Sustainable housing

Affordable housing

The ways in which humankind has addressed the problems of providing affordable housing to the masses has wreaked untold damage on the planet. The manufacture of concrete releases vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, but there is another way to construct attractive, affordable houses that are just as comfortable to live in as more ‘conventional’ housing - timber frame construction.

Timber frame housing

At the Unicorn foundation we strongly believe that timber frame housing provides the answers to humankind’s ongoing construction needs, and that anyone that is thinking about building new houses should be considering timber frame.

Lumber from sustainable forests

Trees take more carbon from the atmosphere than they give back - especially when they are young. By using timber in house construction, that carbon is stored in the frame of the house. If the wood is taken from a sustainable forest (which, of course, we recommend) then the effect on the atmosphere is further benefited as the ‘old’ tree will be replaced by a younger tree that will take even more carbon out of the atmosphere.

Building techniques

As well as being better for the environment, timber frame housing is every bit as good as conventional building techniques. If they are properly insulated, then timber frames houses are just as warm or warmer than their stone and concrete counterparts. Badly built houses - whatever they are constructed from - will suffer from problems, but well-designed timber frame houses are a delight to live in as well as being good for the environment.

Designing and building your own home