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Room to Improve.
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Hi all!
Andrew from tonight's episode here. I've often followed the real-time commentaries during previous shows... always entertaining and interesting. Of course this time it's of particular interest
Lots of great questions and comments so far, and I'd love to chip in to clarify anything that was left unanswered... If you're interested of course.
So please fire away and I'll check back tomorrow evening and cover the lot in one go.
The project was actually a three year long effort, and nothing about it was straightforward. Lots of real ups and downs along the way. So more than happy to share learnings so others might benefit if undertaking something similar... or are just curious.
Delighted that there has been so much general positivity here, was debating whether to look or not; glad I did
Great to see that you read this thread - must be quite surreal seeing so many people discuss your home in detail. Well done to you both. You have a home you can be very proud of.
Did you see the programme before it was screened on RTE last night?0 -
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I want to know if you got window coverings for that big corner window as well, and how soundproofed the place is
Is there any bit of it you'd have done differently having lived there for a while already?
Any problems with water ingress on the butterfly roof (I always think they look lovely, but then remember Irish builders making them, and wonder how they go )?
Do you find noise echoes around the house a bit - for example if she's upstairs on the sewing machine and you're trying to listen to music/watch TV in the living area?0 -
Hi. I've picked out most of the questions from the preceding posts. Hope the answers are of interest and provide a little more context. This is probably going to be a long post!
Yep, you're right. When we originally spotted this place that was the first thing we needed to clarify. The building is within an area zoned by DLRCOCO as "Major Town Centre". If you look up MTC on their website you'll see a bunch of uses that are "permitted in principle", including residential. A change of use request occurs along with the planning permission process.BabysCoffee wrote: »Are you allowed live in a commercial space? Presume you'd have to get planning for a change of use?
Before purchasing we worked with a planning consultant (BPS Planning Consultants) to submit a pre-planning application to try and assess the council's feeling about the idea. It was not such a radical proposal, but they replied with surprisingly positive feedback. The building had not been used for several years before we approached them in early 2012, and it had been up for lease/sale all that time, and looked very run-down. They were keen for the spot to get some attention.
However, pre-planning "opinions" carry no weight when it comes to a subsequent planning submission. So we still had to purchase the building with the slight risk that the planning permission would not be granted.
Well, that was our plan B if the planning permission fell throughAtlantic Dawn wrote: »If it was me I would leave the shutters downstairs and turn that part in to a tyre fitters, upstairs would be where I would live.
We actually submitted a second pre-planning submission after we bought the building. The design was a result of our own thoughts and sketches about how the building could be transformed. This included three bedrooms, a full third level, and a terrace over the entire the roof. Amazingly, the council feedback was again positive. The fact that it's a corner site and not overlooking any residential properties probably helped.Any major issues with the planning process in terms of change of use, design, raising the overall height of the building?
By the way, we had that plan costed by a quantity surveyor (Keith Kelliher, who is also a moderator here on Boards and offers great advice), and thanks to him quickly realised it was simply too ambitious. Although a little disappointed, it did give us a good indication about what we could possibly achieve for the budget we had. Based on the actual cost of the final scaled back project, I think his estimate was spot on.Outkast_IRE wrote: »I think it was silly of her to come into this with no design ideas or sketches put onto paper herself.
Amusing! But I see why it looked that way. The show didn't cover the 6 months we spent before even meeting with Dermot, dreaming up concepts for how we could possibly live in the space. Nor did it cover the hours we spent with him conveying our own design philosophy, vision and hopes for what it might become. Indeed there were sketches, mood boards, and all kinds of references provided.BabysCoffee wrote: »What's Avril's issue with the design??!
Avril's hesitation about the newly revealed design was mostly due to the stairs which simply didn't fit with anything either of us had imagined. The rest was probably due to Dermot's original layout of the ground floor, which was never really shown on the show (I think it was just glimpsed in the opening sequence). It had some serious drawbacks which Avril was quicker than me to spot. A little more on that below.
