Abbeyshrule home wins national Green award

A house in Longford designed by Winkens Architecture has won the Green Residential Building Award at the annual Green Awards which were held in Dublin last week. 

The prize was awarded by Ireland’s leading environmental experts for designing a traditional long house, which in this case comprised of a two-storey home made of timber post and beam with hemp lime infill to ensure an energy efficient, sustainable home for two adults and five children to live in, based in Abbeyshrule, Co Longford.

The brief in respect of the house, called for a very energy-efficient, sustainable home suitable for two adults and five children. Based on a traditional long house, the design is modernised to maximise solar gain and the two-storey build is timber post and beam construction with hemp lime infill to passive house standard.

According to the judging panel, “This design is based on a traditional long house and the building is orientated to benefit from passive solar gains and is super insulated to Passive House standards”.

Other winners on the night included the Department of Education & Skills which scooped two awards, the Overall Green Award and the Green Building Award for one of its new school buildings, Coláiste Choilm, in Offaly. University College Cork won the Green School or College Award and the Green Travel Initiatives Award while Ecocem won the Green SME Award and the Green Waste to Business Resource Award and Nemos Horticultural Ltd won the Green Innovation Award and the Green Product Award. Children’s University Hospital, Temple Street, won the Green Leader award and the Green Healthcare Award.