Cosgrave Property Group, which won a Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland Environment Award for its Honeypark development in Glenageary, bring its expertise to Dublin 15 where Bracken Park mirrors many of the elements of that award-winning scheme.
When complete, the estate will feature 150 high-end A-rated homes, 80 houses and 70 apartments, on the 12.5-acre site where two detached houses, Sundayswell and Garryknock, once stood.
Buyers are now informed as to the positives in buying an A-rated home, says Michael Cosgrave, technical director of the group and the brother responsible for pushing its energy efficiency agenda that has become central to the group.
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Ten years ago Michael Cosgrave, who joined the family business at the age of 16, went on an energy efficiency fact-finding mission to Denmark and Germany where he visited the Passive Institute in Darmstadt, an independent research centre. He brought 10 of his key people with him so that the company could “be ahead of the curve” and first implemented this green thinking in 2006 in Lansdowne Gate, a development in Drimnagh.
Sound-proofed
The three-storey semi-detached four- and five-bedroom homes at Bracken Park have traditional red-brick fronts and A2 BER ratings. The homes have low-emissivity glass, solar panels and heat recovery systems, something Cosgrave has installed in his own home. "A house has to be user friendly – it's about simplifying the systems so anyone can use them," Cosgrave says. "All the overcomplicated dials and gadgetry of early smart homes have been ironed out."
The houses are well soundproofed too and the development boasts centralised Saorview, UPC and Sky packages, eliminating the need to blight the properties with satellite dishes. The four-bedroom has an average floor area of about 159sq m (1,712sq ft) and prices start from €610,000. There is a larger four-bedroom, 172sq m (1,850sq ft) in size, that includes a study and costs from €655,000. The five-bedroom homes measure about 238sq m (2,560sq ft). Prices start from €775,000.
The interiors are by Brian S Nolan. At hall level there is a good-sized sitting room. The vanilla gloss siltstone-countered kitchen, installed by Nolan Kitchens, has dual aspect windows that allow light to stream in and there’s a large utility room to the rear.
There are wardrobes in every bedroom and tiled bathrooms as per the showhouse. Ceiling heights on the ground and first floors are 2.6m.
The houses in this release have southeast-facing back gardens that come fully landscaped to include a granite composite patio and a garden shed. The smartly landscaped grounds have mature trees, a playground and are awaiting picnic tables that will be dotted around the green space.
The houses are for sale through agents Hooke and MacDonald.
