Why this Cobh residence rings every bell for design 

Kya deLongchamps visits a coastal rebuild that conjures energy efficiency and chic from the ground up

The view from the living room/kitchen at Island View, Cobh. Pictures: Dan Linehan

THE Irish "super home" no longer represents flabby acres in the vanity McMansions of the boom. The new lead story is all about pleasingly achieving Nearly Zero Energy Builds (NZEB). We can be proud of new sustainable virtues, not simply signalled by parking up a hybrid car, but with 15-30 kWh/sq m of net primary energy, and 50-65 kWh/sq m of primary energy use covered by 35 kWh/sq m with on-site renewable sources every year.

Island View, LakeRoad, Cobh, Co Cork, owned by David Walsh and designed by architect Loic Dehaye, demonstrates that a typically sized home with the right ingredients can ring every bell for glowing aesthetics, NZEB efficiency and sheer everyday feelgood.