Ferdinand

What are your constraints and budget? Looking at your setting, I would probably suggest a pair of farm pedestrian gates from an agricultural stockist would fit in well. Just been looking into it for a neighbour who is on a budget, and a pair of hunky-chunky (ie the bloke reversing into it will lose the damage war) metal hanging posts, plus a pair of 5ft metal farm gates, comes in at under £200 including VAT for 5 bar gates, or about £250 including VAT for wooden ones from my usual stockist. Because they are likely to have a range of sizes you can probably do your 60:40. The thing that would need to be sorted here is mountings for the wooden gates on the posts, and some form of fastening in the middle. Personally I like a single big one if it is mainly an entrance for cars as I am lazy and do not like opening 2 gates. One solution. F

it is clearly crying out for either an internal or external Helter-Skelter. Not as much as windmills do, but it needs one. ???

In Barcelona it would be attractive to me due to the temperature in summer. Not quite so sure about the same thing in say Scapa Flo or Skegness.

There may be some inspiration for you in one of the houses shortlisted for House of the Year 2018. Made in concrete cylinders cast from corrugated formwork, it is called VEX. https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/riba-regional-awards/riba-london-award-winners/2018/vex https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/riba-house-of-the-year-2018-two-more-homes-added-to-shortlist/10037431.article F

Welcome. That ever so slightly reminds of Ricardo Bofill’s cement factory conversion in Barcelona. That is also made from silos, albeit 30 of them with an area of 500 sqm. https://twistedsifter.com/2011/04/cement-factory-conversion-ricardo-bofill-barcelona/ Ferdinand

Probably not for £5 each. Others may have different suggestions. F

Yes. My view is that sometimes we can feel overwhelmed by an architect, through assuming that they will somehow manage themselves. Things like the adherence to a budget, and where there is flexibility or not, are imo part of the stuff we need to be aware of the outlines of, and communicate our requirements. If we are dealing with somebody who is more of a technician or plans-drawer, then it is more obvious that they are more of a lieutenant or a midshipman. Even if we higher a Captain of the ship, ie architect, we still need to navigate. An architect may well think of their role as to suggest things which are beyond our ideas, which may well be very very good but will stretch the budget, and we need decide how far down those avenues we go. That imo is one of the constraints we need to address and communicate. I am overtime considering the Brief to be more and more important, and deserving of effort. Ferdinand

>We would be looking to start building work in just over a year's time - giving us time to find an architect, get planning permission and approve the plans before we relocate. On architects. As a professional they have a huge amount of knowledge and training, and hinterland. It is like dealing with a master of a guild, rather than a journeyman (eg an Architectural Technlogist). They bring a significant possibility for inspiration and innovation to your conversion (probably good for a barn conversion), and can add a lot of wow factor and fluency to your project. But ... by the same token that means that you have to be on the other end of the seesaw with an awareness of what you want, or your architect can deliver you nothing except THEiR ideas. So you need to develop a sufficient vision yourself to GUIDE the inspiration your architect can supply, so you gat a brilliant version of what YOU want. To pick up on @joe90, be an active enough client such that first you can choose an architect who's "style" matches your intention, and second so that you have the confidence to express the constraints you wish to identify clearly. Including budget. With an architect you need to be able to debate and think at a more abstract level than say with an Architectural Technician. A seesaw needs similar weights on both ends, and that means you need to work at it ... the Architect has 5-7 years of training plus a career, which is a resource that you have to be good enough to guide. F

You are thinking about the fundamental questions in the right areas here. My comemnts: Assuming you are going for a well insulated house. 1 - Take time to think it through *very* carefully, and visit people who are already in that situation. 2 - The heat from solar in winter is very little compared to summer ... perhaps only 10%, so there will be a potential benefit but it will not be huge. 3 - You need to be thinking about significantly large overhangs (think 2m downstairs or perhaps 3m+ if it is at double height (or you could go for 2 layers with a balcony upstairs). The aim is to keep out the high sun in summer, and let in the low sun in winter. BUT as you would guess ... the difficult case that needs care is the sun in spring and autumn, where there is lowish sun with highish heat. Consider how you can incorporate such overhangs in your design and natural usage for your house, and whether you want to use things that are structurally based off the ground, attached to your houise,or separate (eg pergolas), and consider if you need to design anything in such as powered blinds or solar glass (*), Ferdinand * Of course if you keep all the autumn excess heat out with glass itself you are then buggered for the winter benefit :-). The important thing is to take more time to think than you expect to need.

