The Marchwood Project

Objective as at 5th March 2007 and progress to 8th April 2008

We purchased Marchwood 3 weeks ago as it has attractive views over Otmoor to the East of Oxford. It was built in the 1970’s and extended soon afterwards on the ground floor only. This means the upstairs 3 bedrooms totalling 27 sq metres are small compared with the room areas of 56 sq metres downstairs. The aging flat roof and the old oil fired boiler suggest substantial refurbishment and extension of the first floor may be economic. A second floor will be considered.

Climate change is an important factor in our wishing to undertake this challenge. It is our intention to make the property a demonstration house for eco-refurbishment. The factors as we see them are:-
1. Climate Change is the most important factor affecting our grandchildren and the whole human race and is being inadequately addressed by governments.
2. Current building regulations will be progressively tightened but we need examples of the costs of implementation of much tougher standards.
3. Demonstrators are needed to inform the private housing market regarding the possibilities and costs.
4. Payback at current energy costs is not important, but changes as a whole should be recoverable on sale of the property in say 5 years time as energy costs will have risen.

We are pensioners with low income and some capital so we see this as a modest earner of revenue from:-
1. A book describing the steps we have taken. Please follow the chapters as they unfold

Chapter 1 – Introduction and Motivation
Chapter 2 – Planning Concepts Evolve
Chapter 3 – Plans and Negotiations
Chapter 4 – Negotiations and Disappointment

2. Establishing a network of similar demonstration houses
3. Fees from viewings of the property
4. Commission where a sale results
5. Information events to over 60’s age group through U3A and Age Concern contacts
6. Manning exhibition stands for suppliers
7. Eventual sale of property

Although we started studying climate change in February 2006 we have a lot to learn. I started by running the BBC Climate Change Experiment on 2 of my computers. I then joined the Yahoo Group ClimateConcern and have been contributing actively. I took the Open University course on Climate Modelling (S199) last year, but it is rather too specialised for my purposes.

The truth is very difficult to separate from disinformation so I started to assemble documents on my website www.3as.org.uk/climate , but then I met Tom Holloway, The Secretary of U3A International UK who agreed to help. Together we launched the U3A Climate Study Wiki. This is a facility for people to build a knowledge base together.

So far we have assembled over 250 study documents to enable beginners to start to learn for themselves. They appear on http://u3aclimatestudy.pbwiki.com/ and your comments would be welcome. The objective is that others will add documents and make this a valuable resource for all.

Intentions
It is intended that various types of energy are considered to include ground source heating, air source heating, solar but probably not wind energy. Maximum thermal insulation will be attempted. Existing double glazed units may be upgraded. Ample ventilation is important.

Estate agents will be consulted at the planning stage to assess a probable valuation but it is considered that a premium will be possible for an eco-house in 2012.

This document will be expanded and adapted as the plans become clearer.


Details of the Demonstration Site

Land Registry copy to show orientation of property. The original building is in the upper part. I have drawn the single story extension below.
Land was later purchased to extend the rear garden to 27 metres from the back wall.

The Estate Agent’s view of the front (all garage!)

and a later view

Floor areas present and intended

Existing Floor sizes and planned changes

Ground Floor Area sq mts Increased to
Lounge 5.46 4.65 25.39
Dining Room 4.57 3.66 16.73
Kitchen 4.52 3.18 14.37
Hall and Cloaks 6.00 2.30 13.80
Other Ground 2.99
Gross ex Garage 6.00 73.28 73.28
Garage 5.08 3.18 16.15
Total Ground Floor 9.22 9.70 89.43
1st Floor
Bedroom 1 4.55 3.02 13.74
Bedroom 2 3.51 2.31 8.11
Bedroom3/ Office 2.36 2.46 5.81
Other 1st Floor 16.48
Total 1st Floor Gross 4.55 9.70 44.14 73.28
Proposed 2nd Floor 30
Total Existing 13.77 19.40 133.57 103.28


Heated Space 117.41 176.56
Existing glazed area 17.35 sq metres
Proposed additional glazed 4.23 sq metres


The existing floor plan

Some ideas of what might be achieved (not to scale)

1st Floor

Second Floor
(based on a different roof line)

Roof to provide solar generation

Front with improvements to kerb appeal with drive round drive and steps


The front of the house is approximately 13 metres from the road and about1 metre above the road level. This provides an opportunity to present the house more attractively. The road is bounded by a hedge and one small oak which could form the centre of the drive around drive, which would then finish in the shared section of the drive to the right. There may be some problems getting the levels looking right.


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