Design guide · Cork County Council
Cork Rural Design Guide
The council's guidance on siting and designing a house in the countryside.
Cork County Council · 128 pages
Ask this document
Answers come only from the text of Cork Rural Design Guide, each claim linked to its page. They are not advice; check the page itself.
Free, with a daily limit.
- 29 Examples of site layout designed as a direct response to the existing contours and natural features site layout The purpose of this section is to illustrate that by observing traditional principles and some common sense, we can achieve development that is more sympathetic and integrated into the surrounding landscape. This will ultimately enhance the energy performance of the dwelling making it cheaper to run and more comfortable to live in. The principles contained within this section should be considered in conjunction with the principles of site selection: 38 39 40 • Take advantage of natural light and heat • Identify the wind direction and sun path throughout the year • Orientate the dwelling to reduce exposure to the wind • Design to link with the landscape • Consider new site and boundary treatment carefully
- 30 The proper planning of a modern rural home requires that thought be given to a broad range of items. Too often only the practical servicing items get attention and the rest are ignored. Yet we need garden and amenity areas effectively screened from the road where we can enjoy our home and allow our children to play safely, as well as work and refuse areas that are well hidden from public view. Energy efficiency and environmental concerns need to play a greater role in the design and layout of our homes. There is a link between the desirability of reducing CO2 emissions and the demands of, for instance, the role of parents as a `taxi’ service for their children’s school and other activities. Distance to local services must therefore be a critical factor when planning the construction of a new home. Try to choose a site that is close to work, the shops and where the children go to school, to avoid the need to travel too far for daily journeys. Also try to strike a balance between shelter from the wind and exposure to the sun. By simply orientating the house to maximise solar gain it is possible to reduce fuel consumption and create a brighter home. When the 20 things illustrated on the facing page are not given thorough consideration, the result, as illustrated below, left gives rise to an impoverished layout with no screening, privacy or shelter. Alternatively, if issues are thought about at the outset they will influence the type of site selected and lead to a much improved proposal, as illustrated below right. The following section of this guide will take you through the factors that should be considered when designing a rural home. 8/20 - Poor solution 20 things a rural house should consider... 20/20 - Successful integration 1 Local facilities 2 Prominence 3 Energy 4 Sun 5 Shelter 6 Access 7 Power 8 Water 9 Telecoms 10 Drainage 11 Fuel /Storage 12 Refuse 13 Work Area 14 Recycling 15 TV & Satellite 16 Parking 17 Privacy 18 Safety 19 Clothes/ Line 20 Garden Amenity 1 Local facilities 2 Prominence 3 Energy 4 Sun 5 Shelter 6 Access 7 Power 8 Water 9 Telecoms 10 Drainage 11 Fuel /Storage 12 Refuse 13 Work Area 14 Recycling 15 TV & Satellite 16 Parking 17 Privacy 18 Safety 19 Clothes/Line 20 Garden Amenity
- 31 Distance to local services Prominence/Impact Energy Conservation Sun Shelter Safe access Power Water Telecommunications Drainage Fuel Storage Area Refuse storage area Tools/work area Recycling area T.V. Receivers Cars turning/parking Privacy Safe kids play area Clothes drying area Garden amenity areas/veg etc.
- 32 orientation ... capture the sun’s free energy Examine the site’s exposure to the natural elements, particularly the sun and prevailing winds. By identifying the wind direction and sun’s path throughout the year, the dwelling can be orientated to reduce exposure to the wind and take advantage of a natural source of light and heat - maximising from passive solar gain. This will significantly improve the energy performance of the dwelling. A good site layout is one that successfully manages to resolve the often conflicting considerations affecting on the way a house should be orientated - views, the sun, shelter, privacy, minimising impact and so on • Consider the best vantage points from the established sheltered positions to maximise views and prospects from the dwelling so that the orientation of the dwelling can then be determined - sometimes it may be necessary to rotate a house on the site so that its impact can be minimised. Also note that it is possible to capture a view without orientating the whole house towards it, e.g. by placing windows in gable ends • Be careful in managing the conflict between privacy and glazed frontages facing the road Highly glazed south elevations possible where topography or substantial existing tree cover offers screening Highly glazed south elevations present problems where they are seen from the road 41 42 43 44 Appropriate solid looking appearance achieved by selecting site with northerly presentation to road Carefully sited eco-house near Bandon (Photo 43) - designed entirely to maximise solar gain and be energy efficient. Not suited to every location but well sited here within 1 hectare of woodland Use of glazed walls to maximise natural light and heat - most suited to private rear elevations
- 33 map the sunpath30% energy savings can be achieved if a house is orientated within 15o of south, providing its main living spaces are arranged to avail of the passive solar gains. Cork County Council’s Energy Agency are able to provide free impartial advice on issues relating to energy efficiency when planning a site layout and designing a house. They can be contacted at: Spa House Mallow, Co Cork tel: 022 43610 fax: 022 43678 e-mail: [email protected] Eco-architecture and energy efficient design is a specialist skill. Refer to the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland for practitioners in this field of design. The sun’s position changes throughout the seasons Study your landholding carefully and select a site that gives you the best orientation to the sun, whilst also affording shelter from the weather, particularly prevailing winds. Choose a site where can you best achieve the 20 things identified on the previous pages. For example in the illustration above, choosing the site to the south of the road would enable a solid aspect (front of the house)to be presented to the road and a sunny, sheltered, private rear garden. Options for selecting the best site are examined overleaf. What is a Building Energy Rating? As of January 2007 all new domestic dwellings require a BER cert and must comply with Part L of the building regulations. On January 1st 2009 the BER scheme was extended to existing properties. Under the legislation anyone offering a home for sale or rent is required to have a valid BER cert for the property. Buildings can also be rated before they are built and it is advised that a provisional BER is carried out on the proposed building prior to construction. In Ireland the scheme is operated by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) www.seai.ie
