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Ritsu - Fitting in

Let us say first, Ritsu are not the solution but they can
be a small part of the solution, mostly for discerning
clients seeking a different route to buying a home or
holiday let. Time perhaps for a recap on some of what
has preceded:

● The average household in the UK emits about 2.7
tonnes of CO2 per annum - we need up to 345,000
new homes per year, government is targeting a
reduction in our homes of 30% from 2021, it still
means about 41 m tonnes of CO2 will be emitted

● The CO2 storage potential in forests is enormous
and is now traded in world markets by way of set-off Figure 17 - Gregor - the log cabin, reborn
- approximately 55,000,000 tonnes of stored CO2, ● The basic techniques for manufacture of a log
enough to cover the emissions output of every car building remain the same, tried and tested
for well over a year in the UK
● Ritsu have been producing timber log buildings for
● Trees capture carbon through photosynthesis at a over 30 years - we are essentially one of the original
rate of about 1 tonne of CO2 to every cubic metre of “Off-Site Manufacturers” of homes
timber, it retains this even after being felled and
processed and as a built structure - your home, ● Our buildings are modular by nature but far more
holiday let or office for its long life
readily adapted than any other method of OSM
● There are now more forests in Europe than at any ● Take a cross-section of a Ritsu log home - its just
time since the beginning of the industrial age
timber, timber outside, timber inside
● Ritsu source our raw material from Finnish forests ● Take a cross-section of a typical cavity wall - it
where selective forestry is practiced and forestry is comprises: 103 mm facing brick; partial or full fill
well managed
cavity; ties; 100 mm aerated block; plaster/
plasterboard
● Timbers journey from forest to factory is typically
less than 900 miles
● The traditional cavity wall works to create thermal
mass but does so using materials that have high
levels of embodied carbon

● The typical design life of a UK new build is 60 years -
this will be easily matched with a Ritsu log building,
log cabins still exist as habitable structures that are
150-200 years old

● Brick and block homes, homes with a cavity - have
been around for about 100 years, most OSM and
modular manufacture homes less than 20 years

Figure 18. Gloria - thinking big at over 600 m2