Low cost energy efficient rectangular design

Ken Gill’s rectangular self-built home in Co Down is low cost and energy efficient.

In this article Ken talks about:

  • How he came up with the shape and size of his house to maximise energy efficiency
  • Choice of timber frame and working with a kit supplier for design and installation
  • Reasons for choosing fibre cement cladding
  • Finding windows suitable for seaside location
  • Direct labour tasks, from pouring foundations himself to hiring trades
  • Floor covering options and flat pack kitchen
  • Top tips to keep on top of the budget
  • Floor plans and specification

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Written by Astrid Madsen

Astrid Madsen is the editor of the SelfBuild magazine. She previously held the same role in an Irish trade publication, before that she worked at the National Standards Authority of Ireland. She graduated with a BA in Urban Studies from Columbia University in New York and holds an MBA from the Instituto de Estudios Bursatiles in Madrid. France of origin, she now lives in Portarlington, County Laois, where she's taken on the task of renovating a listed building! Email astrid.madsen@selfbuild.ie

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