Apple Tree Cottage - A2 Retrofit

1911 Victorian Brick Townhouse deep retrofit 

We took this 1911 brick building and updated it for €140,000. The deep retrofit element of the renovation cost about €60,000. We installed external insulation, rafter insulation, new low energy doors and triple glazed windows, heat pump and demand control ventilation. 

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An interesting part of this project is it's typology and how it breathes. We discovered that the roof purlins, and intermediate floor or not structurally sound. There was heavy ingress of water pressure from below the ground floor pushing upwards through the shale rock. This resulted in the complete gutting of the building with new internal roof structure, new intermediate floor and new insulated ground floor. 

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We were very cautious about the risk of interstitial condensation therefore the use of external insulation, with triple glazed windows mounted in the insulation layer. Windows were taped back to the interior plasterboard to help create an improved airtightness. We opened up the front section of the original building on the ground floor to create an opulent and open space with beautiful parquet floors.