Architectural project manager Catriona Cantwell is selling one of two eco-friendly houses she built in Monkstown Farm - she's keeping the other one for herself, writes Eoin Lyons
A DUBLIN WOMAN who runs environmentally-friendly building projects for a living has created her own scheme in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
Catriona Cantwell has built two houses in a quiet setting off Monkstown Avenue - one to live in and one to sell. Lisney is asking €925,000 for the recently completed three-bedroom house which is free of stamp duty for owner-occupiers.
The semi-detached redbrick at 19 Lanesville, Monkstown Farm has 117sq m (1,260sq ft) of living space and off-street parking.
It is clad in aged brick chosen to fit in with the neighbouring houses on this quiet road. Cantwell bought the site two years ago and is keeping the other house for herself. She specialises in sustainable design and has used her knowledge to make this house very eco-friendly.
The innovative design has a high energy rating. The house is thermally insulated and uses an energy efficient system for underfloor heating and hot water.
"A heat exchange system makes for a healthy living environment - those suffering from asthma or breathing difficulties would find this house great to live in," says Cantwell, who worked on the design with architects Sterrin O'Shea.
But anyone would find this house a pleasant environment: the building is constructed from environmentally friendly, carbon neutral materials and has thermally-insulated foundations. The blocks used to build the house are breathable.
In practical terms, the design means that there is minimal energy use and good heat retention which keeps bills low.
"Everything is fully tried and tested - I've been using these methods for years," says Cantwell.
The progress of the house's construction was featured on Duncan Stewart's About the House television programme.
Those interested can see a clip of the programme on the RTÉ website and learn more about the building methods used.
The internal layout consists of an entrance hall with a large skylight - allowing as much daylight as possible into a house is a particular feature of Cantwell's work. To the front there is a room which could be a sittingroom, office, playroom or fourth bedroom. There is a neat guest toilet next to the stairs, also flooded with light from a skylight above.
The main living space is at the back of the house. The dark walnut kitchen runs across the back wall of this large space and is raised higher than the rest of the room (an island divides the two spaces) with a few descending steps bringing one to the living and dining space.
The flooring here, as throughout the ground floor, is solid oak. A wood-burning stove is raised in the centre of a chimney breast. A large sliding glass door opens to the rear patio. The garden is a reasonable 25ft long and has been landscaped to include a seating area against the end boundary wall.
Upstairs, there is a main bedroom to the front. It has a large picture window, built-in wardrobes and a smart en suite wetroom.
At the rear there is another double and a single bedroom. All are wired for telephone, broadband, ceiling speakers and TV points. There is a family bathroom at this level with travertine tiles and a walnut sink unit. Fittings are top notch and the lighting is by Bob Bushell.
