Hollybrook Homes (Hollybrook Ltd) is an award-winning developer / construction company which has been delivering outstanding developments since 1987. The company is delighted to be shortlisted for an Irish Construction Excellence Award in the ‘Residential – Private up to €50 million’ category for Phase 2 of the Foxburrow housing development in Portlaoise.
Boasting wide-ranging experience and operations in the UK and Ireland, Hollybrook was founded in London by Mick and Pauline Cox, who are originally from Roscommon and Laois respectively. The Irish arm of the company is headed up by their son David and has been responsible for many exceptional residential developments, including Kettle’s Lane in Swords, Robswall in Malahide and Ballybrittas, Foxburrow and Mount Stewart in Portlaoise.
Property and construction are in Hollybrook’s DNA. Led by experienced hands-on directors, its development, planning, legal and construction teams work together from site acquisition to completion. Strong finances and flat management allow fast decision-making in an ever-changing market.
The developer also has an impeccable Health & Safety record with no incidents being reported to the HSA. This is due to its diligent approach to Health & Safety which is ingrained in its staff and impressed upon its subcontractors.
The Irish Construction Excellence Awards (ICE Awards) are the original and premier recognition of performance excellence for the contracting sector in Ireland, and provide an opportunity for the industry to showcase and reward best practice across the full range of construction disciplines and project categories. The nomination is another feather in the cap of Hollybrook which previously scooped NHBC Pride in the Job, Premier Excellence and Considerate Constructor Awards in the UK.
Foxburrow – Phase 2, is a medium-sized development of 16 detached and semi-detached homes in a mature residential location adjacent to Portlaoise town centre. The development was completed between April 2022 and January 2023. Phases 3 and 4 have already started with Robbie Weston acting as project manager on each phase of the development.
“It’s great news,” Hollybrook Homes’ Irish operations managing director David Cox says of the ICE Award nomination. “It’s great recognition for our staff, subcontractors and design teams. It’s a real team effort.”
Phase 2 was carried out in collaboration with McCrossan O’Rourke Manning Architects, Kilgallen & Partners Consulting Engineers and Waterman Moylan.
“Foxburrow has been a tremendous success for us to date. Phases 1, 2 and 3 are all sold out. The 21 houses in Phase 1 and 16 houses in Phase 2 are fully occupied with construction ongoing to Phases 3 and 4 which consists of 14 houses and 25 houses respectively. Each phase is in keeping with its surroundings.”
Despite having received planning permission to construct 155 houses on the site, Hollybrook plans to build 122 larger homes instead.
“Whilst we received planning for a number of smaller units, the Covid-19 pandemic changed things,” Robbie Weston points out.
“Now that working from home has become the norm for so many, there is a far greater demand for four-bed homes. People want the option of being able to convert one of their bedrooms into an office. Our homes are designed to give them that option and provide the perfect work-life balance.
“Furthermore Foxborrow is an ideal place to raise a family. The houses are spacious and have large gardens to the rear. Portlaoise is within commuting distance of Dublin, yet offers the calmer pace of life many crave compared to city living.”
The houses in Phase 2 comprise four bedrooms (one with ensuite), kitchen with integrated appliances, large central island and pantry press, utility room with space for washer and dryer, living room and downstairs guest WC. The kitchen has been finished with a modern colour palette, a stone top, soft close doors and drawers, under cabinet lighting and top-of-the-range appliances.
The bedrooms were designed with a flexible living arrangement in mind. There is an area in each room that can accommodate a desk, thereby incorporating a more modern approach to working from home, yet still maintaining contemporary interior finishes. There is also a spacious attic that has the potential to be converted into a bedroom or office in the future by the purchaser.
Careful consideration of energy use and sustainability has gone into the development. Each home at Foxburrow enjoys high-rated floor, attic and wall insulation, while the windows, walls, roofs and doors offer market-leading thermal efficiency. The combination of an air-source heat pump system and mechanical extract ventilation system with humidity control is also a clear indication that we are moving away from fossil fuels as the main source of energy, and proceeding with a more sustainable approach. Another example of Hollybrook’s forward-thinking is that all houses are provided with a means of charging an electric vehicle.
A combination of all of the above has resulted in the houses having an A-rated energy score with A-rated appliances.
Hollybrook’s specification also includes a number of finishes not provided by competitors in nearby developments such as appliances, floor finishes and wardrobes.
The houses are completed to a high-level finish throughout. This is ensured at various stages of the build by handover processes from one trade to another. For example, the painter will only paint the walls once the plastering has been inspected by the site team and painters themselves, and all parties have agreed that they are ready for painting. As a result of this process, the site team carried out invasive and thorough snagging inspections throughout the build and not just at the end. This meticulous approach to building has resulted in the high-quality build approach that Hollybrook is renowned for.
Fast track timber frame construction was utilised in the development. This allowed Hollybrook to erect each house structure in a matter of days and then install the roof and windows, resulting in a weather-tight building within two weeks. By repeating this process, the developer is able to erect houses quicker than a traditional masonry-built house and proceed with the internal works, negating the uncontrollable aspects of bad weather.
The development wasn’t exempt from the global issues affecting the world, however. Hollybrook counteracted rocketing material and fuel costs caused by Brexit, Covid and the war in Ukraine by slowing the construction down. This allowed it to keep all staff and ensure subcontractors had work to continue with. It also allowed firms who were experiencing problems with their suppliers and transportation some additional time to either catch up and reach full capacity, or find alternatives.
As part of an older overall estate, Hollybrook’s adopted approach was to ensure Phase 2 blended in with the existing surroundings, giving a timeless feeling to the overall ambience. The existing estate is also surrounded by mature leafy landscaping. In order to bring this feeling into it, a green landscaped area with trees was constructed in front of the new homes. This has resulted in a fantastic looking development that has proved very popular with purchasers.
Phase 2 has been well received by the neighbours and even more so by the new residents. The houses are high quality both in terms of finishes and energy rating, and with provisions for future adaptability, the purchasers will be very happy in them for years to come.
In summary, the new houses in Foxburrow reflect very favourably on Hollybrook which continues to go from strength to strength after more than 35 years in business.
Hollybrook Ltd
28 The Drive,
Graigavern Lodge,
Ballybrittas,
Co. Laois,
R32 FR92.
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.hollybrookhomes.co.uk
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, June 2023, Vol 9 No 6
