Sheila Magazine

sheila I interiors " K exploited NORTHERN ORIENTATION – IT'S AN ARTICLE OF FAITH MY PREVIOUS two houses have "My previous two houses and this one have all exploited northern orientation for living areas – it's an article of faith with me," he says. "The deck outside the living room on its north has a retractable shade system that enables full shade on the deck in summer and full penetration of sun into the interior in winter. "The wall is fully glazed and opens up to the deck, merging inside and outside. Other than that I have a rainwater tank which feeds the toilet cisterns and I regret that I haven't yet installed solar panels for electricity. The roof and ceiling are both fully insulated and the house has stood up well to the recent spate of hot weather." en says the most important thing for anyone to consider when looking to build an eco-friendly house is the orientation. "Most people generally ignore it in practice, but it is generally easy to face living spaces, if not others as well, to the north and to minimise exposure to western and eastern sun and avoid excessive loss of heat from south-facing windows," he says. "The popular trend for black roofs proves how little people understand our climate, but it is difficult to mandate better design." Inside, ken's home is filled with interesting collections of art and trinkets and it's difficult to look past his extensive library. "I am not a collector as such, but I've bought or been given or found small pieces that I love for their associations if not their intrinsic beauty," he says. QUIRKY BABUSHKA DOLLS REFLECT BOTH TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN CULTURE AND A SARDONIC VIEW OF COMMUNIST LEADERS. SHEILA MARCH 2012 107 "

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