| 04 - 08 January |
The Beginning
M&R select Le Jardin at Avianto as the place to build their new bio-climatic home, meet Trevor, choose their site, meet Anthony and get their plans.
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| 11 - 15 January |
Breaking Ground
M&R discover how much there is to learn when they go through a green building workshop with CSIR. They make some changes to the plans and change the garage, submit the plans to the municipality and start digging the foundations.
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| 18 - 22 January |
Pleased to Meet You
M&R remember their first meeting with their construction company, Accolade, find out more about the overall landscaping plans for the estate and the philosophy of Avianto, and finally settle on the facebrick for their house.
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| 25 - 29 January |
Keeping Afloat
M&R start experiencing the pressure of having to make so many decisions as they rush from meeting to meeting to decide where they want plug points, change plans on the fly as they go, squeeze in some work, and Michelle learns about drainage pipes.
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| 01 - 05 February |
Life, Work, etc
This week, we follow Michelle and Riaan as they passionately spread their message of green living to as many people as possible – while still trying to keep track of what is happening at the house.
Riaan explains the role of polystyrene in the foundation surfacebed and, despite his schedule, manages to make it to site to see the concrete being poured to surfacebed.
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| 08 - 12 February |
Everything Starts Small
It’s a lot of a little in this ep as Michelle talks to friends and businesses about recycling and being aware of the cumulative effect of poisons in our environment; we learn about the importance of insulation and M&R share with us that they are pregnant.
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| 15 - 19 February |
Start Spreading the News
M&R start spreading the news about growing their new house and their new baby. We attend the launch of the L&M project, a Food & Home lunch / photo shoot where Michelle cooks, M&R check all their plug points and block & lintel starts on the house.
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| 22 - 26 February |
Ask the Right Questions (Tough Love)
The ground floor block & lintel is finished, Riaan is on site for the pouring of the concrete to the middle slab and superstructure brickwork starts on the outer walls; Michelle attends the World Solar Congress, they visit Corobrik to find out how green they really are and go for dinner at the zoo.
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| 01 - 05 March |
What’s on Inside and What’s on Top?
The outer walls of the top floor superstructure brickwork are nearly done, Michelle & Riaan visit Builders Trade Depot and try to decide on steel or wooden roof trusses, check up on dry-walling at SG and start designing their garden and grey water systems
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| 08 - 12 March |
While You were Away…
Michelle and Riaan are off to the States for work but while they’re away, things start going wrong. There is a delay confirming the roof trusses they are going to use – and suddenly, the days that Accolade has gained on the schedule start slipping away.
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| 15 - 19 March |
Michelle and Riaan visit Llewellyn at the CSIR to find out more about the efficacy of solar energy; Michelle hasn’t yet been out to site since coming back from the States, which is frustrating Riaan; Michelle visits the Cobra showroom to learn more about water-saving products, while Riaan is on site to check up on the roof tiles and internal plaster. |
| 22 March - 26 March |
M&R visit the off-the-grid house of Henning Holm to find out how a family lives green; they visit Lafarge to find out more about their ‘sustainability’ claim and Michelle and Riaan have a difference of opinion about the design for the kitchen counter. |
| 39 March - 02 April |
M&R are on site as the double-glazed windows start being installed, they choose their light-fittings, Llewellyn from the CSIR visits the house to give his advice and M&R get dressed up for a fun publicity shoot. |