The Big Shed Tombreck – Volunteers needed!

The Big Shed has been 100% grant funded as a community owned resource, with a workshop, community hall, commercial kitchen and bakery and office space. It has been designed to demonstrate the use of local and low carbon building materials, and to engage volunteers and others in the building process, through the innovative Eco-Construction Awareness (ECA) programme. The concept and aesthetic is of a farm shed - long and low in the landscape, with Larch 'board on board' cladding and a sheet metal roof. The structural frame and engineered trusses have been constructed from locally sourced green Sitka spruce. Bulk sheep’s wool insulation and hemp block are used internally for insulation and thermal mass.

Volunteers are needed NOW and throughout the summer to help install the sheep’s wool insulation in the walls and roof. Later sessions will include reed bed construction, lime/ clay plastering, painting and decorating and external landscaping.

A site camp has been set up with a kitchen area, and cosy yurt for breaks and evening relaxation. All food (vegetarian) is provided.  We are asking volunteers to come with a tent; however there are also a number of hotels and B&B’s nearby  There are plenty of walks in the area including several Munro’s, and at Tombreck we even have our own sandy beach on Loch Tay – BBQ’s weather permitting! 

Some long term volunteers (including Emma and Rob our Volunteer Co-ordinators) will be on site almost all the time. However, the weekend volunteer sessions are starting on Saturday 31^st July, and will run every weekend until the jobs done!

For more information, and to book your place please email Emma emma@bigshed.org.uk

THE BIG TENT FESTIVAL OF STEWARDSHIP, FALKLAND, FIFE

Friday 23 - Sunday 25 July 2010 (inclusive)

This year the SEDA stand and display area will be the winning entry from the 'Big Tent Design Competition' for a structure to be designed and built as a practical and inspirational demonstration of local materials - focusing on the use of Scottish Timber and other local/ green materials. Following presentations by their designers at the Show and Tell in December the five entries submitted are going through the final process of judging/ assessment. A final decision is expected to be announced in the week following the next Steering Group meeting. All entries will be reproduced on the SEDA website and in our members’ magazine.

For more information please contact Mary Kelly, email: mary@segalselfbuild.co.uk

GIA AND SEDA AT SCOTLAND'S HOUSING EXPO

VISIT/TOUR

07.00 - 20.00, Thursday 18 August

Depart/Return George Square, Glasgow

Members £35

Scotland's Housing Expo is the first event of its kind in Scotland. It showcases over 50 house designs of the future - which people from all backgrounds, ages and income brackets can afford. It aims to make good design and sustainable features commonplace in every home.

The Expo is based upon similar models found in mainland Europe, and particularly Finland where historically the housing fair concept has proven very successful in stimulating quality design and innovation for housing. Aspiring to bring about a similar effect in the Highlands and throughout the UK, the Expo offers a model for future housing design and development. The homes on view will be available to purchase, with a proportion being social rented housing.

The Glasgow Institute of Architects (GIA) has arranged this special visit to the Expo in association with Scottish Ecological Design Association (SEDA). The main elements of the programme are outlined as follows:

• 0700: Leave Glasgow (George Square); travel up to the Expo by Coach. 
• Spend the morning looking around the houses
• After lunch: opportunity for visitors to attend seminars and discussions on sustainable techniques and materials organised at the Expo by ‘SUST at the Lighthouse’.
• 1600: return by coach arriving back in Glasgow about 8pm (traffic dependent).
• Ticket price covers bus travel and entry fee only

Places are limited so you are recommended to confirm your place for this one-off opportunity as soon as you can! The following website has been set up to accept payment for the Expo Visit.

SEDA AT SCOTLAND'S HOUSING EXPO

LESSONS FORM EXPO FOR EXISTING AND NEW HOUSING STOCK

10.00 - 16.00, Tuesday 24 August

Inverness

As part of the programme of seminars being co-ordinated and put together by ‘SUST at the Lighthouse’ SEDA will be organising, hosting and delivering a seminar with the title “Lessons from Expo for Existing and New Housing Stock” on Tuesday 24th August. There will be four contributors covering issues from ‘Whole Life House’ design through to “Eco-refurbishment and Renovation’. The day will provide an opportunity for a tour of the Expo site and for an evaluation of how some of the key elements raised and discussed during the seminars may be demonstrated by the houses.

