Awards for sustainable projects in Northern Ireland

1. Orchard Acre – Fermanagh: Rural Areas and Natural Environment
The Orchard Acre Barn replaced dilapidated outhouses on a small farm in Fermanagh near Irvinestown. It incorporates solar panels and high levels of insulation and makes use of recycled stone, timber, and zinc from the old buildings. All materials, skills and services were sourced locally. Cement, sand, gravel and timber came from within a 20-mile radius, contractors were all local and, where possible, building elements were fabricated locally.

 

2. Woodbrook , Brokerstown Village, Lisburn: Urban Areas and Built Development
Brokerstown Village is hailed as Northern Ireland’s first Eco Village. The central biomass boiler plant provides heating and hot water for all the units. The CO2 produced by the boiler, is offset by the CO2 taken in by the locally grown willow. The houses and apartments have 40% thicker insulation, air tightness is improved and windows are fitted with high-performance argon gas. Homes are also designed to conserve water, and water retention and permeable hard surfaces are provided to prevent surges of water during flash-floods.

 

3. The Playhouse, Derry: Sustainable Communities and Regeneration
This project was a refurbishment of Derry’s Playhouse Theatre. It preserved and re-used as much of the original material as possible. Timber was salvaged from the original stairwells to be used in the new stairwells of the buildings extension. Traditional processes, such as lime rendering and traditional roof slating that mixed new and salvaged slates, were used. The refurbished building also maximises the use of natural light and ventilation, and has provided for the future installation of solar water heating.