House of the weekl

The energy-efficient and light-filled Caledonia has been a labour of love for its owners.

Sometimes, houses bristling with technology can look, well, a bit geeky — but that’s not the case here at Caledonia. After one of the wettest Junes in memory, house hunters on the prowl for an efficient home will be looking at all-weather options, and this Cork house called after the romantic Latin name for Scotland is a place for all seasons.

It’s been a labour of love for its owners, an interior designer and a woodwork teacher with a second degree in construction studies — and they both put their expertise into building Caledonia, over three to four years.

“We didn’t rush it, we’d get to one stage and say ‘what’s the best way now to make the next step’,” they say. They worked from the start on this 3,200 sq ft home (with 800 sq ft attic ‘extra’) with architect James Sheehan, who’s now with PM. Their brief to him was simple — lots of light.

On two private acres, five minutes west of Cork’s Bishopstown off the Ballincolling bypass by Ballyburden/Waterfall, Caledonia’s broad, wide V-shape has the entire back of the house facing due south, so the light pours in all day, and bounces about many of the high-ceilinged spaces, with rooms like the stand-out kitchen having vaulted ceilings broken by grouped Veluxes, while the dining room and main living room also have extra windows slotted into high-up sections.

Window are double-glazed and either A or B rated (the sash windows carry a B rating) and the front and back doors are triple-glazed. The block-built walls have had their cavities pumped with insulation, and the insides have been slabbed with extra insulation, as have the stud walls, joist and ceilings, for a sort of huggable, duvet feel.

A large bungalow with its sizeable 3,000-plus sq ft footprint, plus that great attic space ready to go (just put in a stairs, doors and carpet) it’s got twin-manifold underfloor heating at ground level, with efficient oil burner, three solar panels for hot water, a heat recovery system, biocycle etc.

At present, the attic rooms have a gallery feel, overlooking the kitchen/breakfast room at one end, and the main family living room at the other, and the owners reckon that the ceilings’ height dragged down their overall BER rating — yet it still has a very good B3 approval.

In accommodation terms, this house has four bedrooms (doing the final flourish in the attic would add two more), two with en suites, guest WC, main bathrooms, study, welcoming hall and circulation spaces, and lots of recessed lighting with some other feature lighting, brushed steel switches, etc.

Selling agent Barry Smith of Marian Rose Properties says it was “designed and constructed to be ahead of the regulations of the time. It features so many highly desirable attributes as to make it a leader in the current crop of energy efficient homes. Add in the design and decor, and exterior and interior and the highest level of quality fixtures, fittings and finish, and you have a dream house.”

He guides it €675,000 and has it under offer at about €570,000 and it’s quickly picking up pace with viewings from locals, medics and people from Britain.

With acres outside, and lots of space inside, there’s more to come; with that great attic space ready to go (heads are in place for windows to be fitted) and the detached, lofted 24’ by 18’ garage is ready for conversion at any future time for granny flat use, as it is insulated, linked to services etc, revving up to go.

VERDICT: It has build quality, finishes, energy efficiency, airiness and location all in its favour— a summer seller.