The multi-generational house

Building a home is always an emotional process. And for Cary Thompson, building a multi-generational house was the best way to honour the memory of his late mum.

In this article, Cary shares how he built his multi-generational house including:

  • Working with an architect on an emotive project and how to choose the right architect fore the job
  • House plans
  • Site problems due to planned roadworks
  • Why a self-build made more sense than buying an existing house
  • Dealing with tree preservation orders
  • Multi-generational design details including shared utility room but separate postal addresses
  • Red brick design to replace the Victorian house originally on the site
  • Heating, ventilation specifications
  • Kitchen and staircase designs and ethos

Overview

Build type: blockwork (cavity walls)
Heating system: gas boiler
SAP: 79

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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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