“In Germany, people come and sign a
contract and the building work goes ahead very
quickly. In England it takes far longer to find a
plot and gain planning permission. It can be very
complicated and frustrating for everyone, but
after planning has been achieved, we can go
ahead and specify all the materials,” explains
Baufritz’s Oliver Rehm.
“Much of our factory is automated, using
machines that have been designed especially for
us, and we use state-of-the-art CAD technology
that’s linked to our systems to ensure millimetre
precision.
“It’s great to see the product that you’ve
designed being made so accurately by
machines, and you don’t have to worry about
the execution on site, because everything is so
precise. I always feel elated when a house
arrives from Germany on the back of a truck and
is finished within just a few days – it’s a very
exciting process.”
External walls are packed with Baufritz’s
thermally efficient wood shaving insulation,
made from off-cuts from the manufacturing
process and protected from fire, fungus and
pests using a natural treatment made from soda
and whey. The shell is 100 per cent
biodegradable and can be completely returned
to nature.
“We did manage to block the road for several
hours because our driveway is long and steep,
so access was tricky, but everything was soon
craned into position,” says David. “It only took
four days to erect the walls and roof of the
house, and I built a small scaffold tower and
filmed the whole thing using a time-lapse
camera – making a short film of our build.”
The Jones’ were flown out to Germany prior
to work starting onsite, where they liaised with
their Baufritz project manager to choose all
fixtures and fittings, including sanitaryware, tiles,
flooring and light switches, leaving only the
kitchen to be sourced separately. “It was
enjoyable but tiring, because we’d be working
well into the evenings,” says David.
Not only is the house incredibly highly
insulated and triple glazed, but it also benefits
from a ventilation and heat recovery system.
Built-in protection against electromagnetic
pollution levels shields against cell phone
radiation, and harmful substances are eliminated
at every stage.
“The previous house had oil-fired heating, but
after much thought we settled on installing a
ground source heat pump, with underfloor
heating on all levels,” says David. “We chose
engineered walnut flooring for several rooms,
with herringbone parquet laid in the sitting
room, and followed this through with walnut for
the internal doors and kitchen.”
The main kitchen was crafted in the UK from
sustainable birch plywood, combined with
locally-sourced sycamore and walnut wood to
create the cabinetry and hand-carved drawers.
Low energy appliances were chosen, including
an eco-friendly boiling water tap.
“What we love about this house, apart from
the fabulous setting, is the feeling of quality,”
says David. “Everyone comments that it’s a
peaceful, calm and relaxing place to be, and it’s
also a healthy home – both for us and the
environment.” VAULTED
A high, vaulted ceiling coupled
with the views makes the
home’s master bedroom a
tranquil and airy retreatCONTACTS/
SUPPLIERS
DESIGN & BUILD, WALLS,
WINDOWS, INSULATION,
ROOF TILES,
SANITARYWARE (ETC)
Baufritz
http://www.baufritz.co.ukGROUNDWORKS
Eclipse Construction
http://www.eclipseconstructionltd.
co.ukBASEMENT
Glatthaar Fertigkeller
http://www.glatthaar.co.ukBESPOKE KITCHEN
George Robinson
http://www.georgerobinsonkitchen
s.co.ukGARDEN DESIGN
Hannah Genders
http://www.hannahgenders.co.ukLIGHTING DESIGN
Re:light
relight.ltd.uk30www.sbhonline.co.uk september/october 2019