Indeed. It is in the mind as I am having a third of half of an octopus for tea, having had the other two-thirds of the half with a friend the other week. It is all the fault of the octopus sellers of Whitstable, who refuse to deal in portions smaller than a semi-Octopus, which do not work for individual light lunches. Given the musicality of Canterbury Cathedral, they should at least be familiar with demi-semi-quavers, and therefore be willing to sell me a demi-semi-octopus ie one tentacle. plus a slice of mantle. Alas, not. Tasty octopus, though. I was referring to the first unit you display, which is a through-the-wall item ie one 100mm hole, and you think is plug-ugly. The first one I installed back in 2012 put into a backless cupboard carcase with a louvred wooden door and mounted slightly off the wall. and was therefore invisible. That might be less trouble than a cephalopod in your loft. But it would require an external wall, which may be scarce. Ferdinand

@Onoff It seems to be a really complicated way to deal with ventilation for a single bathroom. ? An alternative .. if the problem is an ugly unit with the through the wall one ... is to just put it in a small cupboard with a louvred door, as I did with one of mine. That will save you at least 4 pipes, and a half-octopus in the loft. Or would that not fit in with the design? ? Ferdinand

TRVs are normally easy to fit, and only cost a couple of ££ each. However, some people like me have been known to make it more difficult by crossing threads etc. We probably want confirmation from a resident plumber. eg different types. The thing to remember with TRVs is that they only provide a limiting value on temperature, and no control of heat output, ie how fast it gets there, except to stop it at X degrees. F

What does this say for people who including easy access to flat roofs in their design, for maintenance? eg if it is made easy to clean snow, if that access from inside is via a half landing window to avoid big dangerous ladders from outside, does that mean that parapets are required around the flat roof? So presumably the technique is to make sure that the access window inside requires a step ladder or stool? Ferdinand

So time is of the essence. The other idea I have is to stick a modular bathroom in there ie cubicle that just needs service connections, whilst he addresses it. My only other idea is a DMEV fan with trickle setting ... from about £70 or so. But that is just another sticky Plaster. And that is me out of ideas. F

I think you should collect Angel Fish, and make a very thin fish tank.

Are we up to £1.06, yet?

What will you do with the bucket labelled “Bits Left Over”. ?

Change your wall finish behind and beside the fridge to be absorbing.

I think that Which cover noise when they do their Best of reviews on fridges. Also some websites have noise ratings in the spec detail. Finally, standing it on a square of rubber matting will help.

If you get a wireless stat you can move it aroun, for one.

Does he have a second shower or bathroom? IMO the sensible outcome would be for the HA to sort out the problem, and him to make a suitable contribution, rather than try to bodge and get away with it. As A LL I would cut such a deal with my Ts and do so quite often, but that requires basic trust on both sides. eg One T last month wanted to paint the black wooden doors of her kitchen grey, and I gave her a day of handyman time and some advice. From my point of view it extends the life of the kitchen by 5-6 years. F

Question: Are so-called "natural" or "ecofriendly" paints much better than the aqueous-based paints which are now virtually everywhere? Aside for a rant --------------------- I ask because, on another forum, a link was posted to *this* piece in the Guardian; the article is dated March 19, 2019: and recommends: The first thing to note is that this is thick-as-a-plank "journalism", because the "proof" link which includes these recommendations is to an article from 2009, that looked forward to new and better regulation being introduced in 2010. ie The 2010 author Katherine Sorrell seems to be entirely careful and competent, and the 2019 author is a careless at best who seems to be more suited to Taboola or I Can Haz Cheeseburger, but is actually billed as a " former data journalist at the Guardian ". Sigh. --------------------------------- Anyhoo, back to the question: Are so-called "natural" or "ecofriendly" paints much better than the aqueous-based paints which are now virtually everywhere, including DIY sheds? My expectation is that there is little difference, and very probably not enough to justify a 300-500% price difference (from current prices on a couple of the recommendations vs Wickes full price). Ferdinand

OK. being more constructive. The obvious thing is to fess up and try to have a sensible conversation, or put it all back and then call in the LL. If he wants a dehumidifier I would recommend on of these as a good but small commercial one. This is the smaller one of the two I have https://www.broughtoneap.co.uk/products/dehumidifiers/ New they are about £400 for the smallest so for a LL with no dehumidifier it should be easy to justify. That at least should let him see if it comes back. His other alternative is to tank and then dryline, then tile. Or can he do it, then get the LL onto the roof. If he wants a one room HR,fan, then it will go in the same hole in the wall as a normal fan and cost about £150. Relevant q: How long is he staying there, and what sort of tenancy is it? Secure or AST? F

If it is rented, and LL is sitting on their hands, then he needs the EHO in. If he has already demolished his landlord's bathroom, then presumably he is in breach, and possibly in a hole he has dug. Ouch.

Does that mean a single dwelling on the designated site, or does it cover a single dwelling somewhere else if the first one falls through? As a TF manufacturer, if I was providing the design resource, I would have a lock-in clause to my company - with a "pro-rata time spent" buyout if I do not get the sale.