# Youghals house, Clonakilty
<small><i class="fa fa-keyboard-o fa-fw"></i> *Press [Space] or [ <i class="fa fa-angle-right"></i> ] to continue…*</small>
---
## Site assessment
---
### <i class="fa fa-home fa-fw"></i> House
----
1. The construction of the house is currently evolving fast towards completion.
1. A modern design includes large south-facing windows and glass sliding doors, which participates to harvesting solar heat and light. The kitchen window faces west, and there is a backdoor access from the kitchen to the garden and the garage that is a few steps away to the north.
1. On the first storey, a row of windows faces south as well, whereas no window was built on the west-facing side.
---
### <i class="fa fa-pagelines fa-fw"></i> Garden
----
The garden is located on a slight north-east-facing slope, and a big pile of topsoil that was located where the foundations of the house lay now allows for major landscape profile changes to occur.
One electricity pole is located at each corner of the back garden.
An efficient drainage system was set up during the construction works, allowing for the water to flow from the highest point of the garden (S to W corner) down to the road through a buried drain of stones.
No trees are currently present in the back garden.
---
### <i class="fa fa-compass fa-fw"></i> Surroundings
----
* *North boundary*: A path for the neighbouring farmer to access his fields with the tractor.
* *South boundary*: Grass field
* *East boundary*: little road
* *West boundary*: Grass field, with the noticeable presence of rabbits which suggests a presence of foxes too.
---
## Client’s vision
----
Initial consultation and design so we can plan ahead. Builder needs to know where to put soil/topsoil, etc. Realistically , budget will dictate how much we can do. Unlikely to do much this year. As you mentioned, it can be something we build on over the next few years.
Main design brief is for back part of the house. The front right (looking in from the road) will have driveway, and the front left will probably be a garden with flowers, shrubs, grasses, etc.
---
### Low Maintenance
----
1. 1 – 2 hours max per week
2. 2 kids (aged 5 & 7) – love outdoors. Could have a playhouse, climbing or something. Like the idea you mentioned of some mounds/small hills.
3. Vegetable growing (some indoors and out). Will have a polytunnel or glasshouse, and a few raised beds, herb garden.
----
4. Some fruit trees and bushes (apple, blackcurrant, raspberry or whatever works)
5. Chickens (4 to start)
6. Open to all ideas.
7. Like wildflowers & grasses
8. Don’t want it looking ‘perfect’
9. The main section around the house should be flat with a lawn
---
## <i class="fa fa-sitemap fa-fw"></i> Design Suggestions
----
The slope analysis reveals that **multiple lines of trees**, native or mixed, would be efficient for protecting the land from rolling frost, thus creating a shelter that would prevent the frost from penetrating into the living area (zone 1). As well, the prevailing wind comes from the north-east corner and follows a bottom-up pattern that carries sea salt. A thick edge in there would shelter the land, and good care has to be taken in the choice of salt-tolerant species for this aim.
----
The south-west corner of the house could therefore be planted with a hedge of native trees progressively letting the space for a wild flower meadow as one progresses towards the house.
----
A place for wilderness at the back of the garden could be combined with a place for children to play and to hide in between hills, with caves and bunker-like structures carved in the soil. A path would allow for an access through this area.
----
The idea would be to integrate a auto-regenerative and wild ecosystem in the middle of which, one could find the children’s secret playground and fruit trees.
----
As requested; a lawn would be part of the design close to the patio, and a children’s fort could be ordered or set up over time in this area, adding more possibilities for creative games.
----
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/hnQEe4iN239wXZFZfq2dw537n4g-sHoXQIfa4AQIFr3pRVm_SmUh7UldhbkKpH65EAC1f3RciOS3-DxpRuHy_APw-z4hS2kE5oMM_mw8un-Slku4qZJDSkp_A9Abpf7fmKEg-Wpj)
----
As for a vegetable growing space, we suggest a **mandala-shaped garden** or a few raised beds close to the compost heap and to the chickens, for higher functionality and distribution of the energy. A **geodesic dome** could be erected close to the vegetable garden as an indoor growing space and potting shed: its harmonious geometry brings coherence and structure to the garden.
----
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/M7iy4Zpp5rL87rPyEC97pX0B2KkGwXt_Vp4-Zs8kgBJcwbUpoakYkd7eAggeDB-7emWnNYmYWL-AOrvf71IlIgA3PU9cK_55PBkuNbfaDZdoLDkUuIomxj9kGc5V_YRPcTdzXuCM)
----
Other options include a glasshouse or a polytunnel, in function of the dedicated budget. A good place for setting up these elements of design would be the north side of the garden, which is south-facing and could be sheltered by the addition of a hedge of fruiting or flowering trees and bushes.
