Durkan to break ground on 47 Killiney passive houses

This article was originally published in issue 31 of Passive House Plus magazine. Want immediate access to all back issues and exclusive extra content? Click here to subscribe for as little as €10, or click here to receive the next issue free of charge

Durkan Residential director Barry Durkan told Passive House Plus all units would be passive house certified as standard, with buyers given the option of upgrading to a PV and storage solution as an extra to attain net zero living within the development.

Durkan said the firm was hoping to offer green mortgages for the homes and to team up with an energy supplier to offer more favourable rates for buyers.

Designed by McCullough Mulvin Architects and with passive house consultancy from MosArt, the new development is intended to appeal primarily to career professionals and first-time buyers within the area, along with families and trader downers looking to live in a healthier, more efficient home.

According to Durkan, the scheme’s sustainability goes beyond energy efficiency. “We will be upcycling felled trees into new playground equipment and crushing and reusing rock as excavated for use within the development,” he said. The scheme will also feature sedum roofs and extensive soft landscaping, supporting biodiversity and enabling stormwater attenuation.

The homes will be built using single leaf masonry, insulated externally, and brick slips, with Durkan Residential partners Ecofix acting as specialist external insulation and airtightness contractors. Ecofix worked with Durkan Residential on Ireland’s largest passive house scheme to date, the 59-unit third phase of Silken Park in City West.