Eco Workshop - Eco Design & Planning Saturday 30th January

Resident expert Dave Hilton will be accompanied by Bob Harris, Eco builder and former FMB Master Builder of the Year for Energy Efficiency, to advise you on Eco Design & Planning.

2010's Eco Workshops are intended to be a low-key and friendly environment where self builders, renovators and home improvers can speak to the experts about eco technologies, sustainability, and low-carbon building issues. Whether you want to get advice on a 1-to-1 basis with an expert or you want to sit in on a few seminars and simply soak up the knowledge, you should find the Eco Workshops extremely informative.

This first Eco Workshop will provide you with the opportunity to discuss the designs and plans you have for your home and hear about what else is possible.

The Experts

Dave Hilton Expert About Dave Hilton: David has completed various self builds in South Africa and renovations in the UK and has been involved in designing and installing Solar and heat pump systems since the early 1980s. On the technical side, he is Gassafe registered, an accredited installer of Ground Source and Air Source heat pumps and is currently undertaking an MSc Architecture: Advanced Energy and Environmental Studies .

He currently contributes to Grand Designs magazine and has also been published in BuildIt magazine. David frequently leads seminars, workshops and CPD lectures as well as eco and sustainability training on the self build courses at the National Self Build and Renovation Centre in Swindon.

Bob Harris Expert About Bob Harris: Bob is an inspirational eco builder and developer who also writes on eco & healthy building for 'Organic Life Magazine'. He has won a number of awards for his developments including the Federation of Master Builders 'FMB Master Builder of the Year for Energy Efficiency'. Bob leads classes in 'Eco Building and Refurbishment' at Kingston University for developers, self builders and landlords interested in learning how to create healthy ecological buildings that are profitable to the developer, sustainable for the planet and healthy for the tenants.

PLUS: The Green Team
Architect: Paul Richards, Architecture Verte
SAP Assessor: Sue Dewhirst; Evolved Design
Environmental Buildings Adviser: Ian Jones; Environmental Building Services

The Seminars

11.00-11.30	Intro to Eco	Dave Hilton
Dave Hilton will kick off the day with his Intro to Eco - the key topics to consider when assessing eco technologies and how to work out what's right for you and your home.

12.00-12.30	Healthy Buildings	Bob Harris
What is a 'healthy home'? In this fascinating seminar Bob will explain just how you can use light and ventilation to make your home a healthier place to live

13.00-13.30	Question Time	Dave Hilton & Bob Harris
This is your opportunity to quiz the experts and get answers to all those eco-related questions you have. Both experts are entirely independent and will answer your questions as completely as possible.

14.00-14.30	Renewable Energy & Feed In Tariffs	Bob Harris
Bob will go through the latest Government legislation regarding feed-in tariffs, explaining how this could affect your choice of technology in your home, as well as how you could make money whilst still helping save the planet!

15.00-15.30	Eco Payback	Dave Hilton
How long will it take for the various technologies to see ‘payback’. Dave looks at this interesting topic not only from a financial angle, but in terms of carbon as well.

Permanent Exhibits

The National Self Build & Renovation Centre has been built on a scale previously unseen in the UK. Here you can walk through exhibits that explain - in exploded detail - every step of the self build and renovation processes.

Trade Village

The permanent exhibition area containing over 200 exhibitor stands, covering everything you'll need to undertake your project.

Wolseley Building	New!
The Wolseley Building has four key zones; the Wolseley Theatre, a Bathstore Showroom, a Moores Kitchen Showroom and a builders merchant branch area where visitors can place orders! The house has numerous different products installed for visitors to see in situ; many of these are 'eco' products such as LED lighting, sun scoops, thermowood timber cladding, sheepswool insulation and others.

Educational Journey

A fully guided audio tour taking you round a fantastic selection of life-sized exhibits, featuring cutaways of groundworks, foundations, walls, roofs and more. If you're considering self building then don't miss this!

Renovation House	Improved!
Take a walk through the front doors of this full-size renovation project and see the house come to life before your eyes. The audio guide explains every step of the process to give you a deeper understanding of what a renovation project entails.

Potton Show House

Full of character and the latest technology, this show home is an inspiration to self builders, no matter what your tastes.

Outdoor Living Zone	New!
Everything you could need to finish off the exterior of your home, from hard landscaping to living roofs, to the Potton Zone Studios.

Design Centre

Browse through hundreds of designs and get ideas for your own home.

Finance Zone

Speak to our specially trained self build & renovation finance advisors to find the best way of funding your project.

PlotSearch

Search thousands of plots and renovation projects across the country, the first step to building your dream home!

TradeCard

Chat to our TradeCard advisors and learn how to save £1000s on materials.

Experts

A selection of experts are based in the Centre on a permanent basis to speak to you about your particular project and answer any questions you may have about self build, renovation, planning, design, project management and so on.