Paul and Alicia are both in their early thirties. In undertaking their unusual building project they have been an unorthodox duo. Not just because he is from Tipperary and she from Offaly but because the laconic, practical, contemplator and the brisk, efficient, socialite have consciously chosen the path of energy-savings rather than using ‘sustainable’ materials .

I asked why they had decided to build a residence of this type when at times, it was questionable as to whether either would ultimately live in it. Each gave rather casual, shoulder-shrugging reasons for tackling the untypical construction which required a lot of thorough research, higher expenses and some considerable frustration as self-contractors.

‘It was just something to do. I have to live somewhere and this was the only decent site at the right price at the time’, said Paul. Alicia said she felt, ‘compelled to build the house’ and continued, ‘It was never supposed to be an ‘eco house’ but an energy-efficient one.’ However, there were structural reasons for their choice of cement, ‘...because of the amount of glass and the height of the living room,’ said Alicia, ‘and an RSJ framework was needed to support the roof with the cement tiles.’

With its natural woodsy and rocky surroundings, the four and a half acre site in the Slieve Felim Mountains has great views. Clearing the neglected scrubland was a slow and painstaking process. The two of them did a lot of it by hand to keep some of the little trees and plants which were revealed in the process. Alicia did the initial design sketches for the house on the back of an envelope. Paul then began the practical technical drawings and the design and selection of options evolved between them. The energy-efficient systems in use are as follows:

PASSIVE SOLAR HEAT: To the front, the main, large glass windows are South facing. None face North but there are smaller windows to the East and West which give attractive glimpses and lovely natural lighting effects through the house. There are also some ‘Velux’ roof lights.

GEO-THERMAL HEATING: This system is set into the existing layers of rock. A bore hole well over 500 feet deep holds the flow-and-return pipe with a solution of antifreeze and water which carries the geo-thermal heat to the Heat Pump.

HEAT PUMP: This device multiplies the heat carried from the geo-thermal well. Using electricity at the night time rate, the heat pump increases the temperature of the fluid from about 9 degrees, up to about 22 degrees maximum, which is then pumped in to the underfloor heating pipes in the concrete floors within the house. The system is run by a pre-programmed computer in combination with thermostats in the house.

HEAT EXCHANGE UNIT: This independent system uses exhaust heat to additionally heat the house, while providing fresh air to the house. A convection current is created by extracting air from the general, floor-heating system and warm/wet ‘waste’ air from kitchen and bathrooms as it rises. Cooler, fresh air, which has been tempered through the heat exchanger, is supplied back into the rooms at lower levels. The fans also pull in heat from the outside as well as circulating cleansed interior air, as heat.

When we discussed the Geo-Thermal Heating, Alicia explained that ‘heat-extracting coils under garden soil are not strictly geo-thermal but are really solar’. Her research was thorough: she spoke to as many people as possible in the business and checked information on the Internet. At the time she was also able to speak directly with expert academics in Limerick University. She feels that most people don’t understand the technology. ‘There are a huge number of companies putting it in, but a spread of coils a metre or so under the lawn is not as efficient as having it set deep into the rock, particularly in Ireland’.

There are drawbacks to the Heat Exchange Unit in that a dedicated electricity supply is required. ‘You can’t use solar or wind-generated electricity as there’s not enough power in it’, Paul told me.

This combination of energy-efficient systems cost approximately 20,000 euros but as the two pointed out, by 2007 houses will almost certainly have to have energy ratings so they have built a house averting that threat.

The house also has UNDERFLOOR HEATING: ‘When the heat in the house has built up you can work in a T shirt, bare feet and a loin cloth’ Paul jests. He was not in a loin cloth when I arrived as he had been doing some light carpentry work. When one steps inside the Rugby-ball shaped hallway with its oak spiral staircase, there is a brief echo of Rennie Macintosh and the Arts and Crafts style. Light and deep colours are used to great effect in different areas and architectural forms and surfaces bring a soothing atmosphere.

