Will you be at the Kent 2020?

Morning folks! 

 

CAP'EM and Build4 have just signed up to be at the Kent 2020! 

If you don't know about the Kent 2020, its the largest Business to Business event in the county and a really great day to meet the people doing business in Kent. 

We're looking forward to talking sustainable construction so come and find us in the Low Carbon Kent zone!

For more information about exhibiting or visiting the Kent 2020, Watch This Video! (Its really good...)

Best wishes,

If you go into the woods today...

You're in for a big surprise!  I was!  This month's featured product is timber.  And not just any timber but English Timber from the excellent local company English Woodland Timber.

A little background first.  English Woodland Timber saved Build4's bacon when they sent up a load of cut-to-size English Oak cladding for the completion of one of our installations just days before the centre was due to launch. 

English Oak Cladding (on the left)

For that, we are eternally grateful.  And the product is so beautiful, I invited myself over to see what else they had hidden away at their sawmills tucked away in the scenic South Downs of West Sussex. 

One snowy Wednesday I drove through the downs and this is what I saw...

The View from English Woodland Timber

English Woodland Timber is located in the most picturesque of settings, some might say that it is entirely appropriate for a business dedicated to a natural building material like timber.  The only neighbours seem to be those of the web footed variety...

The neighbours popped by for a winter walk

Sarah Farmer very kindly showed me around the place.  We started inside (since it was -3C outside) in the timber demonstration centre.  EWT received some funding from SEEDA to put together a demonstration centre showcasing different varieties of English Timber...

Hand drawn oak pegs

English timber Mock-Up

You can almost imagine what the tree looked like...

British Elm

Despite the cold, I was dying to get outside and have a look around the yard because that's where the story of the timber actually began.

It all starts with a tree...or at least with cutting down a tree...

The raw material

As a matter of interest, Sarah pointed out that this particular log's bark is indicative of a 'disease' that produces the most spectacular effect on the inside.  It is called Pippy and when the timber is sawn, the inside looks like this:

Talk about the character of timber!  Why would you use any other product?

The yard is full of the timber that has been sawn and is in the process of seasoning.  All of English Woodland's Timber has chain of custody attached to it and the system is so good that in most cases, you can pick up a tagged plank to find out exactly where that timber came from and who grew it.  It makes the whole experience feel more personal! 

Here are some of my snaps from the yard...

Wondering how they make the logs look like that?  Check this out...

This is one of their saws...

And this is another.  Check out that blade!

Once the logs are sawn, they go outside to season.  Interestingly, the seasoning process carries on and the logs dry out despite any weather they are exposed to.  They are then sent into the kiln which on a day like this was a dream at a sauna like temperature.  In reality, the kiln is brought up to 56C over the course of 2 weeks and then brought back down to the outdoor temperature.  Whatever the kiln temperature was that day, it felt like paradise compared to the great outdoors!

And once the timber is dried and ready to sell, it goes into the warehouse where people can come along and choose what they want.  EWT's customers are varied and so is their timber selection.  They have joiners/carpenters/furniture makers and many others who come along to buy their locally sourced high quality timber of many different varieties. 

On the day of my visit, Peter was busy with a cutting list for a furniture maker who was building a chest of drawers.  The craftsman had left a list of dimensions he needed and Peter was meticulously going through planks looking for the best place to cut the pieces from. 

The blue chalk marks are where Peter has marked out the best cuts for the customers needs

This man knows how to dress for the weather.  I love his hat!

I asked Peter where he learned to do this very detailed job.

I'm self taught, he replied.  I've been doing this for over 25 years.

Peter is not the only craftsmen at EWT.  I also met Philip who, in his spare time, has been helping kit out this building for a staff tea hut...

Just an average, run of the mill container right...?



Not quite run of the mill as you or I would think about it but certainly run from EWT's mill...

This floor was made from timber off-cuts from the mill



Philip is the man behind this 'warts and all' stunning floor (also note the framework for sofa's to relax on...).  If you want to learn a bit more about how this was made, go here.  It's definitely worth a read!

It's a rare treat for me to get out and visit the producers of eco-materials that we are showcasing at Build4.  Despite the cold day, this was a real highlight to my week.  The people at EWT are incredibly friendly and knowledgable but more than that, they know their products inside and out.  The difference between their timber and the timber you buy at a general builder's merchant is like the difference between night and day!

If your project needs special timber, ring them up and discuss your needs.  Odds are they will have exactly what you're looking for and it will be locally sourced to boot! 

Contact details here:
01730 816941
sales@englishwoodlandstimber.co.uk
http://www.englishwoodlandstimber.co.uk/

Thank you to all at EWT for making me so welcome!

Best wishes,

Making Headlines!

Back in December, we had the honour of a visit from two members of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).  Neil and Hayley came by to see how Build4 might be a place for their members to meet for training/seminars or meetings.

We gave them a nice tour and they took lots of photos.  And this month, they gave us a shout out in their member's publication Master Builder

The Grand Tour

Thank you for the press Neil.  We hope to welcome you and your members back soon!

Best wishes,

Back from the Monkey House

As I mentioned before, last week we had a project meeting in Apeldorn in the Netherlands.  Aside from the fact that the Netherlands is a splendid country to visit, our Dutch partners, Agrodome, laid on a brilliant meeting venue at Apenheul/Natuurhuis De St@art. 

Apenheul is home to 200 free ranging primates and is a conservation project started in the 1970s.  As a visitor, you can wander round the carefully created habitat and observe the monkeys going about their daily business. 

