Thursday 29th May 2014

The second day on site has seen a lot of progress, with the delivery of more materials and the start of digging. Between us, we have shoveled over ten tonnes of gravel and earth onto a tractor to be transported to our site. The gravel will be used to in the foundations, with a layer of loose gravel and a layer of gravel bags providing structural support to the rest of the dome. The earth will be used to fill the bags and create the main structure of the dome while the turf removed from site will be incorporated into the roof system at a later date.  Some of the team have been digging all day to complete the trenches for foundations, digging around 600 mm into the ground. The drainage system has also been started and the frame for the door built so hopefully progress will continue at this pace for a few days!

Wednesday 28th May 2014

Today is another day for preparation now that we have been on site and know what we need to progress with the project. After watching films on the construction of Super Adobe domes that showed us step by step examples of the construction, we broke off into groups to get various tasks done. Some of the group began building the formwork necessary for the entrance door. This solid form will have to be in the dome for the duration of the construction to ensure the structure accommodates the door. It will be removed near the end of the process when the real door is ready to be installed. Another group split up to work on the documentation of this project, making sure a proper record is being kept of our progress and keeping the university up to date. Others went to buy the last few materials that we need.

Plans have also been made for some earth to be delivered to site this afternoon. For the earth bag walls to be structurally stable, a certain kind of earth mixture will be necessary, meaning we must source our earth correctly. The correct earth type has been found and is being excavated from a building site not too far from our own site. Around 4 tonnes of displaced earth will be delivered to Hill Holt Wood to be reused in our project. Lots of shovelling is ahead!

Tuesday 27th May 2014

We arrive on site in the early afternoon and are greeted by Steve, our main point of contact at Hill Holt Wood. He gives us an introduction to the ideology behind Hill Holt Wood and a quick tour round the beautiful woodland. He also shows us around the existing eco architecture on-site, all of which has been built with materials managed by themselves and by the woodland workforce. No external contractors have been involved in these beautiful buildings, with the craftsmanship of the staff being put to use instead.

Housing a school of around 90 students, a large number of staff and Oscar the Peacock, Hill Holt Wood are constantly expanding, hence their interest in our modest but experimental project. We were lucky enough to have a tour of an existing building site within the woodlands, where a new canteen, classroom and series of offices will be housed. We saw the small workforce at work, with the entire construction being built by one or two staff members and small groups of students. For the students of Hill Holt Wood, the construction of these buildings act as part of their education, providing hands on experience! Elsewhere in the woodlands, small huts, gardens and artworks litter the paths, creating a welcoming and harmonious atmosphere.

After our tour we began making preparations for our dome, transporting all of our materials to the site and constructing shelters to house them while we work. We use tyres to plan out the size of the dome, trying to get a physical idea of the scale before beginning any digging for the foundations. We also took the opportunity to look around the site and discuss any final changes to the design that would make the dome sit better in its new location.

There are still some materials to be delivered to site but now work has begun we will hopefully see results soon!

Sunday 25th May 2014

We intend to use the straw bales for part of the lime plaster, as an insulating material in the floor and possibly as some furniture.

Saturday 24th May 2014

Today we met to look over some fine details of the construction technique that we are hoping to use, Super Adobe earth bag construction. We looked at the process and tried to adapt our design in a way that suits this construction method. Several changes to the design were explored, including adding a stove and chimney for heating, adding a mud-and-stud porch for additional living space and changing the style and material of the roof.

We then looked through existing publications to prepare ourselves for the building ahead and all took away some design aspects to research.