Grow Your Own Home

ProAktive www.selfbuildinsure.co.uk GROW Y OUR OWN HOME! It may seem like a wild idea, but a concept for a self build micro home made of bioplastic is based around the idea of one day using bioplastic fibres that could be harvested from organic matter such as apples, potatoes and sunflowers. Prize Winning Maria Vergopoulou put forward the concept to Dezeen's x MINI Living Future Urban Home Competition. Her idea to address the challenges a city could face in 100 years received the third place award. Cocoon BioFloss In Vergopoulou's proposal, traditional building materials such as concrete, bricks and timber would be replaced by bioplastic. Sheets of the organic material would be stretched over a frame, creating a weatherproof outer shell. Inside, extremely fine fibres would be sprayed onto surfaces, creating a web-like structure that would also be used to form the internal walls. Making Your Home Eco Friendly Although the Cocoon Biofloss is purely conceptual, projects like this encourage an environmentally friendly approach to home construction. Self build homes can be made eco friendly in a number of ways, including: Improving Insulation A home can lose up to 40% of its heat if it is not properly insulated. Upgrade it to help the environment and save on energy bills. Installing Triple Glazing 10% of a home's heat can be lost through its windows. Replace single or double glazing with triple glazing to reduce heat transfer and increase efficiency. Investing in Solar Panels By harnessing the sun's energy to produce hot water or generate electricity you can make great savings and be kind to the environment at the same time. Reusing Materials Using reclaimed materials in your self build project will reduce waste and bring character to your home. Ensure all materials are fit for purpose. Recycling Water Thousands of litres of water can be saved every year by collecting rain water, using a low-flush toilet and installing a shower rather than a bath. Self Build Insurance Self build projects require adequate insurance throughout their design and development. If you are thinking of developing an eco friendly home yourself, it is important that you have the right level of self build insurance in place to safeguard against any potential risk or pitfalls. Visit www.selfbuildinsure.co.uk to find out more. ProAktive Doncaster: 01302 346 831 | Follow us OO0 www.selfbuildinsure.co.uk १११