O'Leary Sludds Architects - Samarkand Passive House, Wicklow
Samarkand Passive House, Wicklow
Frank & Áine bought a derelict summer chalet in 2011 which had wonderful views of the Wicklow countryside. We worked with them to create a house design/ extension that was both contemporary and very cost effective to build, while maintaining the Passive House Standard.
The design is a play on square and rectangular geometries, using the existing summer house square footprint to determine their locations. Each geometry forms separate functional spaces which are further defined by the introduction of split floor levels to create higher floor to ceiling heights in the open plan living, dining and kitchen areas.
The build method for this 217m2 house design was timber frame construction internal wall leaf with air cavity & rendered block external leaf, traditional strip foundation with concrete floor slab on 165mm insulation, timber framed flat roof, and triple glazed passivhaus certified windows. The U-values of these building elements were as low as 0.12 W/m2K.
The airtight level achieved at the time of construction was 0.54 h-1 air changes at +/- 50 pascal.
The timber decking is a wonderful place for a summer barbecue, with some great views of the Wicklow countryside. Frank & Áine has promised us a tasty meal, while relaxing on the deck – we can’t wait!
