Issue 9, Vol 5 Out Now
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Featured Article
| International selection |
Innovative low energy construction is rarely recognised on a European
scale. The Isover Energy Efficiency Awards are one exception — here are
nominations from across the continent that were celebrated at the
European awards ceremony in Barcelona on 2 June
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Official magazine of Easca  |
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Stillorgan green upgrade |
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Tuesday, 15 November 2011 |
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Page 1 of 3
Four years ago the construction industry was focused on building big and
fast — but at the same time, a small team was carefully and
ecologically retrofitting a terraced Dublin house on a tight budget
according to passive house principles.
The brief from Camphill Community Greenacres to designer Miles Sampson was to convert an uninsulated mid-terrace 1950s council house into a modern home that would facilitate the client’s work of helping people with special needs become more active members of society. The client wanted the house —in Stillorgan, south Dublin — to be energy efficient, and to be able to meet its heating needs in the event of a serious energy crisis.
There are 18 Camphill Communities in the Republic of Ireland. With funding from the HSE, each group provides support for children and adults with intellectual disabilities or other special needs under a ‘co-living’ model, where the individual lives as part of a family group in a house rather than being treated as a service user. The group aims to create development opportunities through interaction, workshops and small business ventures, and sustainability is one of its central tenets. Camphill is also an approved social housing provider — the money for the purchase and renovation was recouped from Capital Assistance Scheme grants from the Department of Environment.
After a public tendering process, ecological and sustainable designer Miles Sampson won the contract, and considering the tight budget he had to work with, the end result is an inventive mix of innovative design and practical green solutions.
Sampson explains: “When I received the brief in 2007, SEAI were implementing the first stage of the EPBD [Energy Performance of Buildings Directive], and ostensibly the construction industry was booming. As a result there were few people working in the eco-construction field and the cost of materials were at a high. So, putting a team together was not without challenges. In addition, the budget of €250,000, which is generous by today’s standards, was small considering the ambitions of the project.”
Heading up the construction team was main contractor Robert Doyle of Robert Doyle Ecobuild Ltd. He explains: “At a time when sub-contractors were racing to keep up with the amount of work they had on, it was difficult to get anyone to consider a small project like this. It was also a non standard renovation and eco-build, which was what attracted me to the job. For everyone who was on the team it was a labour of love and a case of wanting to take on the challenges presented.”
The design creates an open plan kitchen/dining room with visual connection to the garden through the extension at the rear of the house, while the triple-glazed sliding door and row of rooflights let plenty of natural light in
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