----
Another option what would provide a discreet and efficient indoor food production system is the **Walipini style greenhouse**: The growing area is located below the surface of the ground and a glass roof aligned with the winter solstice would allow, in combination with the constant temperature of the ground, for a sustained harvest throughout the year. The current possibility of moving high volumes of soil with the digger facilitates this type of structure.
----
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/gG7n8J06ER3D-W757zUc_zGVXOb-RjpRnRmzy7duLf-rA6kVdBJFyUJSOXqwz07pwdfKVcuUnJ_sVOQRMgkucJ6t3WbyB70YYJC2kOp4BwxF2D_6fzCDwOD-qEgOjYyTe_w8QPPQ)
----
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/Y3MNfTmYN6pG-8TOIwNRd7VXge78ZRIE8SKadHnJBFnmnwWwaq6vr1NksvqVjhbTAHrQhWwYZwA5nhYAgqhosQzTXP3Po76TKyyfwW7W5RzgHt3IqouP8kTOQ_5J91D8k1EML_Mw)
----
We suggest to set up the **chicken coop** together with the **compost heap**, perennial plants (such as *kale*) and fruit bushes on the north side of the land, thus creating a self-feeding system that would require very low maintenance, and providing the chicken with nutritious wild food and kitchen waste. Combining these two elements would also allow for a gain of time in the sense that these are the two garden places that will be subject to most day to day attention.
----
A rainwater harvesting tank could also be located in the garage or close to the chicken.
Climbing vines such as *passionflower* and *kiwi* could grow on the west-facing side of the garage.
----
**Fruiting and flowering edges** all around the property would allow for a greater wildlife presence as well as for a harvest. *Berry bushes, crab apples, wild pears and cherries* are suitable to turn edges into places of interest. These could also be planted around the parking area to allow for an optimum use of space. As well, edible perennial plants are an extremely sustainable and easy source of wholesome food and beauty.
----
A **space for herbs and wild flowers** could be set up all around the terrace in a curvy shape in order to smoothen the lines and angles with low maintenance.
----
Also all along the path that goes around the house a few **islands of vegetation** with herbs and ferns could be an interesting feature for aesthetics, edible or medicinal plants and wildlife.
----
There is the potential for a **mediterranean garden** next to the entrance because of how sheltered it would be. This micro-climate could be enhanced by a few modifications: Adding dark-coloured trees such as *purple plum*, field maple and dark hazel would increase the heat trap that is already present, and shiny-leaved plants would increase the sunlight reflection in the area.
----
As well, the long surface over which the drain that crosses the whole garden has been dug has the potential to welcome plants that would yield while needing a dryer environment. Among them trees like *paulownia* and *Robinia pseudoacacia*. A *Kiwi* tunnel together with *passionflower* could also be an interesting feature to combine beauty and harvest.
----
At the back of the house, the side that is west-facing and that has no windows on the first storey could be the home for a **fig tree** or any other suitable fruit tree.
----
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/XWeZUjqrAi52X9eruCvmLMwKpDHvq-GAaXzq_SVQ5ECublPjkrVzFStxf_vhfRsuf77RifUIGKQagPgry-J-uCSlZjQ2Qu3SnxzUtkKfPhxH-Cb_Gx8gaxIVljOrbx0IgyYLPuca)
---
<!-- .slide: data-background="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/FVIXXMYvFjMRDchBSNXlCfwER0w3JkqPvibz-IXvCYDKE_LbI7uMeeCAW8XXPJZ67wsfV1KSX0gww5JhQKDuTPRt7bdYbV8C0z6Ki2Qsu5XYEeGMJxdJiJekJ6Sf8rr8t61LHvjo" -->
## <i class="fa fa-bullseye fa-fw"></i> Zones
----
In permaculture design thinking, there is the idea of conceiving the land in terms of five functional zones that are correlated with the frequency of use of these zones, which is to say the amount of energy flowing through these zones. This reading of the landscape can help to organize the installations and plantations in the most ergonomic and energy-efficient way.
---
### Zone 0: <i class="fa fa-home fa-fw"></i> Inside the house
----
This is where most of the human energy is contained. In our situation, the house is already designed in an energy-efficient way with the large south-facing windows. We suggest the use of [**micro-greens**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microgreen) as a fresh, easy and homegrown source of salad leaves, perfect as an educational support for children to take awareness of where their food comes from.
