Shell Construction

The houses are of standard Bulgarian "concrete and brick" construction. The footings are between 1.0 and 1.2 m deep with reinforced concrete. The base of the house, the supporting columns and ceiling are all reinforced concrete. The external and the majority of the internal walls are brick construction. All internal walls are plaster boarded and external walls have external insulation and render.

Roof

The roof is of wooden construction on top of the concrete ceiling. The tiles are of Austrian make although in the traditional Bulgarian terracotta colour. Insulating materials are placed under the tiles and above the ceiling.

Insulation

The houses are thoroughly insulated against damp, cold and heat. A 40mm layer of insulation is placed on the exterior of the building and then finished in mineral render. Insulating rockwool is laid above the ceiling and damp insulation is laid under the tiles of the roof. The base has a PVC layer above ground level to stop the rise of damp and then another layer of waterproof material under the floor tiling and boards.

Water and Canalisation

Water comes to the site via a 60 m deep bore hole providing all year round spring water for drinking and bathing. Houses are metered on an individual basis at a rate approximately 1/3 of current UK prices. Sewage and waste water are dealt with via a communal sceptic tank that is managed on a site wide basis.

Fittings

Windows are double glazed PVC with external doors of oak construction, internal doors are of pine. Floors are of standard Bulgarian terracota tile or laminate of choice.All electrical fittings are provided for lighting and power. The kitchen has sink and storage units but does not include "white fixtures" (fridge, cooker, etc.). The houses are fitted with standard air conditioning units which allow both heating and cooling.