Factory-made eco extensions on show

IN JUST under 10 years Shomera has gone from making small home offices at the backs of gardens to house extensions, small holiday chalets and even additional space for hospitals.

Engineer Frank O'Sullivan began Shomera in 1999 making break-out spaces, such as home offices in gardens, but as more requests came for extensions that were actually attached to houses the company branched out.

The structures come in various styles and last Sunday the company opened its latest village - on the Midleton side of Cork - showcasing four Shomera buildings in a landscaped setting to show what they look like in situ. There is even one attached to a back wall to give that authentic extension look.

There are also Shomera villages in Glen o' the Downs, Wicklow; Malahide, Co Dublin; and Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, where the timber-frame structures are actually made.

They are well insulated with glass wool in the walls, foam in the floors and multi-layer foil in the roofs, which are bratheable.

The designs range from a trad pitch, to contemporary box with lots of glazing and a stone-covered version but - because they are made in Ireland - you can adapt the designs. Shomera has now started working with architects, including Tom Maher of Architects TM, who designed the award-winning Poustinia retreats near Clonmel.

Many people use the structures as an extra TV room, playroom or teenage den. The company has contractors who will do the foundations and so on in preparation for the structure which is made off-site and delivered.

Most of the domestic structures are small enough to negate the need for planning permission (below 25sq m in the studio and 40sq m in a single-storey extension, with other conditions). Extensions start at about 11sq m (120sq ft) and cost from €28,950.