Link magazine, Spring 2008 [PDF, 4,450k] - South Norfolk Council

6Planning and ConservationLiving in a DesignAward homeAn interview withBeverley BallardWhat does it mean to you tobe in this house? “It’s nice toknow you’ve designed and builtit yourself and that you’re livingin an eco-friendly house. We feelthis design does have its owncharacter, with modern benefitsand environmental strengths.A wonder home of the future in Cringleford, featuring a 1,000metre heat recovery system buried in the garden, won oneof Norfolk’s top design awards during 2007. In November, atSouth Norfolk Council’s headquarters in Long Stratton, builders,architects, and other guests joined Peter and Beverley Ballardfor the formal presentation by Council Chairman, Cllr Joe Mooney.So, what prompted the project in the first place? What is itlike living in such a futuristic home? We were lucky enoughto spend some time with Beverley at Cedar House, built byWillow Builders of Great Ditchingham, and gain answers toa few of our questions!“One of the first things we did before purchasing the land wasto speak with our architect, Crispin Lambert, meeting up withhim on site, to discuss what could or couldn’t be built. Thisnew-build represented an opportunity to achieve a layout totallysuited to our family life without the restrictions an existingproperty represents.Left: One of the children’s roomsRight: Wire mesh was mouldedunder the staircase and plasteredover, giving an organic appearanceand complementing the two curvedwalls in the entrance hallIt can be a nightmarebuilding your ownhome, how did theproject turn out? “Weknew it was worth payingan architect to design andproject manage for us, theworking relationship hasto be right though. Crispinwas very professional andfantastic at sorting out anyproblems on site. It madeus keep more on budgettoo!So how did you go aboutdesigning your home? “Weused a bubble diagram to set outwhat we wanted in terms of livingspace. It had to be practical,open plan, a separate area forthe children to be in and enjoy as‘their space’ when we weren’t allsharing time together.”What wowed the judgesabout Cedar House werethe environmental features.Pipework, buried 1.8m beneaththe garden takes heat fromthe earth, which is warmed bythe sun; shredded newspaperinsulation throughout the timberframe - and all but one contractorwas from South Norfolk. Thefamily recorded their project’sprogress by setting up a website:www.cedarhouseproject.co.ukThank you Beverley, we enjoyedour visit – and it wasso warm in yourhouse, yet yourheating costsare so low– anothergreat benefitin thesedays ofhigher utilitybills!