Actually, Dermot's original ground floor design did include a carport. It would have been great to have. However it reduced the size of the bedrooms considerably and forced a single entrance point out onto the street side without a footpath. You'd also have to walk through your garage/bin shed each time you entered or exited. Not ideal in practice, so we asked Dermot to switch the layout around and ditch the carport. We don't regret that.Atlantic Dawn wrote: »My concerns about the final build is nowhere to park your car, no privacy when you open your front door. If it was me I would have built a carport underneath so there was some privacy from the main road when you opened your door.Atlantic Dawn wrote: »Yes everytime they drive back to the house they will have to worry about parking and not just where to put it but how much to pay.Just curious about the parking issue. Have ye ditched the car? Or come up with another solution? I guess where ye are ye could easily manage without a car being so close to shops and public transport.
No, we kept the car, although living within walking distance of so many facilities and shops certainly reduces the need for it massively. Parking was also a concern for us originally, but once we got a resident's parking permit (like all residents in the area) we've only once or twice been unable to find a spot within a couple of minutes walk away.Parking - can residents get special cheap permit in D.L.?
Yes! Damien and his team Pascal, Raphael, Frank, Adam and co. were truly amazing. We were disappointed that the show didn't pick snippets of our praise of their dedication, stellar craftsmanship and indeed many many great design contributions, particularly by Damien. He and the team deserve serious recognition.Big time nightmare with the construction
We wanted Dermot to see that house because of how it used a raw material (in that case concrete) as a structural material and a decorative finish, a concept that was key to our own vision. It's amazing what they did there.Outkast_IRE wrote: »the house they are visiting is cool, i like it a lot
Ha ha! The stairs was the object of discussion from the very beginning. We really challenged Dermot to design a stairs that would fit the space in keeping with the overall desired aesthetic and budget. It took longer than expected. In the end it was the culmination of contributions from all parties, including Damien and the steel fabricators (Finnegan Steel).Outkast_IRE wrote: »Coming along and changing the stairs at this stage of the game, is a silly move that will piss everyone off. How this was not discussed with dermot i will never know because if you have an atria to bring light down throughout you would obviously want an open tread staircase to aid the light dispersal throughout the atria.Has nobody mentioned the fact that trucks going past within touching distance like that would be shaking pictures off the wall and books off the shelves etc? Normal grey cinderblocks will barely make a difference, they havent mentioned soundproofing at all.
I was very concerned about this also. The original structure was surprisingly quiet inside, despite the traffic. There is very little traffic at night, but Saturday mornings can be very busy.Would wonder about noise issues ( passers by / traffic) from having bedrooms on ground floor?
The original exterior walls were built from concrete blocks laid on the flat, so quite thick already, but when the insulation and the internal walls were in the sound was virtually blocked out.
I also investigated better than usual sound-blocking glazing options for the bedroom windows. Was surprised to discover that equally spaced and sized triple glazing units are not the best for that, due to resonance issues. A better option for soundproofing is glazing with different internal spacings and thickness. Munster Joinery were able to provide it for a slight increase in cost, so we spec'd that. They are very impressive.I'm sorry but putting rusted corrugated iron sheeting in a new build must be a certifiable offence?
It can't be safe at all at all
Yep, I can vouch for the danger element. It was actually myself and a friend who made that porch light fitting, and in the process I got a shard of it stuck in my hand. Needless to say I decided to get a tetanus shot the next day... just in caseballsymchugh wrote: »what, precisely, was going through your mind when you saw the rusty old galvanized metal in the hallway??
My thoughts on the use of rusty metal in the design... well it actually works… somehow. I think because of where it's located. Avril’s rationale was to introduce a contrast between the new and the old, leading from the outside into the new interior.
When we first saw inside the old building it was also a filthy, rusty place, so that light feature is nice as it reminds me of where this all started.
