OK for all those asking about UK building code. It is pretty strict. Thermal insulation requirements are really high. Structural stability and fire resistance a

OK for all those asking about UK building code. It is pretty strict. Thermal insulation requirements are really high. Structural stability and fire resistance are also tough. Yes a UK roof can hold snow! In fact they hold a massive weight of tiles normally. We don't really get tornado's or earthquakes however. we do get winter gales regularly. There is a huge need for cheaper, and more efficient (in terms of energy needed to make the materials) homes here. Due to aesthetic requirements (and as a traditional way of making a house that will survive the damp in the UK), most homes are still built with fired-clay brick skins forming a cavity wall, although the inner masonry skin is often a prefab timber frame these days. The roofs are usually clay tiles (or concrete copies if local planners allow) or natural slate. The foundations are a solid trench of 1 metre deep concrete (more if the ground is soft). Ground floors are usually thick concrete onto thick hardcore bases with insulation incorporated either in the concrete or under the floor covering. The whole thing is massive, heavy, concrete and clay focused and expensive. Of course land prices are high in the UK so the resultant houses are really expensive no matter what. There must be a more efficient way of building.