The Gruen Eco Design blog about how to convert your dream from an energy efficient home into a reality.
It seems like time is just running away from us. According to our original plan we would have started construction already a few months ago. But given how busy we are in the office our own project has been a bit on the back burner.
Having said this, we are moving slowly but steady.
We have received a written confirmation that we do not need a planning permit.
We have received the preliminary engineering for our house and have started to integrate structural elements into our drawings.
We have also fine tuned the interior, so that we can fit in flat pack ikea cabinets throughout the house, in order to save some money.
All bedrooms have been adjusted so that we can fit in the pax robe systems. Our kitchen, pantry and laundry cabinets have been selected and modelled in and our bathrooms have been updated to incorporate the godmorgon vanities.
But there are still a lot of little decisions to make, that have quite a big impact on the details.
We are going to build an insulated slab (split level) with a timber finish on top. We now have to decide / lock in what kind of timber we use. As this will determine what kind of substructure we will need below. And hence this will determine on what level our concrete floor must be.
We still must decide what material we will use for our outdoor areas. Wherever we will be using paving out of the living room. Which means the paving will have to have a 50mm step down from the living room. And will require some fill, in order to get the levels right.
Or will we go for a timber decking. Meaning we could have a step-less transition from inside to outside. But would require more earthwork and small retaining walls under the decking.
We are also in the process of getting quotes for HRV systems and heat pumps. And are considering getting hydronic heating for the bathrooms (if we can afford it ?)
On top of that we are working on a detail for our outside blinds. Trying to find a solution where the tracks and case is kind of invisible. The challenge here is to come up with a solution that does look good but does not create a massive thermal bridge…
As you can see, still lots of things that need to be decided on and detailed before we can start thinking about the building permit.
Stay tuned.