Daily Mail on Prince's Foundation's Natural House

19 May 2009 – Daily Mail – Article

Prince Charles got his hands - and his suit - dirty as he laid a building block on what will become the most eco-friendly house in Britain today.

The heir to throne became a brickie for the day as he unveiled his 'ultimate green semi' - and learnt to his cost that a £2,900 Saville Row suit is, perhaps, not the best set of clothes to do it in.

Wearing a white hard hat and fluorescent waistcoat - plus a pair of £2,000, 40-year-old John Lobb shoes sporting some discreet patching - Charles was given a tour of the partially constructed building designed by his Foundation for the Built Environment at Watford, Hertfordshire.

As the building is only a shell, the prince was invited to lay some of the large honeycomb clay blocks that make the walls of the structure, specially stamped with the Prince of Wales feathers and the date.

So enthusiastic was the prince to get stuck in, he ignored site manager Wilf Jordan holding out a pair of protective gloves and gamely lifted it into the air.

Charles, who suffers from a long-term back problem, clearly failed to realise how heavy the block was, however, and struggled to hoist it into place.

When he stepped back he noticed a line of cement on his double-breasted dark blue suit. Turning to the site manager he enquired with undisguised horror: 'Does it come off?'

As he lifted the block the prince also appeared to be sporting a set of badly-grazed knuckles on his left hand. Aides insisted that they had not been caused on site, however, and suggested they may have been sustained during a vigorous gardening session.

The prince's pioneering three-bedroom house is made almost entirely from natural materials including clay blocks, lime plaster and even sheep's wool, which is being used for insulation.

The idea is to produce low-carbon, low-cost family accommodation that, in the words of the prince, 'doesn't look like a space pod or wear its greenness on it's sleeve'.

Charles, who has frequently clashed with the architectural establishment over his vision for eco-friendly housing, hopes to see his Regency-style homes rolled out across the country from autumn this year.

Their prices have not been yet set as they will depend on the cost of the land on which they are built, but a spokesman for the project promised that they would be both competitive and comparative of the local market.

The first house - plus a neighbouring flat and maisonette - have been designed by architects from his Foundation for the Built Environment with the prince taking a keen, hands-on role.

The Natural House is built from solid, aerated clay blocks which act like double glazing to retain the heat generated by its occupants. The roof is covered in clay tiles which act in the same way while the outside walls are rendered in line and hemp rather than cement and are lined with sheep's wool for extra insulation.

According to its designers, this natural form of insulation is so efficient that the house has no need to be fitted with radiators.

Hot water will be provided by a wood chip boiler that is attached to a special flue system built inside the walls which can provide extra heating for the entire house if there is a cold snap.

Hank Dittmar, Chief Executive of the Prince's Foundation said: 'What the Prince of Wales wanted to do was to create low-carbon housing that is affordable and attractive and fits the idea of a family lifestyle. They are normal houses where normal people will want to live.

'Climate change is forcing us to radically re-think the way we build our homes and we believe it is vital that we design simple houses that can be built at volume which people will love and enjoy over the long term.'   READ ON »