Author: aoife (Page 11 of 28)

Isabel’s Picks for September 2011

September 6, 2011 / aoife / 1 Comment

Isabel’s Picks for September 2011

THE FEEL GOOD FACTOR

Are you ready to indulge yourself?

1. METAL WALL ART

Artist: James Park

Product Name: Ch’i – Etched Metal Wall Panels

Price Range: €251

Material: Aluminium

Features: This exclusive metal artwork from the James Park Studio has a hologram effect which, by day, has have a cool crisp elegance, then by adding lighting, becomes a moody masterpiece that accentuates the ambience of the room. The 3 dimensional effect of these sheet metal plaques creates a dynamic artwork whose metal surface reflects and redirects nearby sources of light.

Available to Ireland from: Artisanti

2. MIRROR DEMISTERS

Model: Different models available

Price Range: starting at €18

Key Features: Simple, efficient, ultra slim heating pad that fits inconspicuously behind most bathroom mirrors – existing or newly installed. Once fitted, the mirror will never steam up in and around the area of the pad. Simple to fit. Economical to run – 0.2 cent for 20 hours. Completely safe. Maintenance free. 5 year warranty

Available in Ireland from: ATC Electrical and Mechanical

3. BIOETHANOL FIREPLACE

Manufacturer: The Fire Company Pty Ltd

Product Name: EcoSmart Fire

Model: Zeta

Designer: John Dimopoulos

Price Range: n/a

Key Features: Freestanding fireplace, easy to install and easy to move from room to room or to outside. It doesn’t need a flue or a chimney or electricity connection. Environmentally friendly. Bioethanol – or simply ‘ethanol’ is a renewable energy source made by fermenting the sugar and starch components of plant by-products – mainly sugarcane and crops like grain, using yeast. It is also made from corn, potatoes, milk, rice, beetroot and recently grapes, banana and dates depending on the countries agricultural strength. The combustion of bio ethanol results in a clean emission: Heat, Steam and Carbon Dioxide. Carbon dioxide is absorbed by plants. It is then processed via photosynthesis to help the plant grow. This infinite cycle of creation and combustion of energy makes bio ethanol a carbon neutral fuel source.

Available to Ireland from: EcoSmart / Smart Fire Ltd

4. WIRELESS ELECTRICITY MONITOR + USB

Manufacturer: OWL

Product name: OWL+USB Wireless Electricity Monitor

Price Range: €47

Key Features: Provides up to the second information on the amount of electricity you are using in terms of power, cost and your carbon footprint. Monitor your electricity usage, produce live and historical charts via your PC at a time to suit you via the supplied USB cable and software supplied.

Available to Ireland from: OWL shop

5. CHAIR AND FOOTSTOOL

Designer: BoConcept designer team

Name: Imola

Materials: Seat fillings of high resilient foam. As shown, petrol Felt fabric/brushed steel.

Price Range: Chair €1935. Footstool €899

Available in Ireland from: BoConcept

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Free Tickets for SelfBuild Extend & Renovate Show 2011

August 26, 2011 / aoife / 12 Comments

Update 11 Sept. 2013 – If you are looking for Free Tickets for 2013 SelfBuild & Improve Your Home Show please check our ‘Partners Offers’ on the right hand side column.

We have FREE tickets to give away for the Selfbuild Extend & Renovate Show in Dublin 9-11 Sept.

Just let us know you want one!

The SelfBuild Show will feature new products and technologies to enable and promote sustainable building practices throughout Ireland.

You can find out about the latest products and technologies that can help you with your project.

The Show will also include Free Seminars and Live Demonstrations.

Improve Your Home Zone

If you’re thinking about home improvements, from extensions and conversions to simply re-tiling the bathroom, then the Improve Your Home Zone is where to start. The Improve Your Home Zone will provide practical demonstrations on a range of popular topics: Flooring & Tiling, Extensions & Attic Conversions, Painting and Decorating, Insulating Your Home and Saving Energy.

Experts Advice Area

A separate area is provided with specialists in extensions, renovations and conversions as well as landscape architects and interior designers offering free information and advice.

Free Tickets

The Free Tickets value €20 each and admit 2 persons. Children under 16 Free.

Just let us know you want one and we will post it out to you.

Wexford County Council Headquarters

August 10, 2011 / aoife / 3 Comments

The new 11,500 sq.m. Wexford County Council Headquarters have been completed and all departments have been relocated.

The project was won in an international competition organised by the RIAI in 2006 and is the first building to complete since Lee’s practice Nord LLP was renamed Robin Lee Architecture in April 2011.

The building sits on a sloping site on the outer fringes of Wexford town, in South East Ireland, with fine views to the River Slaney Estuary and the Blackstairs Mountains. It brings together the services and departments of Wexford County Council that, until now, have been housed separately within the centre of the town.

Photo by Andrew Lee.

An outer layer of glass wraps around the blocks and acts as the outer skin of a double façade. This provides protection on an exposed site but also regulates the interior temperature through the control of air around the building; cooling the building in the summer and creating an insulating layer during the winter. See more photos here.

Photo by Andrew Lee.

Internally walls and floors are clad in Irish Blue Limestone, a material which is synonymous with the rich history of civic buildings in Ireland, creating a sculpted interior volume with a calm, refined atmosphere.

New Headquarters for Wexford County Council – Ground Floor Plan

The accommodation is laid out as a series of six discrete blocks; each block houses key services and individual departments. The blocks are gathered around a large central space, a ‘civic forum’, which gives access to all of the council facilities.

Materials:
– An outer skin of low iron glass structurally bonded to umber anodized aluminium framing
– Walls are clad internally and externally in 1.8m high slabs of Irish Blue Limestone on stone hanging system
– Public area floors are 1.2m square slabs of Irish Blue Limestone with underfloor heating
– Internal floors are Junkers European Oak
– Punched windows are Ipasol performance glass
– Vents are Silberstar semi-reflective performance glass
– Internal joinery work is European Oak – solid timber and veneered boards
– External terraces are limestone gravel and Irish Blue Limestone walls
– Hard landscaping is bespoke concrete paving with natural aggregates
– External timberwork is Siberian Larch

Sustainable features:
– Double façade for energy efficiency and environmental control
– Floor plates optimised for natural ventilation and natural lighting
– Exposed concrete slabs for thermal mass
– BMS for overall building control and energy efficiency
– Biomass boiler
– Evacuated solar tubes for water heating
– Grey water recycling
– Locally sourced materials including Irish Blue Limestone

Read previous posts here.

See more photos here and here.