- 34 search for the best site option Some sites are easier to work with than others. In order to illustrate the implications of different site choices, the illustration opposite shows 8 potential sites located around a hill. A road winds around the hill with sites either above the road (on a higher slope) or below the road. The following pages outline the constraints and possibilities of each of the sites. All of the sites are laid out following common objectives to accommodate the “20 things” referred to earlier (see pages 30 & 31). Each site layout seeks to resolve privacy/screening conflicts: avoiding large glazed areas facing the road and discreetly locating car parking and utility areas. The layouts seek to break down the site, reducing extensive unnatural lawn areas, to develop more natural and rural-type gardens. The following factors influence the siting of the house: 1. In every instance, the location of the septic tank/percolation area, determined by the fall across the site, dictates the position of the house; 2. Sites accessed on the outside of a bend, i.e. in this diagram below the road, will generally more easily meet the local authority entrance requirements noted later in this section. Sites on the inside of a bend, i.e. in this instance those sites depicted above the road, tend to have greater difficulty meeting entrance requirements; 3. The orientation, without exception, is dictated by low energy design objectives maximising on passive solar heating gains by orientating the house to the south, and sheltering from the prevailing southwesterly winds. 4. All the sites have at least 2 existing mature boundaries which are retained and utilised to minimise the visual impact of the new development. 5. Due to the terrain, some sites are naturally easier than others to site a house. In general, although not always, the sites above the road will be more prominent and therefore require more careful consideration with respect to house siting and screening. Privacy is affected by the orientation of the site. Sites B and E present the greatest difficulties as a south-facing house will be facing the road, therefore there will be conflicts in terms of privacy. Also sites with the southwest side facing the road will have evening patios facing the road (i.e. D and H). The final site layout will depend on the existing site conditions as you find them. In the illustration opposite, sites A, C and F are the easiest to work with in terms of privacy, glazing, orientation and so forth. 46 4745
- 35 A C D E F G H Eight sites surrounding a hill I Site Selection Guide: The constraints and possibilities of each of the sites below are set out in the following pages.
- 36 Site Selection Guide: See pages 34 & 35 for an explanation of the context of these illustrations A SOUTH FACING SLOPE – Site Below Road • Fall across site enables septic tank to be located to the rear of the house, further away from the road • House is set back from road with boundary treatment, which also effectively screens utility area from dwelling and road and enables maximum privacy in the layout and arrangement of the outdoor sitting area • Garage is located to the rear of the dwelling and thus both the garage and car court are effectively screened from the road Conclusion: Potentially a good site and attractive site layout. UP HILL B SOUTH FACING SLOPE - Site Above Road • Fall across site requires the septic tank and percolation area to be located to the front of the house, near the road • To maximise sun and daylight the house needs its largest windows to the roadside, and the location of the outdoor sitting area to the front of the dwelling nearer the road, both of which conflict with privacy Conclusion: Although this site is south-facing, it is not such a good site as large windows with net curtains will be necessary on elevation facing road to maximise daylight yet facilitate privacy. NORTH UP HILL NORTH
- 37 C WEST FACING SLOPE – Site Below Road • Fall across site places septic tank and percolation areas at lower area, furthest away from road while house and garage are positioned in traditional Cork relationship with road – i.e. gable on and lengthways respectively at road edge • Existing boundaries used in part to screen off utility area • Garage location screens car court from road • Layout of house and site affords maximum privacy to evening sitting out area Conclusion: potentially a good site and attractive site layout. Site Selection Guide: See pages 34 & 35 for an explanation of the context of these illustrations D WEST FACING SLOPE – Site Above Road • Fall across site pushes house back up hillside with septic tank and percolation area on lower area near road • House located towards existing northern boundary for shelter – boundary will form backdrop to house for most part when viewed from road • Proposed garage location creates screened off car court • New landscaping to 2 new boundaries to form native hedgerow Conclusion: A potentially good site, but effective short-term leading to longterm privacy screening of South and West areas of house will need careful handling. UP HILL NORTH NORTH UP HILL
- 38 Site Selection Guide: See pages 34 & 35 for an explanation of the context of these illustrations E NORTH FACING SLOPE – Site Below Road • Fall across site places septic tank and percolation areas at lower end furthest from road • To maximise sun and daylight the house is set back from road with its largest windows to the roadside, and the location of the outdoor sitting area to the front of the dwelling nearer the road, both of which conflict with privacy Conclusion: This is the least favourable site as the site is north-facing and requires large windows with net curtains on elevation facing road to maximise daylight yet facilitate privacy F NORTH FACING SLOPE – Site Above Road • As with other sites above the road, the fall across the site requires that the house be located up hillside with the septic tank and percolation area on the lower meadow • House located to southern edge of site because of contours • Car court screened from road by house, garage and landscaping • Utility area screened from house • Southern boundary of deciduous trees to enable maximum light to dwelling in winter and summer shelter, provides backdrop to house in summer Conclusion: Although not a great site, interesting layout enables best use of north facing aspect. NORTH UP HILL NORTH UP HILL
Source Cork County Council: Cork Rural Design Guide · Licence the publisher's termsText read from the publisher’s PDF; tables, maps and drawings do not survive as text, and page numbers are the PDF’s (its first page is 1). Check the original before relying on a passage.