An overview of how to add some life to your building’s roof covering. There are two types of green roofs: Intensive roofs can include lawns, flowerbeds, shrubs and even trees; landscape variations are practically limitless for both design and use as it is possible to create an environment at roof level similar to that of […] More
Although it’s possible to design your new build completely on your own, it’s almost certainly a false economy and a decision that could cost you dearly in time, energy, stress and money. But how to choose that essential designer to help you on your journey? Before you even go to meet the designer you hope […] More
Ronan McKee provides a bird’s eye view of the most common building methods available to self-builders in Ireland today. In this article, we cover: How self-builders are building homes in Ireland today Design considerations before choosing your build type How Building Control will be involved Building Regulations requirements Full chart comparing the most popular build […] More
The Belfast Selfbuild Live Bootcamp 2018 featured a panel of experts in the field of build cost estimating, insurance and warranties. Here are the answers to your questions with information from Dermot Rasdale of quantity surveyors DJ Build Estimations, Graeme Norris of Progressive Building Society and Jim Majury of Kerr Group on behalf of insurance […] More
If you want to build a house that’s cheap to build and run, replace the stove and central heating with high spec insulation/airtightness, a heat recovery ventilation unit and a few strategically placed electric radiators. You really can build a house without central heating, as long as you invest in the building fabric and can […] More
The most widespread standard to building a house that doesn’t require a centralised heating system comes from the Passive House Institute in Germany. Here are the basic precepts. This article covers: To qualify as a passive house from the Passive House Institute in Germany, you need to heat your home with very little energy, roughly […] More
As with all building elements, you must satisfy the requirements in the Building Regulations which includes making sure the product is NSAI Agrément (ROI) or BBA/LABC certified (NI). Then specify as much as you can afford to get the best possible U-value, above and beyond the current statutory requirements. Consult Technical Guidance Documents Part L […] More
We tackle the most debated topic outside of Brexit and rising property prices: how much does it cost to build in Ireland today? In this article we cover: A good analogy is to think of what a car costs per square foot. It’ll depend on whether it’s new or second hand, a people carrier or a […] More
Firmly established in the London architectural scene since 2004, the award-winning practice healycornelius design is a company with Irish roots that recently expanded its operations to the South West of Ireland. We catch up with Managing Director Niall Healy and Regional Director Michael O’Keeffe to learn their views on a rapidly changing industry. Why did you pursue a career in architectural technology? Niall Healy: I loved making and […] More
Have you ever worn a woolly jumper on a windy day? To keep the shivers out the only solution is to don the coat or parka. Insulation and airtightness barriers work very much in the same way; in fact the analogy also extends to insulation becoming ineffective when wet. Photo taken by Fergal O’ Malley RIAI […] More
Energy ratings exist throughout Europe and consist of a certificate that gives your house a grade, on an A to G scale, much like your washing machine or fridge (A being the best). In ROI they’re called Building Energy Ratings (BER) and in NI, Energy Performance Certificates (EPC). The same methodology (in NI Standard Assessment […] More
An increasingly popular build route, timber frame is the method of choice for offsite construction and is often used as the structure upon which to layer other ecobuild materials such as straw bale, hempcrete (lime and hemp mix), and rammed earth. All images courtesy of tomraffield.com Most common are layering with boards, often OSB, and specifying […] More
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