WEEKEND Saturday August 23 /Sunday August 24 2008 Past ... · draught-proofing, improved...
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Flying high At home on hotelier William Barron Hilton’s Nevada ranch Page 3 FT | Saturday August 23 / Sunday August 24 2008 WEEKEND H O USE & H O ME Property Architecture Design Gardens Mixed fortunes Exploring a divided market on Spain’s Costa del Sol Page 4 Two’s company Three design duos on what makes their partnerships work Page 5 Past, present, future Faith Glasgow meets the homeowners turning historic properties into energy efficient eco-houses I f you want to make your home as green as possible, received wisdom says that you’ll find the job easier and the results more effective if you live in a well-insulated, draught-free mod- ern house. But what if you don’t? What if you live, as so many of us do, in a character- ful pile of a building with its own eccentrici- ties and a personalised collection of draughts? What if your home is architectur- ally significant, or even a nationally impor- tant, protected building? How feasible is it to combine the latest eco-friendly features with architecture dating back hundreds of years? That was the challenge Barry Morgan set himself when he bought dilapidated Grade II-listed stables in Kent, south-east England – the only significant structures remaining of the grand Palladian estate of Foots Cray Place, which was built in the mid-18th cen- tury and destroyed by fire in 1949. Morgan, a builder specialising in restora- tion, embarked on the project intending to create an eco-home for his own family, although he recently sold the property to a like-minded buyer. “The increasing pressure on us all to reduce energy consumption is a particular challenge with old buildings, so I was very keen to make Foots Cray as ecolog- ically high-spec as I could,” he says. Like all new dwellings in the UK, the property had to be audited for its energy efficiency and impact on the environment by a qualified assessor. And the results were impressive. Notwithstanding the age of the original buildings and the size of the fin- ished property – it comprises 10,000 sq ft of luxurious living space – Foots Cray has the same energy-performance rating as a two- bedroom, new-build apartment constructed to current standards. Of course, such an achievement comes at a price. Morgan says the eco-features added about 15 per cent to the cost of restoration and the expense, combined with his failure to sell his previous home, is why he had to sell the place. Still, he emphasises, “the most important things might be expensive to install [but] once they’re there, the savings are continuous, with no further costs.” The walls, roof and floors at Foots Cray are fully insulated. And “proper ventilation is crucial,” Morgan adds. “We recycle heat from foul air drawn from the kitchen and bathrooms to heat fresh air going into the living rooms. We also have a rainwater recy- cling system to water the garden and flush the toilets.” Solar panels provide the hot water, heat the swimming pool and contribute to the underfloor heating. “I was drawing heat off the roof through solar radiation at over 50°C when the air temperature was 6°C. Without the pool we could cover almost all our water needs through solar power and use gas only as a back-up,” Morgan says. Yet the property’s relatively low carbon footprint has not come at the expense of modern amenities. It includes an air-condi- tioned gym, a triple garage, four bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and huge living spaces. Purists could argue that this juxtapo- sition of sustainable ideals and the trappings of a top-end 21st century lifestyle is a contra- diction. After all, aren’t the principles of sustainable existence grounded in the reduc- tion of overall consumption? Morgan disagrees. “Residential usage without sub-division was the only viable and sustainable way of preserving this building,” he says. “By incorporating modern green technologies, plus a granny annex, a home office suite and a large kitchen garden with full composting features, the environmental impact of an extended family living at Foots Cray Place can be equal to, or less than, that achieved in many modern executive homes, particularly as the buildings are already 250 years old and, now they they’re restored, are good for another 250. “Compare that to the design life of 60 years for a new mass-market home.” English Heritage, the UK government- backed body responsible for the preservation of the country’s historic environment, dis- putes the sense in trying to rate historical buildings for energy efficiency on the same criteria as modern homes. “The idea that old houses are less energy efficient than new ones is an assumption that has never been properly measured,” says director of conser- vation Bill Martin. “The present methods for measuring efficiency are simple energy-in, energy-out measures but they take no account of the whole life-cycle of the house.” Certainly, old houses are in some ways