House in South Armagh
This house was designed for a site with the approach road towards the north. This allowed me to place the private garden, with it's patio directly accessed off the kitchen, in the south (see lower photograph). The Living Room and the Guest Bedroom also have direct access to the south facing garden.
Because of this, the house enjoys good passive solar heating through the large south facing windows. The occupants enjoy as much sun as the 'soft' Irish climate has to offer. Features:-
- Well proportioned 2.55m ground floor to ceiling height and 2.25m high ground floor windows let in more light from the sky while admitting passive solar heat.
- Underfloor heating in Kitchen, Hall and Utility. Multi-fuel stove in Living Room.
- Radiators in wooden floored Living Room and Guest Bedroom which are better for the owner's acoustic piano and vintage wooden furniture.
- Porch and curved stair tower at front door provide welcoming entrance.
- The house has an Energy Saving Trust 'C' rating and achieves it's full construction method energy saving potential. To save on heating oil the owner is considering installing recirculating air handling. This would increase the Energy Saving Trust rating to 'B'.
