Grace Foster-Reid's eco-friendly house

Christopher Serju, Gleaner Writer

MOORLANDS, Manchester:

GRACE FOSTER-REID knows her house inside out. That's not an idle boast since long before she and husband Clifton got into discussing furnishing and decorations, the civil and environmental engineer was guiding the design and construction process of their two-storey Georgian structure, tucked in among the trees on almost two acres of land, at Moorlands in Manchester.

For this reason, the structure was built to facilitate an easy transition to solar and wind energy and was for Foster-Reid an opportunity to incorporate her two areas of training. Jumping at the chance to showcase the knowledge and experience which had served others well, the mother of three daughters also designed a biogas digester to utilise sewage from the house to fuel a stove in the house.

"I have biogas digester in the back. When I do my candles, I use biogas to melt my candles and thing and use the water to fertilise my trees round the back, that's my passion," she explained.

The biogas fertiliser is the liquid component of the sewage which is treated and recycled to enhance growth of the crops grown at home. Proudly, she shows off the trees which have been benefiting from the biogas fertiliser, comparing the growth with other plants.

It is their dream house and Clifton and the girls take some pride in knowing that this is the house that Mom designed.