inherently green. “In renovating, you’re recycling the whole building and preserving history at the same time,” says David Hilton, the eco-expert at the UK’s National Self Build and Renovation Centre. Laura Goldstein, executive editor of the specialist US magazine This Old House, points out that older houses also tend to be smaller than homes built more recently, which means less energy is needed to heat, cool and light them. Moreover, she says, “they already incorpo- rate green design principles – for example, interior transom windows for ventilation and daylight and overhanging eaves to help block the heat of the sun.” In southern Europe, too, the natural venti- lation and high ceilings of many historic buildings helps keep them cool. Developer Steven Carmichael is converting Buriano, a Tuscan hilltop palazzo dating back to the 12th century, into 55 serviced apartments and says the need for air conditioning is debatable. “The rooms are big and airy and the windows have slatted shutters to keep the sun out,” he says. The thick walls and small windows found in many historic British and European ver- nacular buildings also help keep them warmer in winter and cooler in summer. When it comes to improving the energy efficiency of old houses, English Heritage’s general position is that modifications should do no damage to the appearance or function- ing of the building; these might include draught-proofing, improved insulation, the resurrection of internal shutters, the use of a condensing flue gas boiler and secondary glazing. Hilton also recommends a heating system that allows unused parts of the house to be zoned off and left unheated. But there might be limited workable options, he warns. “When you have solid brick or stone walls it’s often hard to insulate them. The only option is to super-insulate the loft space.” It can also make sense to use historic building materials and features chosen pre- cisely because they will last a lifetime. Sal- vaging window frames is one option. Alter- natively, adds Goldstein, “it’s now possible to get historically accurate windows with the latest energy-saving technology.” Eco-renovations can also prove effective when people are prepared to take a tradi- tional approach. Richard and Lucy Pash bought a structurally sound but basic 300-year-old stone house in the medieval mountain village of Chiavenna, on the Swiss-Italian border and decided to follow sustainable local practice as far as possible. They joined the village hydroelectricity co- operative, which taps into the mountain streams to produce the community’s power. Heat and hot water come from a wood-burn- ing stove that runs on pellets of sustainably produced wood or recycled paper. The win- dows have been double glazed. And there are plans to restore and reinsulate the gran- ite slab roof. By taking the “native” approach there was no need for any special permissions – though they will need approval before adding solar panels. For many UK eco-restorers, the biggest challenge is winning support from the local council and English Heritage, which adjudi- cates on important listed buildings. Restric- tions are often imposed, as at Foots Cray, where, for example, the Georgian windows on the façade had to remain single glazed. Morgan says he would also have installed a wind turbine – “I think they look majestic” – but “the planners would have been apo- plectic”. Still, on the whole, officials were “very supportive”. As a general rule, anyone wanting to make an old property greener needs to be methodical and do their research, says Hilton. “Consider the fabric of the building. What features could you use more effec- tively? For instance, do you have an Aga where residue heat could be used?” It is also worth investigating grants, tax breaks and utility company rebates. For example, says Goldstein, “until the end of 2008 the US federal government is offering a tax credit of up to $2,000 for solar upgrades. Austin Energy in Texas gives discounts and low-interest loans to homeowners looking to make their houses more energy efficient, while Montana gives tax credits for home- owners investing in domestic wind power.” Ultimately, creating an eco-home involves doing the best you can with what you’ve got and, perhaps just as importantly, adjusting your behaviour too. As Martin says: “You don’t have to go down the high-tech or high- expense route to get real results.” Morgan acknowledges that his own tri- umph at Foots Cray Place has been bitter- sweet; another family is living the eco- friendly life that should have been his. But “I have kept my sanity and [the property] is off the English Heritage ‘at risk’ register,” he says. “It has a secure and sustainable future that will outlive me.” Ecological Barry Morgan pictured on his solar-panelled roof at Foots Cray Place, Kent, top; the potting shed, above; a view of the house from the garden, above left Daily Telegraph 2008, Philip Hollis/ Andy Scott
Transcript of WEEKEND Saturday August 23 /Sunday August 24 2008 Past ... · draught-proofing, improved...
