Eco-living and sustainable building at exhibition

Visitors to the Homes for Good Exhibition 2006 will be able to view the most innovative and up to date developments in eco-living and sustainable building.

Visitors to the Homes for Good Exhibition 2006, a three-day event taking place from 17-19 February at the Somerset College of Arts and Technology, will be able to view the most innovative and up to date developments in eco-living and sustainable building.

The Homes for Good Exhibition is designed to demonstrate how homes and places of work can be designed, built, furnished and decorated in ways that won't cost the earth.

Exhibiting for the first time, brand new company Rolypig, will be introducing the latest development in home composting - the Rolypig Composter.

For domestic and school use, the Rolypig is designed to make use of green kitchen and garden waste that would otherwise be transported to landfill sites where it is expensively monitored.

Green waste is put into the Rolypig by lifting its snout and loading into its mouth, where it then drops into the first compartment.

To make room for the next feed, the Rolypig is then rolled on to one of its 10 sides, which gradually moves the waste through the compartments as more waste is added.

The collection container at the rear of the Rolypig will contain usable compost after approximately 14 - 20 weeks.

Roy Gamlin, Manager Director of Rolypig explains, "We are delighted to be exhibiting at Homes for Good this year and are looking forward to explaining the benefits of recycling organic materials and how this contributes to living sustainably".

"Rolypig is a fun, easy and effective way of making use of green waste so that the amount of unnecessary rubbish put into our dustbins is kept to an absolute minimum".

Also exhibiting is Cornish based company, Pioneer Environmental Buildings, a small team of highly skilled men and women specialized in designing and constructing unique energy efficient buildings.

Pioneer will be constructing a large section of a timber house at Homes for Good, to demonstrate how local, natural materials can be used to achieve sustainable low cost housing.

Tim Stirrup, Director of Pioneer Environmental Buildings comments, "Exhibiting at Homes for Good is a fantastic opportunity to show people the quality of our work and let them interact with all the elements of our building first hand".

"People tend to be surprised at the quality of sustainable, natural products that are available, and how easy it is to avoid using toxic materials, which are detrimental to the environment and our health, and often much better alternatives".

Pre-fabricated components, expertly made in the Pioneer workshop, are transported to the construction site, 'flat-packed' where they are assembled.

From start to finish the building takes 10 - 12 weeks to erect, complete with a range of environmentally friendly materials including, locally sourced timber cladding, reclaimed slate, sheep's wool, recycled rubber tiles, lime render, willow partitions and gypsum/wood fibre board.

Recently built for Kerrier District Council in Cornwall, Pioneer have constructed a show case building, described as a Center of Excellence, which is being used as a classroom and office for horticulture students.

Pioneer constructs a wide range of individually made buildings, from timber homes, community buildings, holiday cabins and studios to workshops, summerhouses, classrooms and mobile homes.

Whatever the functionality of the structure, the building philosophy remains the same - high standard, energy efficient, healthy homes, constructed from the best available sustainable material, built to last and inspire.

Visitors to Homes for Good will also be able to preview the Genesis Project, a pioneering, sustainable construction centre, designed and built by several organisations, including Pioneer Environmental Buildings.

The Genesis Project will be used for education and learning purposes and, as a resource centre, will deliver training in both a formal and informal way.

Charles Couzens, Executive Director of STSD, comments, "There is a real and urgent need to change the way we live and work if the environment and a future quality of life is to be protected".

"The Exhibition is about giving professionals and house holders the practical tools to make changes at home or at work.".

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