----
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/u5abBDECpMafeiYt2vOYTaWD-8lvOP98Vx3N5Vf1KG82UZprp8Oc7EjdM59EfLPzGC7XXn9gfh3gtd8Acy4UQ8uRhzWksf44JUBzG3T93-G0NF9yfInlV28jitxefwrVWQ_6BmBS)
---
### Zone 1:<i class="fa fa-female fa-fw"></i> entrance, patio, path surrounding the house, compost
----
These are parts of the outdoor living space where one interacts with the most frequently. May we be willing it or not, one has to go through the entrance of the house and the front door every day.
----
Being able to pick the herbs and vegetables for dinner while entering the house could be a great gain of time. This is why it is important to combine high frequentation and functionality, and adding herb and vegetable all around the busiest places can be a way to save time and energy.
----
Also, having the chicken and the compost nearby allows, in the long run, to save kilometers of going up and down mornings and evenings
---
<!-- .slide: data-background="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ZP4PbD3lLUgYKC64oBE7ODOzyVZNyhcysqjZ5vqIxV2HX1bxqnmeMvwjN2Ji-l20W_PnBDpYE8q3d1uiY2ion-9to5GCHRwM1AODtiUQmGELpe3OctQOIe_Y1eq3k9-R4s4P4LjE" -->
#### <i class="fa fa-trash fa-fw"></i> Compost
----
* Large worm composting to save time & maintenance.
* Smaller turning compost system (compost pig)
* Fermenting Bokashi - This system is easy to understand & is useful for apartments/city urban designs.
* Aerobic bio digester. This can provide gas for the outdoor kitchen, & fertilizer for the garden.
* Drain system- this can save liquid feed.
* Compost tea
* Fermented fertilizer
---
#### <i class="fa fa-twitter fa-fw"></i> Chicken
----
More fruit trees could be planted depending on the wants/needs of the client, trees to be planted could be kept small to maximise the use of space or larger trees such as cherries could be planted.
----
If bigger trees are to be planted I would suggest max 2–3 trees only as they start to mature they will need the space. The herbs to be planted in the area should have a value to the chickens such as wormwood/Tansy to add as a parasite control method, the perennial plants could consist of *Comfrey/Fennel/Thyme/Lavender/Nasturtium/Sage* all these herbaceous plants will greatly benefit the chickens health and act as parasite controls as well as provide food and deter pests from the fruit/nut trees.
----
White clover could be also established as this will compete with the grasses, add fertility, bee forage and food for the chickens. White clover is a very good ground cover that will protect the soil and improve drainage.
The area must be functioning in multiple ways, e.g house waste management can support a rich protein food supply for the chicken.
---
#### <i class="fa fa-envira fa-fw"></i> Vegetable garden
----
The indoor area needs some water irrigation drip line system, with a timer. The structure could contain **wood chip** pathways and **companion planting** using all year-round ground cover green manure system, until the biology becomes stable. An outside growing bed needed to be reset in the way where water can be used for multiple functions/re-used. The work could be done by hands on workshops.
----
The time investment required would be beneficial for a long-term restoration: in one to three years the soil biology should improve and tend towards self-regeneration once the system is established.
All of the growing beds could benefit from a no-dig system that would be beneficial in terms of health & production from the first year.
----
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/P7hQqZEagCZh7hrT72UxeyGmL793k5P-u4fKSv_RN5jo60menEgbMv2ljTnHstsx7VrKulZ-Nn2dan12Tu98ytGFjOY0PZGSrlTafJunXrKCm1dvYP9fOVxUwaO2Zb2ttRu2h8dP)
[Jim Cronin sowing guidelines.pdf](https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0Bxu18KpnkWT_NmVVa1RBWGpFRUU)
---
### Zone 2: <i class="fa fa-child fa-fw"></i> Children’s playground, outdoor kitchen
----
This zone is about places that are often visited, but perhaps not on a daily basis. The vegetable garden requires a lot of attention, but it does not have to be a constant preoccupation, especially the hardier the plants are. Also since permaculture is a way to see opportunities in each situation, the drainage system that is already in place is a great chance to grow plants that require low soil moisture. A mediterranean well drained plantation providing extra diversity & contrast between native Irish vegetation
----
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ZwEvDx3yGHw3mbFYFmVQyVs4XRBtyt4MAYPyd79wX4qSj-EjUNXhL1OTTBF_AvzmmABVNAuy1A5HJNn65NB1SjWy48ankkf-EK8Di3rHa1ioZw6v-5nOJchJvhifKqXYA3xQaNxR)
---
#### <i class="fa fa-free-code-camp fa-fw"></i> Outdoor kitchen
----
* This area is a perfect spot for breaks, lunch, or meditation.