Flying high
At home on hotelierWilliam Barron Hilton’sNevada ranch Page 3
FT | Saturday August 23 / Sunday August 24 2008WEEKEND
HOUSE&HOMEProperty Architecture Design Gardens
Mixed fortunes
Exploring a dividedmarket on Spain’sCosta del Sol Page 4
Two’s company
Three design duoson what makes theirpartnerships work Page 5
Past, present, futureFaith Glasgow meets the homeowners turning historic properties into energy efficient ecohouses
If you want to make your home asgreen as possible, received wisdomsays that you’ll find the job easier andthe results more effective if you livein a well-insulated, draught-free mod-
ern house. But what if you don’t? What ifyou live, as so many of us do, in a character-ful pile of a building with its own eccentrici-ties and a personalised collection ofdraughts? What if your home is architectur-ally significant, or even a nationally impor-tant, protected building? How feasible is it tocombine the latest eco-friendly features witharchitecture dating back hundreds of years?
That was the challenge Barry Morgan sethimself when he bought dilapidated GradeII-listed stables in Kent, south-east England– the only significant structures remainingof the grand Palladian estate of Foots CrayPlace, which was built in the mid-18th cen-tury and destroyed by fire in 1949.
Morgan, a builder specialising in restora-tion, embarked on the project intending tocreate an eco-home for his own family,although he recently sold the property to alike-minded buyer. “The increasing pressureon us all to reduce energy consumption is aparticular challenge with old buildings, so Iwas very keen to make Foots Cray as ecolog-ically high-spec as I could,” he says.
Like all new dwellings in the UK, theproperty had to be audited for its energyefficiency and impact on the environment bya qualified assessor. And the results wereimpressive. Notwithstanding the age of theoriginal buildings and the size of the fin-ished property – it comprises 10,000 sq ft ofluxurious living space – Foots Cray has thesame energy-performance rating as a two-bedroom, new-build apartment constructedto current standards.
Of course, such an achievement comes ata price. Morgan says the eco-features addedabout 15 per cent to the cost of restorationand the expense, combined with his failureto sell his previous home, is why he had tosell the place. Still, he emphasises, “themost important things might be expensive toinstall [but] once they’re there, the savingsare continuous, with no further costs.”
The walls, roof and floors at Foots Crayare fully insulated. And “proper ventilationis crucial,” Morgan adds. “We recycle heatfrom foul air drawn from the kitchen andbathrooms to heat fresh air going into theliving rooms. We also have a rainwater recy-cling system to water the garden and flushthe toilets.”
Solar panels provide the hot water, heatthe swimming pool and contribute to theunderfloor heating. “I was drawing heat offthe roof through solar radiation at over 50°Cwhen the air temperature was 6°C. Withoutthe pool we could cover almost all our waterneeds through solar power and use gas onlyas a back-up,” Morgan says.
Yet the property’s relatively low carbonfootprint has not come at the expense ofmodern amenities. It includes an air-condi-tioned gym, a triple garage, four bedroomswith ensuite bathrooms and huge livingspaces. Purists could argue that this juxtapo-sition of sustainable ideals and the trappingsof a top-end 21st century lifestyle is a contra-diction. After all, aren’t the principles ofsustainable existence grounded in the reduc-tion of overall consumption?
Morgan disagrees. “Residential usagewithout sub-division was the only viable andsustainable way of preserving this building,”he says. “By incorporating modern greentechnologies, plus a granny annex, a homeoffice suite and a large kitchen garden withfull composting features, the environmentalimpact of an extended family living at FootsCray Place can be equal to, or less than, thatachieved in many modern executive homes,particularly as the buildings are already 250years old and, now they they’re restored, aregood for another 250.
“Compare that to the design life of 60years for a new mass-market home.”
English Heritage, the UK government-backed body responsible for the preservationof the country’s historic environment, dis-putes the sense in trying to rate historicalbuildings for energy efficiency on the samecriteria as modern homes. “The idea that oldhouses are less energy efficient than newones is an assumption that has never beenproperly measured,” says director of conser-
vation Bill Martin. “The present methods formeasuring efficiency are simple energy-in,energy-out measures but they take noaccount of the whole life-cycle of the house.”
Certainly, old houses are in some waysinherently green. “In renovating, you’rerecycling the whole building and preservinghistory at the same time,” says DavidHilton, the eco-expert at the UK’s NationalSelf Build and Renovation Centre.