No, and can't ever imagine selling. It was the work of ~2.5 years, so much energy and time invested, and Dun Laoghaire is a great place to be. Along with all the effort, we were also very lucky timing wise, I feel the stars aligned to make it all work out.wonder if they've sold it already?So many building regulations being breeched in this. How do they get away with it?I don't see anything wrong with them, looks to be <99mm spacing between the cables. I'm say the balustrade on the balcony is 1100mm too. I was surprised when they were discussing doing an open tread stairs originally though, they are a no go.
Don't worry, all spacings and heights comply. But I believe there was a related change to Part K of the building regs that came into effect this year that affects new works - so check that out if you're thinking of designing a custom stairsI think open thread is allowable again if the gap is less than 100mm. This would usually require a downstand.
Actually despite the bedrooms being on the ground floor, this still posed a problem for us. The strange thing is that although there are very strict fire regulations for commercial/public buildings, what needs to be done in residential scenarios seems more vague particularly when it comes to unusual layouts. Because of the way it works, alternative prevention/protection measures can be incorporated in order to permit things that are otherwise considered not safe.sydthebeat wrote: »The stairs is actually open to the same space as the kitchen and in the usual situation that is not allowed. However here there are no bedrooms which use the stairs for escape purposes thus its fine.
As the kitchen was in the same space as the stairway we apparently needed such a counter measure. The solution was to install an Automist fire suppression system in the kitchen area. Although it's quite neat, it's not cheap, and contributed significantly to the overrun. There was no other possible solution that could be found.
I'd highly recommend talking to John McCarthy who's a friend and a fire consultant. He gave us some great advice in the early stages, when we were trying to scope the possible internal layouts.
It was ST Salvage on the South Circular Rd. but Avril and Dermot’s visit would have been around Aug 2013. Still worth a look though, you never know what you'll find!jimmy180sx wrote: »Anyone know where that reclaimed yard is. Being originaly from cricklewood and spent many a night in the galty my man cave is in need of a new floor and this stuff would be a nice little treat
It's a unique home and so we wouldn't really know unless it went to market.ballsymchugh wrote: »have you had the house valued at current levels? wouldn't ask you to publicise, but we do all want to know deep down!!Are the big windows facing south? If so, does the sun fade furniture etc? Are there curtains or blinds?
I put in blinds almost everywhere shortly after the final filming day, but the large upper window (which points SE) does not have blinds, and yes one item has faded a little due to that. Something to work on.I want to know if you got window coverings for that big corner window as well
Yep, the two solid exterior walls were all that was left after the preparatory demolition works. A 150mm cavity was left between the existing walls and the new internal support structure which was tied to the outer wall with low conductivity wall ties. The cavity was filled with Ecobead Platinum insulation. The new upper structure is steel & timber frame with solid board insulation of various spec and thickness depending on the area.Call me Al wrote: »Hi Andy, What type of heating system do you have now, (I didn't hear any mention on this on the programme) and how much and what type of insulation have you used? I'm assuming it was very much a bare wall scenario when you started.
Air tightness + a heat recovery ventilation system are also key to the thermal performance, as are the passive standard windows.
For the space and water heating I decided to run with an air-to-water heat pump exclusively. This decision was taken after considerable investigation. Apart from the strict efficiency requirements, space was restricted and so I wanted to avoid a “plant room” scenario, we needed space for storage. In the end I choose a Nibe F2040 (8kW) monobloc roof mounted heatpump unit, coupled with a Nibe VVM320 controller/hot water & buffer tank combo. The indoor unit is very neat, the same size as a fridge, and fits neatly into the utility room. Some heatpumps have the actual compressor part within the indoor unit, I wanted to avoid that due to potential noise problems.
Heat is distributed via underfloor heating on the first two levels.
The only issue was how to mount the external unit on the butterfly roof, without any solid connections (again to minimise vibrations and noise issues). That took a while to source and agree and was actually one cause of the delays. We ended up with a free standing RoofPro support system.
I’d like to give a big call out to Stephen from Green-house (Deansgrange) - he oversaw all the plumbing/rain harvesting and heating work and was happy to accommodate me and my input even though I was just an enthusiastic layperson. Thanks!
