Decorations & Colours: All the external timber casings and the like are finished in a 'Guide' blue woodstain that is a water based product that dries quickly, has low odour and is easily maintainable. The windows use the same material but in a bright yellow colour.

The roof is finished 'Green', with flashings and gutters 'Blue'.

The walling 'Sidings' are left in their natural untreated state and colour [off white].

Internally the floor and walls will be a subtle combination or yellows whilst the ceiling of the natural untreated timber beams supports a white ceiling board.

... and all for £55,000!

A recent project demonstrating the level of care and detail we apply to a project. A new concept for an environmentally friendly building for The Guide Association, utilising energy saving solutions with environmentally friendly and people safe materials, especially and specifically designed by M G Architects.

The dormitory is orientated east to west to capture the early morning sun, and to avoid facing the cold north. Specially designed projecting eaves prevent the hottest summer sun from entering the building through the windows The large overhangs also provide weather protection to the walling.

The double bank of windows enable the the lower section to be closed off at night whilst retaining the upper ones (higher for security reasons) open for natural ventilation. The slope of the roof will assist with this natural flow across the dormitory.All the finishes are environmentally friendly and are safe and simple to re-apply.

The rainwater pipe is formed from a chain. This creates an interesting feature of a normally mundane part of a building.

Other features of the New Wing

Windows: All are with energy saving double-glazed units with toughened glass for extra safety.

Walling: Super-insulated timber frame walling containing cellulose fibre insulation manufactured from 100% recycled newsprint. High levels of insulation conserve fuel, save funds and reduce CO2 emissions. The "Breathing Wall" allows vapour to diffuse naturally through the structure without the risk of interstitial condensation. The "sidings", the external cladding, are an environmentally safe pre-finished fibre cement material that is durable and and low in maintenance. They have a textured cedar wood appearance. Internally the walls are partially finished with timber boarding and partly with a board that combines natural ingredients to form a solid durable and stable material.

Roofing: The highly insulated roof is finished with single length, double interlocking, profiled steel sheets with an engineered secret-fix system.

Flooring: The insulated timber floor is covered with a sheeting of natural raw materials that are recyclable and biodegradable. It is scratch and scuff resistant with inherent bacterial properties.

Lighting: Shallow profile energy efficient luminaries provide effective optical control via a balanced wide beam reflecting from the ceiling.

Heating: Slim and robust and safe electric panel heaters with low surface temperatures provide the dormitory heating. Each is connected to an intelligent control to save energy by ensuring that they are not left on unnecessarily. Continuous monitoring of the air temperature will ensure the heaters activate at appropriate times to protect the building fabric even when the centre is closed.