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. 

South west elevation of flat roofed passive house with grey powder coated triple glazed aluminium windows and mixture of precast concrete and zinc standing seam parapets.
Bespoke architecturally designed light grey kitchen with large island unit and white leather high stools
Birds eye aerial view of flat roofs of passive house with landscaped driveway and countryside in the distance.
Architecturally commissioned painting for feature wall in passive house.
South west view of passive house with raised outdoor terraced area accessed via grey triple glazed aluminium double doors.
Corner of passive house showing corner window detail and indoor planting.

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! 

Telescopic view through a series of triple glazed windows connecting the internal kitchen area with the external terrace and master bedroom.
Reflection of a modern grey raised outdoor terraced area in the window of a passive house.
Five Ikea "cloud" pendant light fitting grouped together to create a dramatic white centre piece contrasting against the grey walls and timber flooring.

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