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Law’s Woodland House

Law’s Woodland House

“Here is a house so ecologically sound, it breathes in time to the trees around it.”

Kevin McCloud

Built in 2001, the woodland house was the building that brought ‘roundwood timber framing’ to the public eye. Filmed for channel 4 for Grand Designs, the episode known as ‘the woodsman’s cottage’ was voted the public’s and presenter Kevin McCloud’s all time favourite Grand Design. Built from Sweet chestnut from Prickly Nut Wood, straw bales with lime and earth plasters and with the help of a merry crowd of volunteers the house emerged out of the woodland as if it had risen up amongst the coppice. As the years go by, the house is maturing beautifully in its woodland landscape and living up to it’s role as an adaptable family house.

The woodland house is possible to visit by booking onto one of my open days.

You can watch the Grand Designs episode here: Ben Law’s Woodland House on Grand Designs

Ben Law lives and works at Prickly Nut Wood in West Sussex, UK.

Apart from making a living from coppicing, he trains apprentices and runs courses on sustainable woodland management, eco-building and permaculture design. Ben also runs a few ticketed open days each year, to experience Prickly Nut Wood and visit the Woodland House.

Ben specialises in Roundwood Timber Framing and has developed specialist jointing techniques for the architectural style of building he creates. These, he passes on through his flagship Roundwood Timber Framing course. The building of his house was filmed for Channel 4’s Grand Designs program and was voted the most popular Grand Design ever by viewers.

Ben is also a prolific author having written six books. His latest book ‘Woodland Craft’ is a practical construction book of traditional and modern woodland crafts. Translations of ‘Woodland craft’ are available in French and German.

More on this stunning project and other news you’ll find here…

Global Climate Action Summit 2018 San Francisco

Global Climate Action Summit 2018 San Francisco

WHEN :  Wed, Sep 12, 2018 — Fri, Sep 14, 2018
WHERE: San Francisco Bay Area and throughout the world

 

California Climate Action Summit

GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION SUMMIT

The Global Climate Action Summit will bring leaders and people together from around the world to “Take Ambition to the Next Level.” It will be a moment to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of states, regions, cities, companies, investors and citizens with respect to climate action.

It will also be a launchpad for deeper worldwide commitments and accelerated action from countries—supported by all sectors of society—that can put the globe on track to prevent dangerous climate change and realize the historic Paris Agreement.

The decarbonization of the global economy is in sight. Transformational changes are happening across the world and across all sectors as a result of technological innovation, new and creative policies and political will at all levels.

States and regions, cities, businesses and investors are leading the charge on pushing down global emissions by 2020, setting the stage to reach net zero emissions by midcentury.​​

ATTENDING THE SUMMIT

People everywhere are encouraged to participate in the hundreds of affiliate events taking place in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout the world during the week of September 10-14th, including climate action panels, workshops, tours, exhibits and other special events. The full affiliate event schedule will be posted here this summer.

From September 12-14, you can virtually attend the Summit by streaming it live on YouTubeFacebook and Twitter. In person, Summit attendance for the plenary and other high-level sessions is by invitation and will require accreditation. If you represent an organization ready to make a major climate commitment at the Summit, please send details about that proposed announcement by clicking here.

At the heart of the Paris Climate Change Agreement is the commitment by national governments to review their progress and rachet up the ambition of national climate action plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The Global Climate Action Summit, happening midway between Paris 2015 and 2020, is timed to provide the confidence to governments to ‘step up’ and trigger this next level of ambition sooner rather than later.

The momentum we generate this year must lead to bending the curve of emissions down by 2020—science advises us that this is gives the world the best opportunity to prevent the worst effects of climate change. 2018 therefore must be the beginning of a new phase of action and ambition on climate change.

The Summit will underscore the urgency of the threat of climate change by mobilizing the voices and experience of real people, in real communities already facing real and stark threats. It will challenge and channel the energy and idealism of people everywhere to step up and overcome it.

At the Summit, international and local leaders from states, regions, cities, businesses, investors and civil society—known as “non-party stakeholders/non-state actors”—will be joined by national government leaders, scientists, students, nonprofits and others in a new wave of mobilization.

They will be sharing what they have achieved to date and committing to doing more to usher in the era of decarbonization, greater levels of sustainability and prosperity for the many rather than the few.

These actors will also celebrate a range of new climate commitments under five key areas: Healthy Energy Systems, Inclusive Economic Growth, Sustainable Communities, Land Stewardship and Transformative Climate Investments.

The confidence, enthusiasm and support generated by this wave of action now and through 2019, will embolden national governments leaders to trigger the necessary domestic processes ahead of 2020 while also triggering more states and regions, cities, businesses and investors to ‘step up’ further action themselves.

Find all details and informations here at http://globalclimateactionsummit.org/

EcoVillage Findhorn Scottland

EcoVillage Findhorn Scottland

All images and content © 2000 – 2017 Findhorn Ecovillage

Ecological Building
The Low Carbon Revolutions Starts at Home*

The construction of zero carbon buildings and the retrofitting of existing buildings offer some of the most cost-effective and most immediate strategies in response to climate change.

The ecovillage at Findhorn has erected 61 ecological buildings to date and there are ongoing plans for the continued construction of an ecologically respectful built environment.

Over the years we have developed a unique construction system, environmentally sound and energy efficient. Using natural and non-toxic materials we have developed a ‘breathing wall’ structure, which allows the fabric of a building to interact beneficially with people to moderate humidity and air quality.

We have also experimented with straw bale construction, the ‘Earthship’ system using recycled car tyres, and remain open to further new and innovative ecological solutions for the built environment.

The publication of Simply Build Green, the UK’s first technical guide to ecological housing, based on our own research and experience, has helped the ecovillage become a major resource for environmental education locally, nationally and internationally.

Excerpt from www.ecovillagefindhorn.com/index.php/building


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