Flat-pack furniture may be the norm in many Irish homes, but could you live in a house assembled from a kit – albeit one with German precision engineering? The family-owned Huf Haus firm certainly thinks so, especially now that its post-and-beam-construction homes incorporate the latest in built-in energy-efficient technology. Several international companies offer this type of build, but the Huf name might ring a bell with fans of Channel Four's Grand Designs and the programme in which a British couple in their 70s opted for what presenter Kevin McCloud called "a hi-tech German prefab".
Apart from the modernist glass and timber design, the most sensational aspect of the filming of the project was that the entire frame, complete with doors, windows and roof, was constructed in less than a week. A key feature is that every single item in the build is shipped from the factory in Hartenfels (one hour north of Frankfurt) and built by a specialist team of skilled craftsmen from Germany who arrive with the container lorries.
Ireland has an example of Huf design – an €18m retirement home development built in Sligo in 2007, incorporating housing, chapel and restaurant, all with the company's signature glass and timber-frame design. The need for alternative methods of energy to heat and light homes has become as much a consideration in Huf Haus design as style or speed of construction. Exterior walls are 28cm thick with insulation panels on the outside (rather than in-between) and are coated with a thermal protective render. All glass panels are triple glazed, ensuring there are no draughts, while also offering a high degree of soundproofing. The design ethos is that the house and nature become as one – extensive glazing allows the surrounding landscape become part of the living experience.
Many Irish householders would look on the amount of glass in the construction with a degree of alarm – not just because of fears of losing heat, but also privacy and security. But it's the construction that is standard, not the design, and clients can opt for less glass in exterior walls if desired. Too much sun creating too much heat is not often a problem in our climate, yet there is the concern that extensive glazing means the homes could become uncomfortably hot. Remote controlled external blinds take care of this and cut down the rays coming through. Similarly, the glazed walls in the upper levels of the house with their wrap-around balconies are partly shaded by the steeply pitched roofs.
Solar panels do not, as yet, come as part of the standard package, but can be provided on request, while the company is currently investigating the inclusion of more cost-effective photo-voltaic solar-thermal systems in its basic designs. For now, air-source heat pumps convert energy in the house while using less electricity than traditional methods. Underfloor heating means there are no radiators to disturb the clean lines of the open-plan interiors throughout.
The houses are spacious, usually two stories over basement. Ground-floor dining rooms or living rooms generally have double-height ceilings, soaring up to large landings. The free-flowing use of space adds to the airy, light-filled feel.
Hardly surprisingly, a Huf Haus does not come cheap. A standard house costs €500,000, and that doesn't include the site or site preparation. The company works with individual architectural practices in each country – in Ireland it's Dublin-based firm Denis Byrne Architects. Clients can use the space any way they wish, within the rules of the timber and glass construction. Once the design is chosen, the house can be completed entirely within six months: it takes three months to manufacture in kit form in Hartenfels; construction by the team on site takes between one and three weeks; interior finish takes between 12 and 20 weeks.
Given that there is little construction, speedy or otherwise, in Ireland's crashed housing market, is anyone brave enough (and well-funded enough) to embark on one of these impressive self-builds? Also, is this a pretty exclusive house design, aimed at the more architecturally literate client? Maggie Moran is Irish representative for Huf Haus, which will launch in Ireland later this year. She explains that the design simply appeals to those looking for a calm, bright home with loads of space and low energy bills. The hassle-free construction is also crucial.
"It's not specifically people who are well versed in architecture, as such. There were lots of good builders in Ireland during the boom, but so many of them were working on big developments that it could be hit and miss getting a one-off self-build project completed. One couple who came to us had had such a bad experience, they just stopped the build, and are now considering a Huf construction. Another client had travelled extensively throughout Europe and feels confident about the precision of German design."
The company, founded in 1912, has an annual turnover of €100m and manufactures around 150 houses a year, 40% of which are exported worldwide. It has also begun to explore the US market where timber-frame construction is very much the norm. For Irish clients, these ultra-modern, hi-tech homes appeal to a surprisingly broad age group.
"We are currently talking to a retired couple who are considering a site in Ranelagh. They may knock down the existing building and build a large Huf house with lots of glass and split the space with their daughter. They just want to get rid of all the clutter they have accumulated over the years and live in a more easily maintained interior."
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