36
Passive House
efficiency was a primary concern and so the brief from day one was to aim for
passive house certification if possible, in excess of the standard required in
the charter. While the house has not been certified, it can be when the client
chooses to, as it has met all the requirements,’’ stated Paul.
“Two years ago, at the Better Building conference in Dublin, one of Ireland’s
leading educators of young architects argued that great architecture should
be exempt from energy efficiency regulations, because having to comply
would excessively interfere with the expression of his architecture.
“It is tragic to think that a great architect believes he cannot accommodate
robust detailing within his artistic objective. We can only counteract this
attitude by proving it wrong. I think it is incumbent on clients and designers of
passive houses to ensure that only the highest standard of design is achieved
in passive buildings. A passive house certificate is not a substitute for good
architecture. Sustainable buildings which are aesthetically poor create an
example to be used by those who are not inclined to produce low-energy
buildings, and want an excuse,’’ he added.
“Therefore high performance buildings must also be beautiful. It’s
interesting to take a look back at the story of this passive house from our
current perspective. It’s safe to say that we are in a very different place now
economically, to where we were when this house was being built in 2009 and
2010.
“At that stage (when Fiona’s house was being built), the wheels had just
fallen off the wagon in the Irish construction sector. It was a frightening
time to procure a building. For those of us young enough for it to be our first
recession, it brought new challenges that we had never experienced before,’’
revealed Mr McNally.
“The Architect Louis Sullivan famously asserted that form allows function.
The design for this project emerged