No leaks yet. I was reassured when I saw the Trocal membrane that had been spec’d. It’s thick stuff, and has a good guarantee.Any problems with water ingress on the butterfly roof
Yes a bit, none of the upstairs areas are truly separate from one another and sound carries for sure. That’s what you sacrifice for open plan living (with no curtains or carpets) I supposeDo you find noise echoes around the house a bit - for example if she's upstairs on the sewing machine and you're trying to listen to music/watch TV in the living area? We did however take numerous measures to ensure that the various noise making machines (washing machine, ventilation system and pumps etc.) were all isolated as much as possible. As a result, the washing machine can be running in the utility room, and you’d barely even know. Very happy with that.
More vastness! Ha ha! No, there were so many space constraints that sacrifices had to be made to optimise the layout especially on the ground floor. It’s hard to see what we would have done differently given those constraints.Is there any bit of it you'd have done differently having lived there for a while already?
If we'd had a couple more square meters, our hall space would have included a larger closet area for coats, bags and the usual things that you put down when you come in. But I’ll be working on some kind of under-stairs solution to compensate for this when I have the time.
The whole thing is quite an experience. The production team are great. Dermot, despite his flaws is, as I said, frustratingly forgiveable! His design philosophy and understanding of light and space was something we had admired from earlier seasons and I’d say was part of what inspired us to even consider doing what we did.I wonder does anyone who does the show ever regret appearing on tv / showing their home to the public / I guess having to be available on a regular basis during the build for tv recordings?
We did use up a large chunk of our holiday days on filming, and thankfully both our workplaces were extremely flexible and accommodating of that.
The show clearly focussed on entertainment value over the many intricacies, and what I consider to be the most interesting details of the build. But that’s the style of the show I guess. One reason we liked the idea of getting involved was to capture the evolution of the building and design process. As a personal record I’d love to have all the footage that was captured!
Overall, it was an experience that we were fortunate enough to be part of.
Nope, that was the first we saw of it.BabysCoffee wrote: »Did you see the programme before it was screened on RTE last night?
Please check out our suppliers list if you'd like more details about who we worked with on what… we included some personal references to particularly helpful people who we met along the way.
You’ll find all of that on the RTE Room to Improve site, check the specific page for the episode.
http://www.rte.ie/tv/roomtoimprove/s8prog1.html
Thanks again for all the kind comments.
Cheers.
Mod edit:
Added in rte url/link0 -
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Thanks android for taking the time to answer the myriad of questions above.
Your home now looks amazing and I hope you are happy there for a long long time to come. I really admired ye for living in a tiny spot for ages to save and I know it must be amazing to enjoy your living space now. My husband and I initally had a small house but we saved and now we have built a much bigger house and after 6 yrs of living here I'm still delighted and proud of what we have achieved. (Now ours is very boring compared to yours but it's ours and you know now how good that feels) Every now and again I still get blown by what we have and I still smile when I remember things that builders told us were mad but these are the special things that make our house our home.
Fair play on sharing your journey with the nation. If cameras had followed me about while we were building all they'd have seen was me crying, not understanding basic building stuff, and just panic .
Enjoy every minute in your home both of you and I admire all the effort and foresight, planning and out of the box thinking that lead you to what you now have.
Good for you Lisha! It's a long hard road and I don't think anyone ever forgets the number of (filling) skips on it either!.....:D
May you and your family have many great years to enjoy yourselves in your lovely home! xxx
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Great idea for change of use of a commercial building into a home android.
I'd say you have given a few people out there a few ideas of their own and will be looking at locations they wouldn't have thought of before!0 -
Hi. I've picked out most of the questions from the preceding posts. Hope the answers are of interest and provide a little more context. This is probably going to be a long post!
What a fantastic post! Thank you very much andyroid for the time and effort you put into responding to everyone's queries.
I wish you and Avril every happiness in your wonderful new home 0 -
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