Les O’Donnell is a Chartered Architectural Technologist and structural engineer with over 30 years’ experience designing and supervising the construction of new builds. His practice, Landmark Designs, is based in Co Tyrone. All of the information contained in the guide is for information purposes only; professional guidance must be sought for your own specific project.
A solid ground floor relies on the existing ground underneath to support it; this is how they’re made. In this article we cover: A solid ground floor should not be confused with the similar term solid floor which generally applies to any floor construction that does not contain hollow spaces or voids. Just to complicate […] More
Porch and garage design can make or break the look of your house; here are the pitfalls to avoid and good design practices to take on board. In this article we cover: Porch design Designing a porch is easy if you know exactly what you want it to do. On the other hand, if sized […] More
You’ll need to find somewhere that’s accessible for your plant room – the place you’ll be putting your tanks, manifolds and other equipment you’ll need to operate your home. In this article, Les covers: When considering what services, plant and utilities to incorporate in your new home, you need to take a long, dispassionate look […] More
Where to start with your house design in Ireland, from getting your design brief just right to house shapes and sizes. In this article, Les O’Donnell talks about: The design brief: what to include in it, what to avoid Working with an architectural designer: what to expect Common house shapes and sizes to maximise energy […] More
Practical house design is a balancing act. At the end of it you will get a beautiful, functional and affordable eco home. In this article, Les O’Donnell talks about: The basic principles of good house design How to approach your self-build How to design a contemporary home suitable for modern day living How to define […] More
The contribution made by self-build tradespeople is essential to the success of any self-build project, so who does what and when? Even if you plan to use your skills to build your house, you will need to hire some specialist tradespeople – at the bare minimum the regulations stipulate you have to hire a qualified […] More
Building or extending a house generates a lot of waste, in the form of solids, liquids or sludges, all of which will cost money to dispose of. The first step therefore is to design waste out of your construction drawings, writes structural engineer and architectural designer Les O’Donnell. Whose job is it to dispose of […] More
To sell, insure or finance your house, you will need certificates of compliance. This article covers: What a certificate of compliance is What you need certificates of compliance for Difference with warranties and building guarantees How to get a certificate of compliance from Building Control (NI only) How to get a certificate of compliance issued […] More
MMC, or modern methods of construction, is a catch-all term to describe everything from innovative building solutions to cutting edge materials. Here’s a bird’s eye view. In this article we cover: Different types of MMC, from building methods like ICF and glulam to materials like graphite How to use modern methods of construction in your […] More
If you are employing a builder, it’s common practice to have a contract to spell out the terms of your agreement so make sure you both sign on the dotted line. Like any insurance policy, you don’t really want it until it’s needed, but a written contract isa form of insurance which can be used […] More
It’s possible to build your house with oak – find out how you can do it, the different configurations, cost, benefits and drawbacks. In this article we cover: What is an oak build How much does it cost and how does it compare with a traditional build? Different post and beam structures from cruck to […] More
Foundations support the weight of your house, here’s what you need to know about them. In this article we cover: Foundation design and performance depend on two factors, the nature of the ground on which they are placed and the load, which in the case of a house isn’t huge. For self-builds foundation design is […] More
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