Ecologically sound new houses
Building in rural locations we are constantly made aware of our wonderful environment. Looking after that environment is a high priority whether it is through responsible building practices such as recycling material on site (e.g. for roads), the addition of renewable energy supplies (e.g. ground source or solar thermal) or just producing highly insulated low air loss houses for added energy efficiency. We also source low carbon and local materials and are responsible in the amount of waste we produce and where it ends up.
Barn Conversions and Devon Wildlife
Wildlife is another key factor in rural locations in Devon. Some of the barns and outbbuildings that we convert are homes to owls, bats and swallows not to mention some other less desirable inhabitants! Before commencing design work we commission an ecological study to ascertain what we may be affecting and how the effect can be mitigated. Such reports often recommend voids or special slates for bats, owl boxes and delaying of works until young have fledged. The new provisions we put in place for these birds are soon in use and it is amazing to visit finished developments and see similar numbers of wildlife living alongside their new human neighbours!