In 2011, Apenheul was augmented by the construction of a beautiful eco-building called DeSt@art which houses the offices of the Apenheul Foundation and Natuurhuis.  A well equipped educational centre is set up for visiting groups and part of that centre is one of Agrodome's demonstration centres.

Designed by the Dutch architects RAU,

'De St@art is designed to look like a gigantic wooden skeleton that forms a binding element between the Apenheul and Park Berg en Bos. The arrival of the building will introduce a new trail that runs through the park to the entrance of the Apenheul. To emphasise the perception of nature, parts of the building, such as the auditorium, have been constructed underground as much as possible'.

For more information and professional images of the building go here

These are just a couple of the images that I captured on our tour:

Their underground auditorium had fantastic acuostics because of the specially designed timber walls:

And Agrodome's demonstration centre, which is located on the ground floor with a lovely view of the grounds is set up for visitors to have access to all materials on display.

Wall Mock-Up

Duurzaam Coir

Homatherm Isulation

My favourites?


Easy to build Green Wall- I might try this at home!



BioFoam Insulation- like a polystryene but plant based

Quick Install Bamboo Flooring (laid like carpet)

Just a reminder- all of this brought to you by:

Truly an inspirational visit.  For any more information about the Dutch building products on display, get in touch!

Until the next time...



Are you running a SMART business?

Happy Monday to all of your in the blogosphere.  Anybody out there running a SMART business?  If you're not, time is running out...

SMART is a fantastic project being run here at BSK for companies in the construction industry.  It's all about Sustainable Materials and Renewable Technology and it offers businesses support to help them become more 'sustainability saavy'. 

Like CAP'EM, SMART is funded by the EU so all the support is free to your business and there are some great offers:

• FREE Workshops Part L and RHI
• Business Development Days
• Marketing for Construction and other publicity opportunities
• Retrofitting opportunities for small traders
• Code for Sustainable Homes-legislation
• Retrofitting focus-opportunities and advantages of sustainable practice and materials
• Marketing Your Green Credentials
• Case Studies

Don't get left behind...these opportunities are only around for 2 more months so Click Here to take advantage!

You heard it here...

Best Wishes,

Follow SMART on Twitter

Get free SMART Eco-Materials Cards.  Call Katie on 08457 22 66 55

The Cycle of Stuff...

When you spend each day living and breathing eco-materials, you start to think about the ethos behind eco a little more broadly.

For instance, CAP'EM focuses on eco-materials in construction.  Many of the CAP'EM materials are derived from natural products which means that the fundamental building block of the product is renewable.  But what do you do if you live or work in a situation that involves stuff that doesn't fit into this renewable way of thinking? 

So much of materials decision making comes down to needs versus budget.  And whilst the whole life cost argument is compelling and rightfully so (For those who don't know- whole life cost considers the impact of the product on more than just your pocketbook), sometimes the renewable products on offer just don't meet the specification.

Example- when fitting out Build4, we were in desperate need of tables for our mezzanine level.  The budget said we couldn't afford brand new conference tables.  Sustainable tables were difficult to source and expensive. My heart said that I didn't  want something new made of chipboard and formeldyhyde infused glue- not to mention the carbon footprint of something most likely made in the far east.  My head told me that there must be a marketplace for buying these things second hand because after all, in the waste hierarchy, re-using comes before re-cycling. 

And of course there is a marketplace and it is alive and kicking.  Which is why we have wooden folding tables (with a 1950s vibe), built to NATO specifications for the British Army and rescued from the Ministry of Defence for a knock down rate of  £25 per table.  The British Army didn't need them anymore and they augmented our upcycled cabinet beautifully!

One of the organisations that turned up on my Google search  for second hand tables and chairs was a social enterprise called FRN- Furniture Recycling Network.  Lo and behold FRN turned up this new year in an excellent collaboration with IKEA to encourage people to donate their used furniture locally.  What a great way to close the second-hand loop!

I wonder how long a great re-using loop could go on with no need to produce anything new.  I think we probably have produced enough stuff to keep us all going for a while...yes, I do realise that there are employment ramifications at play here, but for arguments' sake, we could train people in craft and maintenance skills...

My point, in a roundabout sort of way is there is never one correct answer to the sustainabiltiy question.  Your needs will dictate your path and if you think that new is too expensive, what about looking at second hand?  What better way to honour the resources and people that produced something than by giving it another life?  And while you're at it, think about how you might ethically dispose of the item you're replacing.  To start you off- a list of ideas follow:

Give them away at:
Freecycle
FRN (find local donation centres here)

Or try to earn a little extra cash by selling through:
Gumtree
Preloved
Second hand tables and chairs

Do you know of any other good organisations that support re-using?  Let us know in the comment section!

Best wishes,

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a nice Christmas break and recycled all that gift wrap!

Today is our first day back at Build4 and catching up on email, I received a link from Fred, one of our Dutch partners.  There's so much creativity and innovation coming from the Netherlands- have a look at this:
Agrodome's Demonstration Centre .  I'm looking forward to a visit later this month and will post some pics to share with you all.

In the spirit of New Year's Resolutions, Build4 has made a resolution to get more people through the door. So if you are looking for a place in Kent to host a meeting, get in touch with us.  Build4 is available for this purpose and is set up with wi-fi, tables/chairs, and caffeine!  As we're publicly funded, there is no charge to use our space and its a great opportunity to learn a bit more about eco-materials at the same time.

Find more information for hiring this space go to Build4 .

Best wishes,