With preparation going on both on and off site, Ralph updates us on the progress of the build – finalising plans, designs and budgets. With the budget blowing out of proportion, some changes need to be made… For more video interviews head to our YouTube channel BarleyStore for the full Construction Diary Interviews playlist.
Archive for July, 2014
Interview with Ralph Alphonso – The Month of July
LED stripes installed on test site
The energy-saving LED lights arrived, and installed on a highly technical testing site (Ralph’s bathroom).
5×4 Partnering with ASKO Appliances
5×4 Hayes Lane Project & ASKO Appliances partner on the project to prove high quality can mean low energy!
The motivation for the 5×4 Hayes Lane Project is to construct a dwelling utilizing a small footprint of land. The space is to be liveable, functional and aesthetically grounded in a contemporary design. The engineering and materials in this project should be celebrated and on show. Living sustainably should not mean compromising on quality and The 5×4 Project aims to challenge such existing perceptions and encourage us all to embrace greener living.
Bringing together various specialists in their respective fields to contribute to the success of achieving these goals, 5×4 reaches out to ASKO, partnering to explore their high quality technology that employs lower levels of consumable energy.
Click below to read the full article and discover more of ASKO’s innovate technologies:
Geothermal drilling
With the site cleared, the drilling teams from Direct Energy and Terra Test arrive, ready to begin the first geothermal drill. This is the first stage in the installation process of the heating and cooling system designed by Direct Energy.
Grand Designs stood by to film the first steps in the process, and the first 45 meters of the drill went easily and without a hitch. But we did well not to count our chickens, because the next 20 meters got progressively harder and slower. (more…)
Video Diary: Shed Demolition
Before the 5×4 building could be constructed, the old shed had to be demolished. See the demolition video below, or head to our YouTube channel BarleyStore for the full 5×4 Hayes Lane Project playlist.
Demolition of shed
With the plans organised, the day has come for the old shed to be demolished. With help from his brother-in-law Nick Lawrence, Ralph dismantled the shed, clearing the site for the project to begin. Part of this involved breaking up and then removing the old concrete slab, a task best undertaken with earmuffs!
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- The original shed on a dreary day before demolition.
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- The old structure came down relatively quickly, with just the concrete slab to go.
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- Cracking up the concrete slab
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- The slab cracked up, and fenced off for the night.
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- The stripped site ready for work to begin.
All the rubbish was thrown into a ‘Jim’s Skip’, to be disposed of and recycled as ecologically as possible.