IF RUNNING AWAY and escaping all the madness sounds like something you’d be into -read on.
This holiday cottage originally built in 1820 and renovated by Derek Trenaman of Ceardean Architects is a lesson in getting off the grid altogether.
It’s taken Derek five years and lots of research but he has a beautiful holiday home in Sligo to show for all his hard work.
Some of the ecological innovations might not be your cup of tea – such as the sawdust composting toilet and a hand-pumped well – but perfectly suit the environmentally-friendly nature of the house.
Water is provided by a water well and pumped directly to the attic where it is passed through a sediment filter, a carbon filter and finally UV light before landing in a clean water storage tank.
It takes 20 minutes of pumping to get water for the whole day.
A key factor in keeping your house cosy is insulation and the walls and floors were insulated to a very high specification.
Triple glazed windows were installed and the cottage was made significantly more airtight. This has hugely helped to retain heat and make a cosy home.
The house is heated by a multi-fuel stove with backboiler to heat radiators in each room and the water for the sinks and bath. There are also independent stoves in each room for heating when the boiler is not in use.
Derek generates electricity from solar panels and wind turbines and has raised garden beds where he’s endeavouring to grow as much of his own food as possible.
See more of Ceardean Architects work right here.
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