* Wild flower will provide lovely smells & visuals from the house.
* A green roof also allows for an ecological continuity for wildlife.
----
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ncMJ3b3CyBi-SXBHRdFQIjwF7Px9atboN_GdvUT0QKz_IOudpHyFqTT3haiKndkO8lLAT-vpGKM7Q-gn2oOzlmb8qsNWdYtRQcwOV9RVWLoYL6tPuuQhPvB_mZtmoe7JAP1DP4TV)
---
### Zone 3: <i class="fa fa-pagelines fa-fw"></i> Orchard and mediterranean plants
----
Letting space for a few different fruit trees can be a way to provide food security at low maintenance costs. The children’s secret playground in the hills gives them the opportunity to experience a wider spectrum of what childhood can be, with the possibility of creating all sorts of games in a neutral structure such as hills and caves.
----
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ddP0AedXRV6WvLvPWBeopVEXM41xYwJ0qp015QzK3iD8n-hcq92Zs0ahVMEH_KVm6MEtSQIuyNDFakbr_-uKmTIvdmRqQLQ9ef7SaMoE4bGItnBSFaERDDWAoRgJuqMw8c2HNq9k)
----
![](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/FZnIiqmta2QXOgMcFSKycFhuRWJIO7zjpvZbWcvyJpvbziEI11ziXs3ed7ajXfrMXT0YZuUfMllggQtrEdpX5OSwxB9CpjarJmWFlskJz7t70fL_tAWLl6tfKf4ww8FJsEiMHJo1)
----
![](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/3f65QlKqVpd6L28hW8CAhgqv7GE68C3ChcTZapwJmM0MC8Yx5Z8okHx3-T_3Y3wkfLy6vZm2Iqr9I6Mi6iHnU8j8m5P-d-45do71dSig28uxn5aDs7qseecR9HSVIYHnXS9-dq8t)
---
#### <i class="fa fa-tint fa-fw"></i> Pond & Aquculture
----
At the the South West of the house, there is a perfect place for a pond to be dug: the stability of the water level will be guaranteed by a channel of the spring going into the pond, and the overflow will be transferred back into the existing drainage system. A swivel pipe will be necessary to allow a control of water levels and overflow.
----
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/VIrF0_8Ld0CdlhLOlTDjwCLUECTHMIFBkqZNqAR_Ls7FWKR1qBXx3d9L7aPfKzhgpBh59dhouVq7z9xeqFmezJMAIhrM8GlgniL505GLwyvqflc-Lr4vZMSOm18evGu4jzMrC5dv)
----
By having this aquatic system in place it allows microbiologic anaerobic life to develop, nutrients to concentrate and provide a center of high fertility which gives a potential for aquaculture: some edible and ornamental plants will be able to grow with a very low maintenance effort and optimal habitat for small animal system. Some fish might as well reside or reproduce in the pond, and their excretions are a source of fertility for the system.
----
![Walipini model green house](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/jYYnoaFDcAGp2_gub3ia-x11qpDDpmJsgnAOs7_VW6JU5VniufuY322TvYi1VqlyuNY4KccAXLfDmGRm37YMqZOC1-Gf55vcrYhDvFY_7abVycjPjjIofPuvljUl2FTWH1UAswjj)
----
In terms of child safety, the pond will be compatible with continuous and unsupervised child presence: the very center of it will be 1,5 meter deep, whereas the outside circle will be only 30cm deep with a gentle slope towards the center so that the edges of the pond could also be a source of entertainment for children.
---
### Zone 4: <i class="fa fa-angellist fa-fw"></i> Grazing land
----
Not applicable in this situation, unless the perspective of introducing a donkey, sheep or rabbit would be considered. Wild long grass meadow providing low maintenance divers system.
---
### Zone 5: <i class="fa fa-hashtag fa-fw"></i> Hedges
----
This zone is about wilderness, about all of the spaces that are let to grow uncontrolled, which happen to be the hotspots for fertility, diversity and wildlife. Introducing species that provide nests and food for wild birds and insects is a way to plug the piece of land back into the global grid of Nature after the trauma that it experience throughout the destruction of the ecosystem that was already in place as well as the building process.
----
In a perspective of creating regenerative ecosystems, this zone is essential. It is also interesting to have it close or even intertwined with places where the children go, such as the secret playground, so that wilderness can be part of the children’s thought patterns.
