Grand Designs Extras Grand Designs: Letters July '09

Date Published:

04/06/2009

Wall Sticker from Scandi Living

Teen Spirit

This letter is not about any issue in Grand Designs Magazine – it is simply a letter of congratulations. This may come as a surprise, but I am 13 years old and have wanted to become an architect for many years now. I was recommended your magazine by a friend who attended Grand Designs Live – I am extremely jealous of him! I was just writing to say keep up the good work. Your magazine is very clever and interesting.
Joseph Smith via email

Scandi Design Wall Stickers

Ed says: What can we say, Joseph? We’re flattered. Good luck with your goals.

I refer to your article on retrofitting in the June issue (p121). We would like to know who the Hammonds had to get permission from to use the Thames as their water source for their heat pump. We live in Nethybridge in Scotland and have the River Nethy flowing past the bottom of the garden. We are very interested in heat pumps, and are looking to compare air, water and ground sources.
Fiona Hunter via email

Ed says: To pump water from rivers in Scotland contact the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (01786 457 700; sepa.org.uk); in England and Wales contact the Environment Agency (0870 850 6506; environment-agency.gov.uk). The Hammonds also had to dig a trench in a road to transport the water, which required a section 50 licence from their local council. For information on green technologies visit energysavingtrust.org.uk. To find out about available grants visit lowcarbonbuildings.org.uk. And don’t forget to support our campaign to make these technologies more affordable at greatbritishrefurb.co.uk.

I’ve been reading Grand Designs Magazine for a few years now and was given a subscription for Christmas. I always look forward to it, but now I have some competition on my hands in the form of my two-year-old daughter, who has taken to getting hold of the magazine before I do – and takes great pleasure in reading it from cover to cover. Keep up the good work!
Robbie Tutt via email

We have a fondness for the retro and the contemporary, so decided to keep the original aluminium door handles in our Seventies estate house, but we are stuck with one problem: the previous owners replaced one with a nasty, cheap brass-effect handle. I’ve looked everywhere to find the originals – all the big (and small) DIY stores locally, searching online and even eBay – but to no avail. Perhaps a reader can point us in the right direction, or has some Seventies door handles they would like to sell (they are not to everyone’s taste, I realise). After all there must be thousands of Seventies houses out there with their original doors!
Zoe Allsop via email

This edition of the Letters Page is taken from the July issue of Grand Designs magazine. If you would like to subscribe for as little as £9 then head here to find out more.

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