Laura Goldstein, executive editor of thespecialist US magazine This Old House,points out that older houses also tend to besmaller than homes built more recently,which means less energy is needed to heat,cool and light them.
Moreover, she says, “they already incorpo-rate green design principles – for example,interior transom windows for ventilationand daylight and overhanging eaves to helpblock the heat of the sun.”
In southern Europe, too, the natural venti-lation and high ceilings of many historicbuildings helps keep them cool. DeveloperSteven Carmichael is converting Buriano, aTuscan hilltop palazzo dating back to the12th century, into 55 serviced apartmentsand says the need for air conditioning isdebatable. “The rooms are big and airy andthe windows have slatted shutters to keepthe sun out,” he says.
The thick walls and small windows foundin many historic British and European ver-nacular buildings also help keep them
warmer in winter and cooler in summer.When it comes to improving the energy
efficiency of old houses, English Heritage’sgeneral position is that modifications shoulddo no damage to the appearance or function-ing of the building; these might includedraught-proofing, improved insulation, theresurrection of internal shutters, the use ofa condensing flue gas boiler and secondaryglazing. Hilton also recommends a heatingsystem that allows unused parts of thehouse to be zoned off and left unheated. Butthere might be limited workable options, hewarns. “When you have solid brick or stonewalls it’s often hard to insulate them. Theonly option is to super-insulate the loftspace.”
It can also make sense to use historicbuilding materials and features chosen pre-cisely because they will last a lifetime. Sal-vaging window frames is one option. Alter-natively, adds Goldstein, “it’s now possibleto get historically accurate windows withthe latest energy-saving technology.”
Eco-renovations can also prove effectivewhen people are prepared to take a tradi-tional approach. Richard and Lucy Pashbought a structurally sound but basic300-year-old stone house in the medievalmountain village of Chiavenna, on theSwiss-Italian border and decided to followsustainable local practice as far as possible.They joined the village hydroelectricity co-operative, which taps into the mountain
streams to produce the community’s power.Heat and hot water come from a wood-burn-ing stove that runs on pellets of sustainablyproduced wood or recycled paper. The win-dows have been double glazed. And thereare plans to restore and reinsulate the gran-ite slab roof. By taking the “native”approach there was no need for any specialpermissions – though they will needapproval before adding solar panels.
For many UK eco-restorers, the biggestchallenge is winning support from the localcouncil and English Heritage, which adjudi-cates on important listed buildings. Restric-tions are often imposed, as at Foots Cray,where, for example, the Georgian windowson the façade had to remain single glazed.
Morgan says he would also have installeda wind turbine – “I think they look majestic”– but “the planners would have been apo-plectic”. Still, on the whole, officials were“very supportive”.
As a general rule, anyone wanting tomake an old property greener needs to bemethodical and do their research, saysHilton. “Consider the fabric of the building.What features could you use more effec-tively? For instance, do you have an Agawhere residue heat could be used?”
It is also worth investigating grants, taxbreaks and utility company rebates. Forexample, says Goldstein, “until the end of2008 the US federal government is offering atax credit of up to $2,000 for solar upgrades.Austin Energy in Texas gives discounts andlow-interest loans to homeowners looking tomake their houses more energy efficient,while Montana gives tax credits for home-owners investing in domestic wind power.”
Ultimately, creating an eco-home involvesdoing the best you can with what you’ve gotand, perhaps just as importantly, adjustingyour behaviour too. As Martin says: “Youdon’t have to go down the high-tech or high-expense route to get real results.”
Morgan acknowledges that his own tri-umph at Foots Cray Place has been bitter-sweet; another family is living the eco-friendly life that should have been his. But“I have kept my sanity and [the property] isoff the English Heritage ‘at risk’ register,”he says. “It has a secure and sustainablefuture that will outlive me.”
Ecological Barry Morganpictured on his solarpanelledroof at Foots Cray Place,Kent, top; the potting shed,above; a view of the housefrom the garden, above leftDaily Telegraph 2008, Philip Hollis/
Andy Scott
AUGUST 23 2008 Section:Weekend Time: 20/8/2008 - 16:21 User: murphym Page Name: RES1, Part,Page,Edition: RES, 1, 1
