Raising the Standard in Portmarnock: Passive by design

A development of thirty 4-bed homes have been built to the Passive House Institute Low Energy Building Standard (PHI LEB). Ballymore is one of a few large-scale developers in Ireland that are embracing the Passivhaus methodology, helping to shift the norms in Irish & UK homebuilding.

Drumnigh Oaks, Ballymore - Living Room

Located in the coastal urban fringe of Portmarnock, County Dublin, the project hopes to achieve a 56% reduction in energy consumption compared to conventional homes. This will provide significant savings on heating costs while maintaining a high level of comfort and sustainability.

The homes range from 152-159m² set across 3 storeys. Prices for the predominantly semi-detached, and mid-terrace homes, start at €860,000 (2025).

Designer’s view

Right from the start, we were looking at a higher specification because the development is in a flight path… The triple glazed windows in the development are closer to those used in an aeroplane than a normal house. They play a crucial role in keeping heat in and noise out.

We were then able to latch on everything else to work towards passive. The brief of the project was to reduce as much energy as possible. The normal BER system doesn’t take into account a lot of the things that the passive methodology does. There’s a drastic difference in the energy performance and indoor air quality. There has been an incredible amount of buy-in from everyone on site. There has been a lot of navigating, but everyone found their role in this process, and we’ve all learned so much along the way that we can take into the next project.

Charlie Conlan, Sustainability Designer, Ballymore (originally quoted in the Irish Times)

The scheme, certified by MosArt, is the first of Ballymore's developments to adopt the Passivhaus methodology and meet the PHI LEB certification. The whole team are very proud of the achievement.

Drumnigh Oaks. Image Ballymore - Exterior

Sustainability lies at the heart of everything we do at Ballymore. At Drumnigh Oaks we’ve raised the bar, overcoming complex design challenges to achieve this certification. The biggest benefits are for the homeowners, who will enjoy great savings in energy costs, top quality indoor air, overall comfort and the reassurance of living sustainably.

Charlie Conlan, Sustainability Designer, Ballymore

To discover more about this pioneering scheme, join us at the 2025 UK + IRL Passivhaus Conference in Belfast, where the project team will share their journey, challenges, and lessons learned.