---
## Climatic conditions
----
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/42BFcAOyQcCqsHeCUVlXmMbZ6DnKz_6YlYHt_zhTp7j0qOAxHFY9V_sYAHhcQeQRvZbgM2Mjk9wdjxSruar1MVDD6Yaxy9fNnb25D6SUPnaeESQPM8qou-K3FrxiCcRnURdv-3ku)
---
### <i class="fa fa-sun-o fa-fw"></i> Sun
----
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Et8FhZRtDxkjN9WsojBSJ9GozTkSbrv4KX2ALgQLCw_d7q_2_QOfTmQfSCzovjKbkEFBOQcpU3cgdClc1kF5Gjj0_hYfcwlAVF0WosRcqYBJbYF7IrIxdNFVy3ezOYuHj3lHoIC5)
---
### <i class="fa fa-flag-o fa-fw"></i> Wind
![](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2Ax_IalbtPptr4mc0ST3nmhNIsNPRG9avj5Orywo9MNjUBOT9KlH6T4jGAtjGchJhdO2VaA1SzEQCrFkU20V5FUmEAbx-BXE0CLMHqLN6zGQBwmvstRlTBF14nqiBjhasKBAiXaS)
---
### <i class="fa fa-umbrella fa-fw"></i> Rain
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/65NnZx6hpxdDEnQHwmnl7RzrjQ5QbrbomwrUOQsKUOafm6I2xC5SV4BMTYkf8r9_8E8iVOiEbZ2ZRaBQnSe43AlfEfaVj6u82w6Aed37QsP8yoFGytfk4sx5NScgOZ3gmu7kEgWK)
---
### <i class="fa fa-snowflake-o fa-fw"></i> Frost
---
The frost would be rolling downhill from the South-West corner. Since frost moves like water, it would be interesting to create some hills with the remaining topsoil that are perpendicular to the frost direction, thus leading it away from the living and growing area.
----
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/zB8cmg_l0WecdsGsNR4eNSVkMBrA8r0dGeg-vmJD7jaz0Eb_Xsas5EKyjZHbu6Qtelw0ldDEhUWEUBHkWrU454ZSiwpK0vnhQMIK8-FI4uicN4P17Md_g5rWdwsI7sjNs_HAofxu)
---
### <i class="fa fa-thermometer fa-fw"></i> Temperature
----
![](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/WrIZnymQUlmHiNdQz-1QfZJBdTL87myouoa7_2qrcwnVWaHNuD9rtS7_PehFWG2k7CN_1bbzGrveJzgnzzidSubn5i2enXtFN2xmE36N1DmhLo8eSZkJtUdgx6YInsQbBBggxToQ)
---
### <i class="fa fa-handshake-o fa-fw"></i> Neighbours
---
On the north-west side, there is the concern of bringing privacy in regards to the neighbouring farmer whose path is just besides the house. We thus suggest to share the costs of the hedge as an option: foraging crops from the wild fruiting hedge could be interesting for the farmer as well as for the client.
----
A connection with the neighbours could also be achieved with the equestrian center through the use of manure for the vegetable garden and for restoring fertility in all of the areas.
---
### <i class="fa fa-shopping-cart fa-fw"></i> Shopping
* barerootbotanicals.ie/shop
* futureforests.net
* fruithillfarm.com
* tullynurseries.ie
---
## [![Contact](http://sculpture.permaculture.hu/img/markuly-qr-69j1qXY.png)](http://permacultureireland.ie)
> [name=[István Márkuly](http://permacultureireland.ie "Permaculture Resources Ireland")] <small><i class="fa fa-phone"></i> [+353 8 940 901 40](tel:+353894090140)</small> <small><i class="fa fa-at"></i> [info<i class="fa fa-at"></i>pri.irish](mailto:info<NOSPAM>@<NOSPAM>pri.irish)</small>
- - -
[TOC]
{"metaMigratedAt":"2023-06-14T16:41:53.884Z","metaMigratedFrom":"YAML","title":"Youghals house Permaculture Design plan, Clonakilty","breaks":"true","description":"Permaculture Resources Ireland Design Plan for family house in Clonakilty, Co. Cork, Ireland","lang":"en-en","robots":"noindex, nofollow","disqus":"permacltureireland","slideOptions":"{\"theme\":\"sky\",\"transition\":\"fade\",\"parallaxBackgroundImage\":\"https://pri.irish/img/pri-watermark-s.png\",\"parallaxBackgroundHorizontal\":0,\"parallaxBackgroundVertical\":0}","contributors":"[{\"id\":\"912fd9b4-589e-4ee1-b360-30121c6e0c95\",\"add\":32,\"del\":18}]"}