to look out across the best view that the site affords.   He has also creatively met pretty well every criteria in our 'vision statement' that we wrote as our initial brief to the 6 original architects whom we interviewed.  It has to be acknowledged as a quite outstanding achievement.  He also met the planners' brief, in terms of the size/volume that we are allowed to build and the height that we have to build within. 

Our planning consultant for his contribution guided us all through the maze of policies that had to be met, and wrote the Design and Access statement so that every policy was addressed and answered accordingly.  

Max gave fantastic presentations to the local parish council and the neighbouring residents and garnered written support to the scheme (we received no objections).  I made up the boards to show what the house would actually look like, and to demonstrate how the cladding material we proposed would sit favourably in its rural environment.   I showed it alongside photos of the site in the four seasons, and showed the similarity of colouring alongside the lias limestone of the local vernacular.

Between us we left little room for argument! - and it appeared to work. The planning department here are renowned for being exceedingly tricky. 

So we are now in the serious position of having to make this building real.  A challenge we are still up for, and luckily we like what together we have created.

Four weeks before we got our planning permission our architect had to withdraw his services.  We had known that he and his wife were planning to adopt a child, but no-one was sure when it might be as it had already been in the process for three years, and it can take a lot longer.  However for him and his wife the good news came through, and with that the social services team told them that they would have to give up work for at least three months, maybe more.  So we were given three alternatives: 1) wait for him, which would be unacceptable for us; 2) use his architectural technician with him being available for guidance; or 3) find another architect.

Initially we chose the second alternative, but gradually we all felt that this was not what we wanted.  One of the main reasons why we had employed him was for his detailing skills, and this was a skill that his technician wasn't necessarily able to offer without considerable input.  In the end we all agreed that it was best for the project that we find another architect.

We have been through the process of meeting a selection of local architects and have chosen a group who are taking over the reins with great enthusiasm for what has already been produced, and are excited by the prospect of adding their own skills in terms of finalising the details.  They are already working hard and are in regular contact so things are moving forward fast.  We have a meeting with them and the structural engineer tomorrow to see their modelling of the building within the site.  The site has quite a slope to it, so they have some interesting work to decide on the structural make up of the building.  It will be an informative and exciting meeting.

So what have Max and I been doing recently since planning has been granted.

Well lots of gant charts, lots of planning our time, lots of thinking about where we are going to live, lots of thinking about what we will need so that the site is secure whilst we build, lots of conversations with possible builders and utility people to plan such things as the disconnection / reconnection of water, electricity and the like. 

But we have also been doing some 'doing' too! 

I have looked at many houses that we could rent, put offers in, had offers refused.  We have also looked at caravans to rent.  Oh yes I have!  In fact, although I was adamant that I would never live in a caravan, in the last 2 weeks I have become converted.  Yesterday we signed up to purchase a 2006 Bailey Pageant!!!!  Oh my God, what have I done?  I can only say that what I have taken on is something that maybe I will have tears over during the next 6 - 9 months, but it will also give me lots to laugh about in the future when we have happily moved into this new house.  So it can only be the best decision, and one that I am determined to enjoy.  Winter or no winter, let's face it, the bungalow we have been living in for the last 12 months is far from ideal, is not much bigger than a caravan, ice was on the inside of the windows last December, and yet we have survived.  So let's look forward to the next stage in the adventure.  It really is a very enjoyable period of our lives and I'm certain it will remain that way.

Today, we went on another adventure.  We had located a rather good pick up truck that we thought would be really useful.  As you know, or maybe you all don't, Max is planning on being one of the builders on site - whilst I am the project manager.  Builders need trucks - and project managers can't always be relied on to have everything on site when it's needed.  So your own truck (rather than the Mercedes) is invaluable to go and pick up the odd bag of cement or sheet of ply.  So I went along with this, and as project manager became the driving force:  finding it on the internet; having the email conversation with the seller; and then arranging to visit.  The van is in Plymouth.

This actually isn't the one - but was much nicer with rather jazzy colours that attracted me - scarlett and beige.  It would match Max's shoes!

So by appointment we set off first thing this morning, complete with insurance cover to look at this vehicle and bring it home.  

Two hours into the journey we start talking about the advantages, and also questioning the wisdom of this venture.  Little by little we found ourselves thinking that it really was probably better to rent a van when needed. How often will it occur that we haven't got the right material on site, or there is no possibility of the item being delivered?  Half an hour away from Plymouth we stopped the car, rang the vendor and turned around.  It was a good day.

One of the next experiments we will be doing is to trial the living wall.  

Max has been doing a lot of research on how the wall will be constructed and how the trays in which the plants are planted actually function so that they can be hung on the wall.  It is important too that we know where we can get the right plants from, the sizes they come in, how to keep them alive, and how to make the whole thing possible as a permanent structure.  Max has now bought all the materials, and is ready to fabricate the trays.  I have sourced a number of suitable plants in sizes that although not ideal, will enable us to test the process.  I have purchased about 10 varieties to start with, 2 plants of each. So, with the few plants I bought earlier in the summer which I have successfully split into 3 or 4 smaller plants we will be ready to make up the trays.  

All the plants I have chosen are evergreen rather than perennials as I don't want them dying back over winter  - that would not make an attractive wall!  All hopefully thrive in shady positions as the wall they will be on is north facing. This is one of the greatest challenges of the building and the element that would appeal to 'Grand Designs' as it has the 'high risk' factor that would give them the drama they crave.  More on this later. . .. .

Talking of Grand Designs, we did get an email this week, via our architects, from Grand Designs asking if we would like to put ourselves forward as possible candidates (read - victims) for the next series.  We had always said we wouldn't be interested, but funnily enough when the possibility arose, I felt quite tempted.  Max Not.

Fortunately I have a very wise daughter, or two, or three, who all thought it a hugely misguided idea on my part, and so we are not going down that avenue at all.  Let's keep our privacy.

That's all for now, if you would like to know more on a regular basis please sign up for email alerts when a new post has been added. I hope to keep this updated at least once a week.  But we'll have to see.