IHBC’s ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Appleby’s HAZ is in the news thanks to Cumbria Crack…

websiteA traditional building in the Appleby Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) is filming its ‘work in progress’ as part of work grant aided by Historic England, posted on YouTube, as reported by Cumbria Crack!

Cumbria Crack writes:

If you love a good property programme, you’re in for a treat, with the chance to follow along as a house in Appleby undergoes a very clever renovation.  Starting next month, you can tune into fortnightly video diaries and watch as 33a Chapel Street is transformed from an uninhabited house that was previously flooded, to a warm and cosy home that’s ready for rain in the future.

The owners of this 1800s terraced house have chosen to renovate it in a way that makes it more resilient to flooding while taking into account how older, solid-wall buildings are designed to work.  They’ve given permission for the build to be filmed by a professional film-maker, so that anyone living in older properties or in a flood-risk area can pick up tips to help them improve and adapt their buildings, too.

‘This renovation is really exciting because it’s a unique insight into the different things to consider when you’re retrofitting a solid-wall house, especially when you’ve got flooding in mind,’ said Emma Greenshaw from Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS).  ‘Viewers can follow the decisions that the building team and their architects are making, and see all the adaptations they do and the materials they use. It’s all about minimising the damage done by flooding and making it quicker, cheaper and less stressful to get moved back in if it happens again.’

CAfS is overseeing the filming, which is possible thanks to a grant from Historic England as part of their funding of the Appleby Heritage Action Zone (HAZ).  It’s an opportunity that CAfS has long been hoping for, as a charity that helps people to reduce their heating and electricity bills.  ‘Here in Cumbria, a high proportion of people live in solid-wall homes that they struggle to keep warm and dry,’ Emma said. ‘Judging by the enquiries we’ve had down through our twenty years of supporting people in the county, we know that a lot of householders will benefit from seeing how these kinds of walls and floors can be insulated and how to maintain them without damaging the building structure.’…

The professional vlogs will start in September, and meanwhile you can see the house and get introduced to some of the people involved in a short video made by CAfS – including Nettle, the Lake District Lime dog! It’s available on the CAfS YouTube channel now, with ongoing updates on CAfS social media using #ReadyForRain.

View the full Cumbria Crack article

Follow Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) on YouTube

See more information on the Cumbria Green Build Festival (happening throughout September)

View more information on the building project at cafs.org.uk

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