SEDA AT SCOTLAND'S HOUSING EXPO

AN EXHIBITION OF SEDA MEMBERS' WORK

1 - 31 August

Inverness

MEMBERS WORK SOUGHT FOR INCLUSION!!

Currently SEDA is in discussions to finalise proposals for our exhibition during the Expo. We have requested space in one of the houses and awaiting confirmation of which plot/ house we have been allocated by the organisers. In the meantime we are seeking contributions to this display from members – we shall have a panel of 6 boards (each measuring 600mm w x 900mm h) which will fit together to give an overall display panel of c1800mm wide by 2700mm high).

SEDA / AECB JOINT MEETINGS

First meeting: 21 September 2010

The AECB recently contacted their members in Scotland proposing to establish regional group meetings as these have been proving very successful elsewhere in the UK – providing an informal and enjoyable opportunity for members to meet. As SEDA shares many of the members we have been in correspondence with them to suggest the possibility of getting-together with them – at least for the initial meetings – to talk through and catch up with the issues of interest to us all.

This suggestion has been well-received and, having provided the AECB with news and relevant dates of our forthcoming events and activities – including our presence at the Big Tent and the Housing Expo - we are currently discussing options for dates and venues for this first meeting to take place. The initial date suggested is 21^st September - and we are hoping to be able to confirm this, along with the location, as soon as we can.

Once the regional group meetings get going they can happen whenever, and wherever, the members like - generally the AECB say that these take place once a quarter though some groups meet more regularly.

SEDA STEERING GROUP MEETING

08 September 2010

17.30 for 18.00 Start

  Gareth Hoskins Architects, 78 Queen Street, Glasgow

All members are welcome to participate in the Steering Group meetings.

Please let Mary Kelly know if you are planning to come along.

One Day Seminar Event:

Applying The Precautionary Principle in the Construction Industry

Venue to be confirmed

Date to be confirmed

The widespread application of the precautionary principle has been adopted and endorsed throughout Europe. In simple terms, governments have stated that lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective or beneficial measures to prevent environmental degradation or to take precautionary action to limit the use of potentially dangerous materials or the spread of potentially dangerous pollutants. This event will feature a range of speakers who will look at the European Context; the relevance of this principle to construction; draw examples from other industries and the place for developing methodologies, policy and regulation. Please contact Mary Kelly at for more information.

SEDA GREEN BUILDINGS DATABASE

 Members projects sought!

SEDA is currently developing an application for funding to enable us to compile and illustrate, as case studies, a database of green building projects. The database will demonstrate the best of green building design in Scotland - both as new build and refurbishment projects - for use on the new website and as a possible future publication. We are seeking information on projects/ buildings that members think should be included in such a database - and to help us with the collection and collation of this information. If you have, or know of, a project completed, or in progress, that you feel should be featured please send us any information that might enable us to be able to consider the suggested project for inclusion. 

As yet the full list of categories has not been confirmed but it would be helpful for you to let us know some of the outline details of any building you are proposing - with an indication of where you think it is likely to fit in terms of one or more of the following types of project: New-build/ Renovation/ Refurbishment/ Conservation/ Conversion/ Residential (Domestic/ Single dwelling/ Multiple dwellings)/ Community/ Commercial/ Transport/ Industrial/ Landscape/ Retail/ Masterplanning/ Urban/ Rural/ Education/ Leisure/ Public/ Government/ Entertainment/ Other (let us know how you would categorise the project if choosing this definition!). Let us know too where the project is located. 

We know that there are lots of projects out there that not everyone knows about - and this database will provide a fantastic demonstration of what works and and has been done already so that visitors to our website and the wider public can see the variety and range of green building projects throughout Scotland.

Please contact info@seda.uk.net for more information or complete this form and return to provide details of any project you'd like to be included.