Alicia has designed the interior to Feng Shui principles. She is not a practitioner, nor the fact that her brother lives in China has had any influence but she has had a fascination with it for a number of years. She does her research through books. ‘Feng Shui and Passive Solar work very well together for good energies.’ Bedrooms are North-facing and the beds are positioned ‘for the most restful night’s sleep.’ The bath faces the rising sun or one can soak, gazing up to the stars through the roof light. The amount of interior oak used in relation to the surrounding woodlands and bed rock and even the choice of location for the loos was consciously selected! In essence, the house has a very clean, purely contemporary exterior and interior but there are surprises like the panels of exotic Persian tiles and Chinese window screens upstairs. Alicia designed and ordered the kitchen. It was built by a local craftsman and its recently completed installation was a pleasant surprise to Paul who had been working too hard at the office to notice!

Paul was originally interested in architecture but reckons he was ‘not artsy enough’. He studied in Galway and did a very practical Diploma in Construction Management as well as a Certificate Course in Civil Engineering. He has lived in Limerick for ten years and works for a company in general-construction and development, with some design work. Alicia has a degree in Manufacturing Engineering from Kingston College in the UK and studied for a Masters in Alternative Energy Technology at Limerick. She is now the efficient manager of an historic tourist attraction. Both her engineering and artistic abilities come from her ancestors. She has a natural talent in design but both she and Paul are either modest or embarrassed about this perceived dichotomy* with their qualifications.

They are both well informed and knowledgeable but have their own opinions and conclusions on the choice of materials: ‘Its all-concrete construction is not environmentally friendly at all!’, says Paul. But Alicia states firmly that she did thorough research and came to her conclusion that a wooden house would be no more energy efficient than a concrete one. ‘It’s marketed as such but I don’t believe it to be so. I feel that insulation is the key factor.’ The insulation specified is by Kingspan.‘It’s horrible to work with but it has the best insulation properties you can get.’ Furthermore she states, ‘I don’t regard cement as non-eco-friendly ‘It’s made from earths’ products and resourced in our own country.’ Paul says that if he was doing it again he probably would do it differently and might consider materials other than concrete.

‘We wanted to design a house that is comfortable to live in but costs virtually nothing to run.’ The house has cost a total of a quarter-of-a-million to build - about 50% more than average but this includes the cost of the site. They believe that whilst the costs were much higher, money will be saved on future energy bills. Their mathematics on this differs from ‘five’ to ‘ten’ years, ‘if you calculate the average household oil bill at 2000 Euro annually.’ With the rise in costs, it may well be sooner.

Of the two, Paul would seem to be more esoterically, eco-conscious ‘It is the way to go’ he says, ‘not least because of rising oil prices.’ She has previously spoken of very practical interests in sustainable crops for renewable energy but this is probably a project for the future, on suitable land she may already have considered.

In time Paul would be interested in knowing how to build a straw-bale house and investigating things like hemp and lime construction too. ‘Modern life is shite’ he announces surprisingly. Continuing in his firm but gentle voice he says. ‘We have global warming because of the Capitalistic system’. He reckons that ‘No politician is going to do anything’ and adds, ‘Look at the floods due to development and construction.’ Yet he describes himself as an optimist rather than pessimist. He has a calm, reassuring persistence of spirit and a down-to-earth sense of honour with regard to ethical and responsible practice in business and politics but wouldn’t like to be involved in the latter: ‘I wouldn’t want people like me whingeing at me!’, he laughs. He works steadily all the time but mentions, ‘I’m keen to travel abroad and see the world and take the time to learn new things.’ Then he joked that he was now too old to stay in anything less than five star hotels!

He has since moved into the house. In time, he will install solar panels on the garage roof and probably plant reed beds for the septic tank soak-away. He also intends to plant a neat vegetable patch at the end of the tamed wild garden. ‘We had a vegetable garden when I was a child so there’s no reason not to do it again.’ But he responds, ‘No, I’m not a good cook at all!’

Water has been divined but there is no well yet. Instead, rain water is being collected in an underground tank and filtered for use in the house. Alicia thinks it is ‘bizarre that people here do not make use of rain water. We get so much of it and I’m mystified why more people don’t collect and use it - it’s pure and heavenly!’

The very nearly completed house that Paul and Alicia have designed and built together in County Limerick, has been the successful and impressive collaboration of friends.

*Dichotomy: Contrast between two things