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Summary

Andy and Ella Portman moved into their new home in June 2009, but the building process, which started in February 2008 is not yet finished and there are still some things to be done in and around their home.

Much has been achieved since Ella and Andy began work at the Avalon Permaculture Gardens in 1998: ‘We have turned what was a heavily compacted, wind swept horse paddock into a diverse and productive feast of naturally growing gardens, orchards, meadows and trees - a rich and natural biodiversity. Here we live simply, close to the earth - with a low carbon footprint, producing our own energy from sun and wind, growing a wide range of fruit and vegetables. We also run personal growth and land-based courses and individual sessions’.

The house is built from natural and local materials, including local douglas fir for the timber frame, straw bales for the walls, clay plaster (mainly dug from the foundation holes), for walls and for encasing under-floor heating, and local stone for plinths and floor. The roof is made from hand made shakes cut from local oak at the front and is a living roof at the rear. The outside walls are plastered with lime render. The house is low impact, has low energy needs, and is fully breathable, providing a healthy environment at a relatively low cost.

One of the challenges of the self-build, says Andy, was project managing, so that everything flowed, whilst at the same time working on the details of each job. There has also been the issue of long term energy reserves: ‘It’s hard to keep going over a long period yet one has to’. A particular difficulty was that having chosen a round wood timber frame and this being an unknown, a skilled carpenter and Andy had to develop the techniques for making it, using a mixture of English timber frame jointing with round wood, and this took a long time. Because of this they ended up going way over-budget at the start which put some stress on the whole project.

Green features in the home

• House insulated with straw bales
• Sheeps wool insulation in ceiling and floor
• Internal thermal mass – creating coolness in summer and warmth in winter – this comes from cob, clay plaster and stone. Also internal wattle and daub wall.
• Breathable insulation board in the roof and floor
• Domestic grey water goes to a reed bed system
• Virtually all natural materials used, including douglas fir for the timber frame, and clay dug from the site, which is used on the walls
• Solar panels for hot water (made by Andy, with a Gledhill Torrent thermal store)
• Wood burning stove with a back boiler for hot water and under floor heating when needed
• Solar photovoltaic panels to generate electricity and a small wind turbine which together run a 12 volt system and a 240 volt system through an inverter

Green features outside

Green features outside (it should be noted that the gardens will not be open to visitors this year, this is because the house building has taken all the time and energy available and the 5 acre gardens received only minimal maintenance over the 18 month period – it will take a while to bring them all back into shape.)

• Wide variety of fruit and vegetables grown in natural, wildlife friendly ways (using permaculture principles)
• Trees grown to provide wood through coppicing and pollarding
• Reedbed system for domestic grey water
• Bath water from house also used for watering garden
• Compost toilet
• Polytunnel and greenhouse, both with rain water collection
• Meadows and orchard
• Living roof at rear of house ( not yet planted)

Energy use

Electricity from solar over 64 days up to July 8: 1.99 kwhr per day.
There was a lower input from the wind turbine, but this does not get recorded by its controller.
This is enough for the computer, printer, hi fi, TV, video recorder, washing machine (without heater- using solar hot water), lighting, food processor and average power tool use.
There are 2 small gas/ electric fridges which are powered by the sun in the day and by gas through the evening/ night consuming approx 1kwhr per day. This will be eliminated in time with extra panels and batteries.
The Portman’s house is not connected to the mains electricity or gas.
They have a rarely used back up generator (lpg)

Suppliers used and recommended by owners

Bradfords building supplies in Glastonbury (and Evercreech): ‘For providing many good materials and products, like Smart Ply OSB with no formadehyde, lime for mortar, and sand for plaster– friendly helpful service and good deals.
Rupert Furneax of Land Logic Timber: ‘Provided our local sourced timber, and the frame was made in his barn. We recommend him whole heartedly.’
Mike Wye in Devon: Provided ready mix lime render, and the isolair roof boarding, plus other specialist products. Always helpful.

To find out more

For more information about this property, see the Portmans’ own website www.livingtao.co.uk. In the section on the house, you can see a slideshow of the building project.

Directions

You can use bus route 667 to Butleigh, either getting off at the Post office, which is a 10 minute walk, or sometimes if the bus is going via Barton St David you can be dropped off by the Portmans’ car park which is at the entrance to Brook Farm (Caroline Barry’s property, which is also also open under this scheme).
If coming by car, you can park in the bottom car park from which there is a 200m walk to the house

See the calendar for open days and times

There will be guided tours on Fri 11 September and Saturday 12 September, at 2pm and 3pm. The house is not open at other times