It would be difficult to imagine that this development of beautiful traditional Irish cottages set on the banks of the stunning Lough Erne is in fact made from recycled materials salvaged from the cottages that once stood on this site.
Stephen Mulligan and his team worked closely with the Environmental Heritage Trust, to make sure the cottage development was a happy marriage of recycled materials and modern comforts.
Mulligan Brothers were determined to keep waste to a minimum, so they reused the original salvaged steel, original timber, mineral wool insulation and ground tiles they found when demolishing the 6 derelict cottages.
While attending a local Self-Build show Stephen heard about Ecostar roof tiles, an innovative recycled rubber and plastic product made from old car dashboards. He told his client Derek Harrison about this light, sustainable alternative to the natural slate they had specified. Now no one can believe they haven't used natural slate. "Last winter, there were really high winds and lots of rain but we had absolutely no problems with them at all – in fact unlike rigid slate tiles, they flex in the wind," said Stephen Mulligan.
Another idea from Stephen's visit to the Self-Build Show was the Hexapath recycled plastic roadway sown with grass seed, which leads down to the septic tank. Stephen suggested this as an alternative to unsightly and environmentally unfriendly concrete paths. "The Environmental Heritage Trust was often on site as they were very concerned about the impact of this development on one of the most beautiful scenic areas of Northern Ireland," he said. "They were very pleased with the Hexapath."
Mulligan Brothers are already taking their waste minimisation learning to their next projects, although they haven't finished at Kilmore Quay yet. Stephen says he hasn't yet put down bark around all the planting on the site and is hoping to persuade the client to use shredded waste timber, dyed to look the colour of bark instead.
"Using recycled materials is a great way of saving money for clients," Stephen added, "and it makes us more competitive too."
Envirowise were particularly impressed with Mulligan Brothers' commitment to waste minimisation in this project. Said Mike Payne of Envirowise, " They demonstrated their ethos of re-use wherever possible, for example by bagging old insulation material from the original roof and then re-using it in the walls, as well as re-using timber and steelwork.
