On the Boards: A New-Build Costal Eco House

We have received planning permission for a new family dwelling in a beautiful costal setting overlooking Strangford Lough.  The site benefits from spectacular views through a 270-degree sweep.  Designing for a location as beautiful as this is difficult. We are not trying to do design gymnastics. We are fully considering what it is our clients want for their home and realising that through design excellence.

Site Plan of Proposed House & Boat House - Courtyard Opening to the Views and Sun.

Strangford Lough - Site Setting.

Proposed South Elevation - Sheltered Courtyard.

Our approach is based on:  Awareness of landscape; A simple palette of natural materials; Subtlety; Respect for rural built forms;  Withholding of views, affording glimpses on approach, finally revealing the full dramatic views;  Creating wonderful internal spaces with unexpected height & light; Forming a series of differing outdoor spaces which are protected from winds but yet avail of views; Considering orientation and sun position throughout the day;  Incorporating all appropriate sustainability measures to exceed all current requirements and to future-proof this new eco house.

We have included a level of richness by providing a play-loft, a second ‘short-cut’ stair which also functions as a bookcase, a study (computer) den for kids which is within view and has an eye-level slot window, creating a thickened wall that houses both indoor and outdoor fire-places (or barbeque), designing a master bedroom suite which has complete privacy, spectacular views, its own terrace, yet is adjacent to two children’s bedrooms;

Proposed Ground Floor Plan.

First Floor Plan - Planted Roof Over the Living Room.

West Facing Elevation.

Architectural Model for Client Discussion.

Contact Hofler Architects to discuss your project.  We offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation.

Passive House Simply Illustrated

We came across these wonderfully simple illustrations of the principles of Passive House design (Passive Haus) and thought they were well worth sharing.  They are by a U.S. firm, Albert, Righter and Tittman Architects. 

 The illustrations help make the case that green building in the new millennium should be about simplicity: weaving together and maximizing simple technologies rather than relying on fancy gizmos and complex systems.

The first image shows the evolution in building technology over the centuries, from wood-heated homes in the 19th century, to a complex jumble of building systems in 20th century homes, to the promise of simplicity presented by today’s Passive House standard:

It’s all about the envelope.  A central principle of Passive House design is to reduce heat loss by superinsulating homes, creating airtight building envelopes, and eliminating thermal bridges (elements or penetrations that allow heat or cold to leak through the fabric):

With a carefully-designed and executed building envelope in place, almost all the heating needs of a Passive House can be met by body heat, heat from lights and appliances, and solar gain:

The control of these solar gains can be easily regulated though a combination of well considered siting (along the east-west axis), shade-providing overhangs for the highest sun of the summer months, and the careful placement of high-performance windows.  All that’s left is to include heat-recovering mechanical ventilation, a simple system that exhausts spent air and brings in fresh air, all the while capturing and retaining the thermal energy of that exhausted air:

The end result is a comfortable, normal-looking home that saves 75-90% of the energy consumed by a conventional home.

Hofler Architects - Monkstown, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin

Aggressive Passive House Strategies

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council is to make the Passive House energy efficiency standard compulsory for all new buildings – Dublin City Council to follow suit.

Passive House Diagram.

Dublin local authority Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has voted to make the passive house standard mandatory for all new buildings in the area as part of its 2016 Draft Development Plan. 

Council policy will be that all development in new buildings should be built to the Passive House standard. The motion also stated that Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEBs) and other lower energy standards may be considered as appropriate alternatives.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has a record of requiring higher energy efficiency standards than the national Building Regulations demand.

It was one of the first local authorities, in 2007, to demand that buildings be constructed to higher energy efficiency standards than the national regulations, passing 40% energy and carbon reduction targets, along with mandatory renewable energy systems. 

Local authorities are permitted to set energy efficiency standards above levels in building regulations as a planning condition.

The current national Building Regulations require that anyone building a new home has to achieve a 60% energy reduction and install a renewable energy system to comply with building regulations anyway. Compliance with “Part L” of the regulations typically means an A2 or A3 BER [Building Energy Rating], bringing construction costs up to passive house levels, but with no guarantee that the building will actually work to Passive House certified standards – a standard that is firmly rooted in building science.

Assuming that the passive house clause makes it into the final version of the development plan, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council would become the first local authority in the world outside of continental Europe to make the passive house standard compulsory. 

Meanwhile, Dublin City Council seems set to follow Dún Laoghaire’s lead -

The Green Party group of councilors have proposed a motion, that states: "Unless exceptional circumstances apply, the council will require new buildings to reach the passive house standard or equivalent, with the exception of buildings that are exempted from BER ratings as defined by SEAI. By equivalent we mean approaches supported by robust evidence (such as monitoring studies) to demonstrate their efficacy, with particular regard to indoor air quality, energy performance, and the prevention of surface/interstitial condensation."

The new policy is to be included in a draft of the development plan due to be brought before the council in July, before a public consultation period begins in September.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Development Plan 2016

Hofler Architects

Changes to the Better Energy Homes Scheme 2015

The Better Energy Homes scheme was re-launched on 10th March 2015. 

There are three key changes:

• The minimum grant requirement of €400 has been removed.
• A new bonus of €300 is payable on the third and €100 on fourth Energy Efficiency Measures – see table below.
• Revised grant amounts for Energy Efficiency Measures – see table below.

Some of the qualifying criteria for grant:

• Your Home must be Built before 2006
• Contractor must be SEAI approved
• Manufacturers/products must be SEAI approved
• You must have a BER

Below is a list of guides explaining the measures covered under the Better Energy Homes scheme. These documents are available to download in PDF format by clicking on each title.

• Ceiling Level Roof Insulation Information.pdf (size 265.7 KB)
• Rafter Level Roof Insulation Information.pdf (size 176.6 KB)
• Wall Insulation Information.pdf (size 193.3 KB)
• Heating Controls Information.pdf (size 141 KB)
• High Efficiency Boiler Information.pdf (size 75.1 KB)
• Solar Hot Water Heating Information.pdf (size 89.4 KB)

Each of the above documents contains information on the benefits of installing these measure as well as questions to help you choose the right product/installer for you.

Contact Hofler Architects for more info and guidance.