Consious Design, Sustainable Living

White and Van Huut Architects were chosen to design the building based on their experience of developing Sustainable Building Projects, both in Ireland and abroad. The building is designed and oriented to maximise passive solar gain and to respond to the local topography and be sympathetic with the surrounding countryside. The building has been constructed in a modern interpretation of a traditional style and has been designed to fit naturally into the landscape in order to minimise the visual and environmental impact. The building uses locally sourced building materials, where possible, and has been clad in local Valentia stone to minimise the visual impact on the environment.

Large, high performance windows act as a solar collector, which reduce the heating needs. The use of natural lighting throughout the property is also a key feature, reducing the daytime need for artificial lights.The whole focus of the space is on the natural world, the changing light, the movement of wind and the sights and sounds of the surrounding wildlife. The space is at one with the world around it, creating a feeling of openness and freedom, calmness and peace. Proving that sustainable architecture can be luxurious.

Geothermal Ground Source Heat Pumps

Fuchsia Lodge uses a geothermal converter to harness geothermal energy to heat the hot water and provide heating through an underfloor heating system – this makes a huge contribution towards the reduction of energy consumption and lowering CO2 emissions.

The use of a geothermal heating system reduces harmful greenhouse emissions as well as presenting opportunities to reduce Ireland’s reliance on imported fuels. 

“Green” Electricity:

100% of our additional electricity requirements are supplied by Airtricity from renewable energy generated from wind turbines. Airtricity is Ireland’s leading generator and supplier of green, renewable electricity.  Using green electricity avoids the release of harmful pollution such as carbon dioxide, which is produced when fossil fuels (coal, peat, oil and gas), are used to generate electricity. 

Reed Bed Waste Water Treatment System:

At Fuchsia Lodge, responsibility has also been taken for treating the wastewater that is produced by the building. The waste water is treated by a reed bed system, which is a natural filtration process used in conjunction with a BioDisc Treatment system to further enhance the quality of the effluent migrating into the surrounding watercourse. This system significantly improves discharge from a treatment plant and reduces suspended solids and ammonia by at least 50%.

Reed beds also provide a much needed habitat for many species.

Recycling:

At Fuchsia Lodge, we encourage our guests to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle as much as possible. Some recommendations include: 

· Avoiding over packaged goods. 

· Buying products in recyclable packaging.

· Saying no to plastic bags.

Fuchsia Lodge is situated in a designated area of outstanding natural beauty. The area is also home to a large number of indigenous animal and plant species. You can help us to be sustainable by:

• Respecting the landscape and wildlife.
• Giving the car a rest – if only for a day. Enjoy a walk or cycle in the fresh Kerry air, route maps are available in the library.
• Eating local and Buying local – support local producers and services. Enjoy the true flavour of what Kerry has to offer.

• All appliances in the house are "A" energy rated, where possible
• All guests are reminded to turn off lights and appliances rather than leave them on standby
• Thermostats are installed in each room to encourage guests to turn down heating
• Energy efficient lights bulbs are installed

We encourage our guests to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle as much as possible Some recommendations include: 

• Avoiding over packaged goods, 
• Buying products in recyclable packaging, 
• Saying no to plastic bags and 
• Using the local recycling facilities to dispose of rubbish.