Northside home to feature on RTÉ show

A
NORTHSIDE couple who have just completed an extension to their family home are
looking forward to seeing their refurbished house showcased on RTÃ? in a few
weeks’ time.

Maeve
and Derek Noonan’s two-storey terraced property in Glasnevin will feature on
RTÃ?’s home improvement programme

‘About the House’ in mid-November.

The
building project, which involved adding an open-plan kitchen, living and dining
area to the rear of the house, was chosen because of its focus on energy
efficiency.

The
extension was designed by Clontarf-based architectural firm GBA, owned by
Northsider Gareth Brennan. He worked alongside environmentalist and TV
presenter Duncan Stewart during the recording of the project, which was filmed
between July and October of this year.

In
conversation with Northside People this week, Maeve and Derek Noonan, parents
of two young children, said they were thrilled that Duncan found their house
interesting and innovative enough to feature on his TV show.

“We
can’t wait to see it featured on

‘About the House’,

? said Maeve Noonan.

“We
really enjoyed working with Gareth Brennan from design to planning permission
to building, the whole process was so straightforward and stress-free. We are
very much enjoying our new low energy home.

?

Also
speaking to Northside People, Gareth Brennan said he relished the challenge of
refurbishing the old house and making it as energy-efficient as possible. He
was first approached by the Noonans about 18 months ago, shortly after they had
bought the house in Glasnevin and had decided to refurbish and extend it.

“The
house is almost 50 years old and had become very dated,

? he revealed.

“The
electrics were old, the plumbing and heating systems were highly inefficient,
and the house was poorly insulated. What’s more, the Noonans wanted to extend
to the rear of the house, which is north facing. So getting sunlight into the
extension was a priority from the start.

?

The
new extension was stepped to create east-and-west-facing glazing, to capture
morning, afternoon and evening sun. The ceiling heights were varied to make the
large open-plan room as bright and airy as possible.

A
number of energy-saving measures were incorporated into the design including
higher-than-standard floor-slab insulation, under-floor heating, a
high-efficiency gas boiler with zoned heating controls, and thermostats on all
the radiators.

The
extension was constructed in timber-frame and was externally insulated. The
external walls of the existing house were dry-lined with all air-gaps sealed
and insulated, while the attic space was also insulated.

“The
result is a house that will be extremely easy to heat and will hold the head
for longer, meaning much lower electricity bills for the Noonan family,

? said
Mr Brennan.