Eco-Houses in Northbrook Lane, Dublin 6, completed 2014 

Eco-Houses, Dublin, Ireland

Rear Garden

South Terrace

As both developers and architects, O’Neill Consulting & O’Neill Architecture, www.oneillarchitecture.com , were able to treat these houses as a case study for the application of environmentally friendly building materials and low energy design with the following features:

1. A2 BER for 190 sqm & an energy load of only 47
          kWh/sqm/year.

2. Solar collectors provide domestic hot water with buffer tank
           overflow to the underfloor heating system.

3. Heat recovery air handling system & an airtight building.

4. Triple glazed timber windows maximise passive solar gain,
           including the rooflights in the roof garden which bring sunlight
           into the deep plan floor plates.

5. Insulation of external walls included an inner leaf of 240mm
          German Poroton clay blockwork with a 100mm bead insulated
          cavity.
 
      6. 300mm of breathable spray insulation at roof level.

      7. 250mm of board insulation between the ground floor heated
          screed and concrete raft foundation.

      8. Rear garden rainwater harvesting system
 
The case study also developed internal planning alternatives for the two houses in relation to the site orientation and the gardens.
 
1. No 16 is planned with the living space in the traditional location
          at ground floor level and the bedrooms upstairs. This optimises
          the relationship to the rear garden.

      2. No 14 places living & dining at first floor level and the bedrooms
          at ground floor level. This optimises internal sunlight and views
          from the living space over Ranelagh Gardens to the Dublin
          mountains.
 
As built, these case study houses successfully resolve the potential problems of north facing rear gardens while bringing sunlight into the deep planned internal spaces on townhouse sites as well as achieving an A2BER.
 
1. Building Contractor: Jones Property Services, Maynooth
      2. Structural Engineer: Waterman-Moylan, Dublin
      3. Landscape Architect: Bernard Seymour, Dublin
      4. Interior Design House 16: Michael O'Mara, Dublin

Don O'Neill, Architect, MRIAI
O'Neill Consulting
Dromineer, Nenagh, IRL
Tel. 087 673 8641 and 067 24311

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