LIGHTING LED Vista ledvista.ie


LIGHTING CONTROLS FibreLED www.fi breled.com


HEATING CONTROLS Hurst (Heatmiser) www.hurst.ie www.heatmiser.com


RAINWATER HARVESTING Wastewater Solutions (GRAF) wastewatersolutions.co.uk www.graf.info/en


SANITARYWARE Bathhouse www.bathhouse.ie


LIME MORTAR Roundtower Lime www.roundtowerlime.com


airtightness, it wasn’t really part of the Passive House strategy. “It’s important to note that with CLT every junction has to be taped either on the inside or the outside, though a lot less tape is needed compared with timber frame,” John- Barry explains. It was diffi cult for us to access the rear of the structure externally because of our position up against a neighbour on one side and a garage on the other, so we designed some of the junctions to allow for them to be taped on the inside. G-frame took on the coordination and application of the taping while they were onsite, which they wouldn’t usually do.”


In addition to excellent airtightness and high levels of insulation, MVHR (mechanical heat recovery ventilation) and triple glazed timber windows were other important elements of the Passive House design. The use of heavy materials internally such as brick in walls around the staircase and ceramic planks supported on glulam beams in the dining room ceiling helps to further prevent overheating in the house in the warmer months of the year. On the south facade the visible brick confi ned to the ground fl oor facade helps defi ne an enclosed outdoor space and on the north facade it has been used for the full height to give that outdoor space a special theatrical stage-like quality. Lime mortars have been used which allows the brick to breathe when used in cavity walls with the CLT and rockwool. The use of lime will also allow the brick to be recycled in the future. The sensitive material palette includes an exposed CLT fi nish for the ceilings and at least one wall of each room and much internal joinery which creates a warm, welcoming aesthetic. Around the meanine, shutters formed of fi ner profi le CLT allow users of the space to connect or disconnect with family life as required.


Teach Spruis has achieved Passive House standard of 0.55 ACH airtightness


“When you design and build your own home you’ll constantly be noticing little things that you want to change or improve, but we love our new home. The exposed wood gives the house a calming mood, as if you’re out in nature rather than in the city centre. The high ceilings and natural light contribute to this feeling and due to the Passive House design and build quality there’s always a comfortable temperature wherever you are in the house,” says John-Barry “In material terms the exposed brick, CLT and glulam beams give a feeling of richness which is enhanced by the outdoor spaces with plants and stone. It’s a lovely palette of materials to live in, it’s very unusual and even though there’s a continuity, you can have a lot of different feelings as you move through the house which was what I wanted,” he concludes. Teach Spruis has gained recognition as spearheading the use of CLT in the private residential sector in Ireland. In 2024 it won the best Small Scale Private Building at the prestigious Wood Awards Ireland and was Highly Commended for the Sustainability Award at the 2025 Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI) Awards as well as being shortlisted for the coveted RIAI Public Choice Award.


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