Interactive presentation:
French Eco Renovation Techniques

At Phoenix Brighton
10–14 Waterloo Place
Brighton BN2 9NB

Interactive presentation by Association Régionale de Promotion de l’Eco-construction en Basse Normandie (ARPE) with three short films about low impact houses in Lower Normandy, France.

The first project is a cohousing project of 13 families near Caen. The houses are timber frame and use lots of natural materials. The walls are infilled with straw and the roof is insulated with cellulose wadding. Each house has a solar panel.

The second project is a hexagonal house built by an organic farmer and his family. The house is timber frame, with hemp and lime used as infill in the walls and for the ground floor slab. There is a solar thermal system and wood stove for heating. The hexagonal shape is designed to improve the ‘bio-climatic’ performance.

The final project is a barn conversion in a rural village. The intention of the owners was to preserve the original features of the building but modernising it to make it comfortable to live in. The walls are insulated with hemp and lime and are plastered with earth. Hot water and heating are supplied by a solar thermal system and wood stove.