IanR

More info would definitely help. I have the same orientation and solar gain risk, and I'm also single storey. External Blinds are very effective. With the greater contribution roof insulation gives in a bungalow I'd also suggest high decrement delay insulation. Something like blown cellulose insulation. If you're having UFH then cooling via the ASHP is a no brainer. It's the cost of a controller that can handle cooling as well as heating and is effective at just above dew point temps so no risk of condensation. I would also add either air to air heat pump cooling or fan coils in the main rooms. If you have space for the second heat pump then go air to air, as the fan coils, I assume, would be better with a lower flow temp than your UFH cooling needs.

I ended up with some left over, but believe they are EPS200. If the form is correct I can check the spec. I had two different profiles: and The two different profiles were used on mine to create and integral ring beam, and then a seperate outer ring beam. If either appear to be a similar shape to what you need, let me know the dimensions and I will check and confirm the EPS Spec.

It's an Insulated Raft Foundation. The Insulation is structural, 100% of the building's loads are passed through it and spread on to the ground beneath.

That wasn't my experience in 2016/17. The Engineers doing optimised rafts, like AFT, ie. 100mm thick in the main, with a deeper ring beam and single layer mesh, were all packaging up their calcs with EPS Supply. Some were also packaging concrete, steel and labour for installation. If there are now Engineers that will sign off an optimised raft from sheet EPS and only charge for the calcs then that is a benefit. Can anyone share some names?

Interesting... Are you doing the calcs, or a 3rd party SE, and does their insurance cover you for the DIY approach? I couldn't find a way of avoiding being "locked in" to a specific supplier and being charged a premium for the EPS - although I was happy in the end (after a long search and negotiation) the premium wasn't too high.

AFT used to use Springvale EPS, in the UK for their UK orders. I hadn't realised they'd changed to their Swedish Supplier for the UK orders. I did get extras from Springvale, but needed Olaf to "OK" the order. I assume the AFT <-> Springvale relationship turned sour??? Have you got Olaf's details? He still has the AFT domain, so his email is likely still operating. I believe I have his UK mobile, but he did use it in when in Sweden - have you got that? If you are not in a rush, I'd try Olaf to supply the correct sections - no question on insurance cover then. If not then I'd make them up myself, but you need to use the EPS200 or EPS300 spec that L Formers were specified in.

This is about condensation risk, and if water vapour from the warm humid inside air is likely to condensate within the structure, does it dry out or stay wet for prolonged periods where mildew/fungus/rot with then take hold.

Rule of thumb is to have the most vapour closed layer on the inside and get more vapour open as you work out, so PIR would be better on the inside of the roof. But, you may get away with a ventilation gap under the steel roof so that air will allow the OSB to dry.

I'd suggest a clear view on what it is you wish to do. Between your two posts there's not a lot of overlap on what you are thinking, other than the word "platform". Is that the tech definition of "platform"? ie. a digital infrastructure that provides tools for other applications, services, or products to be built, run, and interact? Perhaps I'm having a bad day, but I'm really not sure what you are wanting to do.

Welcome, and I wish you the best of luck. But, have you got really good reasons for straw bale walls? You can achieve your "sustainability and use local materials" goals without going this far. Your site appears a little "width constrained". A more efficient insulator may release more internal room widths.

They will definitely wander off. And they need access to shelter, food and water. Domesticated goats are not particularly hardy.

There's remote operated (rather than robot) tracked flail mowers, starting at about £2K on eBay, but I'm not convinced they have the weight to do the job in brambles etc. The AS Sherpa has a remote control option (as well as ride on) but second hand they're at least £8K. If it was a one off, then Sherpas are often what the hire companies have. My experience of flail heads on diggers is they're narrow and diggers are slow. OK for hedging, but would take ages to do 6 acres.

Sorry, but that's not the road block to more people building custom homes.

I'd use a rough cut mower, it will handle all thistles and most brambles and saplings. Cheaper than fencing. Bertolinis are at a good price point. Not commercial, but pretty robust. I've knocked back areas with it that haven't been touched for 10 years that had 4ft high Oak saplings and really thick brambles.

You need to fence goats in. And they don't eat anything, they will be quite picky if there's plenty of food. You need to pull any Ragwart out, that's in the area they have access to. If it's growing they should leave it alone if they have plenty of alternative foliage to eat, but if it's dead/dried they'll eat it and it's highly poisonous to them. I wouldn't suggest it, but you can put a collar and chain/line on them and stake them to the ground so they eat a 4m or 5m circle, but you need to move them a couple of times a day, make sure they have access to water and shade.