Dermot Bannon – ‘Make your house warmer before you make it bigger’
With Room to Improve back on our screens on Sunday nights, we thought we’d revisit our chat with Dermot Bannon who joined us last October on our House Warming podcast.
The architect is involved in every aspect of energy efficiency.
It was great to chat to Dermot about the role of the architect when it comes to a home energy upgrade. We also chatted about how home grants and other incentives have changed how we think about energy efficiency in the home and what to do if you’ve bought a new home but can’t afford to renovate. Whether you’re building a new home, renovating or extending, Dermot Bannon says the architect is involved in designing and planning for every aspect of the energy efficiency of the building. “We design everything in a building from its fabric, selecting windows to specifying the type of insulation, the heating system, the location of the heating system, deciding where the heat pump goes outside, every decision we make on a build is to do with its BER, its energy efficiency and its carbon footprint”.
Energy efficiency is more important than aesthetics.
Even though he’s famous for his glass box extensions, and minimalist design, Dermot Bannon says that energy efficiency is more important than aesthetics. “The first rule in design is that form follows function, so you have to make sure that your plans work, your rooms are connected the right way and make sure the house performs efficiently.”
Big windows can make a house too hot!
Although it’s his signature style, Dermot Bannon says that big windows, when south-facing, can make a room too warm. He says that if you have a lot of south-facing glass, you need shading. A canopy over your window can stop the high summer sun from shining into a room and making it too hot, and in the winter, the canopy can catch the low sun and bring it inside. Many people have blinds on their south-facing windows which can trap the heat inside, it’s preferable to stop the heat before it gets in. A big window is best situated east-west, but if there is a beautiful view to be captured from the south, make sure there is a deep overhang to prevent the sun from making your home too hot.
Homeowners are becoming more engaged with energy efficiency.
Dermot Bannon says ten years ago people were ‘more concerned about a walk-in wardrobe than paying for an energy upgrade’.It was a case of ‘if I can afford it, I’ll do it’, whereas now an A rated home is on top of everyone’s wish list. Dermot says that people have begun to put value on homes with a higher BER and ratings must be (by law) displayed on home listing websites. “The grants have been brilliant in bringing it to the forefront of conversations, an A-rated home is on everyone’s wish list, and the grants have driven that”.
“The grants have been brilliant in bringing it to the forefront of conversations, an A-rated home is on everyone’s wish list, and the grants have driven that”
If you’ve just bought a house but can’t afford to renovate, invest in long term plans.
‘I would, if you can afford to, get some architectural drawings done and get your plan in place for 5 years’ time. Then you can start doing things that you’re not going to undo again.’ Dermot says that before replacing windows and doors, insulation is the first step in making your home warmer and more efficient, so if your plan is to extend down the line, you should just insulate the walls that you won’t be tearing down when the time comes. Next up is insulating the attic, and if you need to change windows, only change the ones that you are going to keep post-renovation, like the front windows for example.
Don’t spend money on making your home bigger before making it as energy efficient as possible.
“I would not put an extension onto my house; I wouldn’t knock down any walls before doing everything I possibly can to make it more energy efficient first. I wouldn’t spend a penny on extra space and if that ate up my entire budget, so be it, I would put that at the top of my priority list”. Dermot Bannon also says to make sure that you know exactly what grants you are entitled to as they make a huge difference to the overall budget.
