HMK Homes most watery project to date was the construction of this small family home on one of the Estonian islands. One hours boat crossing from the mainland with no grid power on the island.

Delivery to the island took 9 boat trips, 3 per day, with the house elements being towed across from the mainland on a barge. The first crossing was to deliver the tractor loader required to unload the elements from the barge and carry them one by one to the build site. The loader then had to moonlight as a crane to manoeuvre the various wall and roof parts into place.

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The house itself is a 150sq m 2 storey home designed by the owner, Indrek Allman, Chairman of the Union of Estonian Architects. The various elements are finished with Siberian spruce, the roof is Siberian larch. Windows are wooden framed triple glazed units and the house is highly insulated. Electricity is provided by solar panels on the roof and more installed on a rebuilt windmill base in the properties grounds. A small wind turbine also adds to the useable electrical power and, as the property is sited on a relatively small coastal island, wind availability is not a problem. And, as the house is designed and owned by an architect, there are several quirky features, not least the tree growing through the sun veranda!

HMK Homes have taken on some very challenging jobs, but this was the first entailing a boat delivery. HMK Homes are always interested in hearing from UK builders, developers and architects looking for a high quality solution.

www.hmkhomes.co.uk