Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!

Obviously with nasty old Christmas getting in the way (!) progress has slowed a little, but not to the extent I would have expected.

The beams are looking great and have been completely embedded in the wall - the walls have been rebuilt where the holes where pushed through to allow the beams to be put into place. Apparently, each beam weighs around three quarters of a tonne, enough to make the machine that was used to lift them lean alarmingly before getting the job done!

The two windows that we’re putting through on the ground floor gable-end have been measured up and partially cut through. I was worried that they’d be too big, but the size looks about right. The damp problems in the wall have been further confirmed by the builder when cutting the windows out and I’m currently figuring out what to do - I have an idea or two of which more in the future…

Major progress has been made in starting construction of the first floor in the main part of the barn. Last I saw of it, the joists that run lengthwise through the barn, supported by the oak beams had begun to be put into place and the feel of the new building has begun to establish itself - exciting times.

Finally, the opening between the two ground floor rooms of the barn has been fully established and the retaining walls strengthened. There have been a couple of difficulties in getting the levels of the reclaimed oak lintels correct as there are two steps up into the kitchen and a conundrum to be solved in getting the various ceiling, lintel and floor levels correct, but I think we’ve got there, hopefully without the opportunity of me banging my head.

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A Frank Lloyd Wright quotation:

Organic architecture more or less means organic society. An architecture inspired by this ideal cannot acknowledge the laws imposed by aestheticism or mere taste, just as an organic society should reject any external imposition on life that contrast with nature and the character of the man who has found his work and the place where he can be happy and useful in a form of existence suited to him.

In short, architecture should follow the needs of society and the individuals within that society; that any awkward imposition caused by aestheticism or mere taste should be rejected. This struck me as a powerful quote that pretty much sums up my own personal approach to architecture. Whilst architectural styles and movements can entice with their aesthetic beauty, discipline and rigour, my personal needs for an attractive and yet functional environment drive me down a more pragmatic route.

Form follows function…

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I’m always looking for new ways to get the message of this site across, so I’m happy to announce that I’m going to start adding video content via YouTube.

The first video is on the interior of the barn as it begins to take shape. The floor is partially finished, oaks beams are in place and work has started on the first floor. It’s a little dark and gloomy, but not too bad for a first attempt…

Enjoy…

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Rather strangely, I’ve we’ve discovered stalactites in our walls.

Whilst the photograph is not that clear, that downward dribble to the right of the centre of the picture is a lime stalactite that has formed within the south facing wall of the barn. Whilst the wall is not very damp at the surface, internally it is […]

The first of the structural elements that will form a finished part of the building have been installed. Our much debated oak beams, that were selected over steel beams as a key element of our healthy house design have been delivered and put into place.
As the walls that will support the beams are already […]

As well as the health benefits of not using carpets in your conversion project, alternatives can also help your bank balance when incorporated into the building during its conversion.
You can reclaim VAT spent on flooring during your conversion except for carpet.
8.10 Carpets
Carpets, carpet tiles and underlay are not ‘building materials’ for VAT purposes and […]

Through to the end of November progress has been mainly on filling back in what has been taken out!

The original internal floors were removed and extra excavation carried out to give sufficient depth for the new floor. The new floor comprises of a layer of well bedded in hard-core, then a damn proof membrane (which […]

I thought it was about time to review the VAT situation regarding the barn to ensure that my understanding is correct, so an overview of the current legislation follows with appropriate extracts.
My apologies if any of this reads a strangely, I wanted to keep as much of the wording from the official sources intact to […]