NPPG1 planning guidance 2000: sustainability

The Scottish Executive is committed to integrating the principles of sustainable development in its policy agenda. The Scottish Ministers expect the planning system to support and inform this wider policy agenda linking principles and actions to enable sustainable development.

source

Architects Certificates and the NHBC (etc) schemes

The Rias provides guidance on the use of architects certificates as a replcaement for building insurance, such as NHBC or Zurich cover. In short the advice is "do not use architects certificates as a replacement for building insurance"

Guide to architects certificates available here click on left border to dowload pdf

Certificates for Building Societies and Lenders issued by architects and others.

These are intended for reliance upon by the Banks and Building Societies when lending to small developers and self-builders, as evidence that the works have been satisfactorily completed before release of funds.

The RIAS has, for several years, published a standard form of ‘Architects Certificate for Building Societies’. Currently RIAS produce a pro forma required by the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). The CML is the watchdog body for the mortgage industry. The new CML form extends the architect’s liability to subsequent owners for a limited number of years.

Unfortunately, many legal and selling agents do not understand the limitations of these architects’ certificates and assume that they are a form of defect guarantee or insurance relating to the builders work similar to the NHBC defect liability insurance.

The RIAS has reproduced the CML form (by permission). It should be stressed that

1 The wording of this form is that of the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML), extracted from the “CML Lenders Handbook for Solicitors and Independent Qualified Conveyancers Scotland (2002)”

2 Architects are recommended to check that their insurers will provide extension of Professional Indemnity cover in the terms of the form, prior to provision of the service.

3 This form should not be regarded as a substitute for defects liability insurance such as that provided by NHBC, Premier Guarantee, Zurich Insurance or similar. The RIAS recommends that developers make appropriate arrangements for that cover.

4 Developers, sellers and seller’s agents should not promote this form as providing that cover.

5 This certificate is not a design certificate such as might be issued by a structural or other engineer

6 This certificate is not a certificate of work completed and due for payment as would be required under a standard form of construction contract

7 This is not a certificate of compliance with the Building Standards Regulations.

8 It should not be assumed that architects have a duty to sign this form as part of their normal service.

9 Provision of this form should be subject to specific agreement between architects and clients before commencement of the service.

10 A suitable fee and expenses should be agreed.

The forms can be purchased from the RIAS Bookshops at
15 Rutland Square, Edinburgh EH1 2BE - Tel 0131 229 7545
and are available as free downloads for Practice Service Subscribers.

sketch options 4

sketch options 3

sketch options 2

sketch options

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Stone roofs in Shiine, Japan

Shiine as photographed by the gumbies in Japan.

houses on stilts

Railway sleeper walls

Instead of using concrete blocks for protection from the road how about railway sleepers

Joinery in Edinburgh and big sliding doors

In Scape well known and respected Edinburgh Joinery company
http://www.inscape-joinery.co.uk/portfolio/

and large glazed doors from Reynaers

Sliding doors max width

waiting to see which option I can get.

Annual Driving Rain Index

Never knew such a thing existed, but there you go...

Rainwater harvesting

Have decided today to cut the rainwater harvesting system for cost and payback reasons. Having read this article by the environment agency.



One company that does RWH: Rainwater Harvesting Systems

Looking at aluminium gutters by guttercrest good site lots of downloads and prices.

and here to size the gutters.

pocket sliding doors

The best website I found, nice looking doors
http://www.eclisse.it/unico-uk.htm

Sink holes

A sink hole in Guatemala news story

February 26, 2007
After rumbling for weeks, part of a poor Guatemala City neighborhood plummeted some 30 stories into the Earth on Friday.

The reportedly 330-foot-deep (100-meter-deep) sinkhole swallowed about a dozen homes and is so far blamed in the deaths of three people—two teenagers, found floating in torrent of sewage, and their father, who was pulled from the chasm.

Rainstorms and a ruptured sewer main may have caused the sinkhole, officials in Guatemala told the Associated Press. After the collapse, the seemingly bottomless depths gave off tremors, sounds of flowing water, and the scent of sewage.

Sinkholes can occur when underground rocks that can be dissolved by water—such as salt, gypsum, and limestone—are inundated. The removal of groundwater can also leave gaps underground that can lead to sinkholes.

Japanese electricity

Electricity and Voltage

In Japan, the voltage supply is uniformly 100 volts throughout the country, but two frequencies are used. In the eastern half of Japan (Sapporo, Sendai, Tokyo, Yokohama, etc.), the frequency is 50 hertz, and in the western half (Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, etc.) it is 60 hertz.

Electrical appliances such as hair dryers, travel irons, and electric shavers that can change voltages are convenient. For those that cannot, a step-down voltage converter is recommended.

In the UK the voltage supply ranges from 200-240V (officially 230) the frequency is a uniform 50HZ i.e. the same as Eastern Japan (where I live).

Electrical Plugs
Japan

UK


a good site

So in order for us to have japanese plugs we will need some form of step down voltage and a few (say 4) plug outlets that I will buy in Japan and ship home.

wind turbines

following my previous post about wind speeds in Portobello I was surprised when checking the HHF site near Inverness that the wind speed was so low.

The HHF site near Inverness:


So I did some research on known windy places.
North Uist in the Outer Hebrides:


Stornoway in Shetland:


The summit of Cairngorm:


Near Lake Windermere in the Northern Penines:

SIPS contractors

dowloaded from Kingspan TEK website

Building with SIPS

Sips animation by Hebridean Homes.

Timber Frames

8 companies selected by me from a list provided by the search facility at the UK Timber Frame Association In no particular order


http://www.scotframe.co.uk/web/site/Company/ContactUs/MoiraNicholson.asp

Timber Frameworks Ltd
Westwood Estate
West Calder
Livingston
EH55 8PW
Tel: 01506 870101
Fax: 01506 870055
Email: info@timberframeworks.com
Website: www.timberframeworks.com

Walker Timber Ltd
Carriden Sawmills
Bo'ness
EH51 9SQ
Tel: 01506 823331
Fax: 01506 822590
Email: mail@walkertimber.com
Website: www.walkertimber.com

Strathclyde Timber Systems Ltd
Castlecary
Cumbernauld
Glasgow
G68 0DT
Tel: 01324 840909
Fax: 01324 840907
Email: sales@strathclydehomes.com
Website: www.strathclydetimbersystems.com


Dan-wood House
36 d/3 Murrayfield Road
Edinburgh
EH12 6ER
Tel: 07917 163731
Email: sales@dan-wood.com
Website: www.dan-wood.com

Avonhill Timber Frame Ltd
1 Warren Road
Hamilton
ML3 7QJ
Tel: 01698 459777
Fax: 01698 459877
Email: sales@avonhill.ltd.uk
Website: www.avonhill.ltd.uk

Drumbow Timber Frame Ltd
Drumbow Farm
Caldercruix
ML6 7RX
Tel: 01236 842296
Fax: 01236 843539
Website: www.drumbowhomes.co.uk

Rob Roy Homes (Crieff) Ltd
Dalchonzie Business Park
By Comrie
By Crieff
PH6 2LB
Tel: 01764 670424
Fax: 01764 670419
Email: mail@robroyhomes.co.uk
NO WEB ADDRESS

Robertson Timberkit
10 Perimeter Road
Pinefield Industrial Estate
Elgin
IV30 6AE
Tel: 01343 549786
Fax: 01343 552546
Email: info@timberkit.co.uk
Website: www.timberkit.co.uk