MOBILE HOMES: FROM € 50,000:THE MOBILE home has been given a 21st century makeover now that the HabEco, designed and made in Co Clare, offers an attractive alternative to a traditional mobile home or caravan.
It has also been built with sustainability and energy efficiency in mind – hence the “eco” part of the name – while the “hab” comes from the idea of a habitat designed to be at one with the natural environment.
Clad in red cedar, the mobile has a contemporary design and a natural-looking finish. Energy efficient features include high-spec insulation; wiring for a low-wattage wind turbine to help power electrics and a rain water recycling system.
Kieran Clancy, manager of Sandpark Kilkee, the company behind HabEco, says that, being in the mobile home business, they identified a need for something more sustainable and design-savvy for the mobile home and caravan market. They worked with local architects Stanford Stanford to produce the final design. “I wanted something to give people a longer length of time to use their van. Mobile homes are not very energy efficient and not usable during winter,” he says. “These can be used in colder months. It will extend the holiday home season.”
The units are prefabricated in a workshop in Kilkee, Co Clare, and can be set up on site in a few hours. The standard unit has two bedrooms, a living/kitchen area and bathroom with shower. It comes with wardrobes, kitchen appliances and gas central heating.
As well as functioning as a mobile home, the HabEco can be designed to serve as a home office or studio. Sizes range from 40–50sq m (430.5–538sq ft), although bespoke designs are possible, with prices from €50,000 to €70,000.
With planning for a new mobile park with 10 HabEcos in the pipeline for Kilkee, it might not be long before it’s possible to holiday in a mobile home in an attractive mini eco-village.
www.habecohomes.com
