The E3 Partnership have purchased a farm in rural Northumberland and are in the process of renovating the house and steadings to provide both a home and an office space for their ecological consultancy practice. Currently squeezed into a small outbuilding, the intention is to construct a new, purpose built, and ecologically benign office and flat for guests and staff.

The building will replace current, modern and asbestos-ridden agricultural sheds, but is intended to maintain the ethos of the barn, with a strong, simple form and a suitably spacious interior. The building will be constructed using a traditional post and beam frame in oak or similar, and will have highly insulating straw bale walls to the west and north walls, while the south and east walls will be largely, but carefully glazed to take advantage of the sunshine and views respectively.

The building will be designed to be flexible so that it could readily be used also as a four bedroom house / investment. All finishes will be natural but hard wearing with a healthy specification a particular requirement.

It is hoped that Planning and Building Warrants will be submitted this year, with construction due to start in early 2006.

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