When Henry McKinney MCIOB, TecIOSH, Director at Newtownstewart Ltd, began work on the Moville Passive House, he was determined to prove that performance and design ambition could go hand in hand.
That determination, strengthened by the expertise gained through Mosart’s Certified Passive House Designer (CPHD) course, helped deliver a project that’s now recognised among the best in Ireland. The Moville Passive House was named a finalist in the Irish Construction Excellence Awards 2025 in the ‘Residential – Private Up to €5 Million’ category, highlighting how deep technical knowledge can translate into real-world excellence.
“Undertaking the Certified Passive House Designer course was a transformative experience that provided both the theoretical foundation and practical tools to deliver the Moville Passive House project,” Henry explains. “It deepened my understanding of fabric-first design, airtightness, thermal bridging, and energy modelling — knowledge that proved invaluable during the early design and planning stages.”
Bringing Design Ambition to Life
Through Mosart’s training, Henry gained hands-on skills in PHPP (Passive House Planning Package), enabling him to test design options, optimise insulation and glazing, and predict performance with precision. This practical expertise gave his team the confidence to make design decisions that balanced aesthetic ambition with the strict energy targets required for certification.
The Moville Passive House
Nestled at the mouth of Lough Foyle overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, Binevenagh Mountain, Benone Beach, and Portrush, the Moville Passive House is a stunning example of how innovation, architecture, and sustainability can coexist.
Externally, the home is a seamless integration of glass, steel, wood, and concrete — a structure that feels both robust and ethereal. Clean lines and minimalist detailing define its form, while cantilevered balconies create dramatic viewpoints and shaded outdoor spaces. Inside, floor-to-ceiling windows flood the open-plan interiors with natural light and frame panoramic coastal views, where custom cabinetry and cutting-edge technology make a bold yet timeless statement.
Built to Passivhaus standards, the design follows a fabric-first philosophy, drastically reducing heating demand through precision detailing and material selection rather than relying on renewables alone. The home features a highly insulated envelope with breathable wall systems, a green roof, solar panels, and a ground-source heat pump, ensuring comfort and efficiency in every season.
Newtownstewart used a hybrid steel-and-timber structure, combining strength with environmental performance. Key metrics include:
- Space heating demand below 15 kWh/m²/yr — around 90 % less energy than a typical home
- Airtightness of 0.58 ACH @ 50 Pa — twenty times tighter than standard construction
- Wall U-values below 0.15 W/m²K, minimising thermal bridging
- High-performance windows with U-values below 0.8 W/m²K
- Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) achieving over 80 % heat recovery
Every design decision, from orientation and glazing to shading, insulation depth, and junction detailing, was validated through data modelling, ensuring that the final build met the rigorous performance requirements of Passivhaus certification.
From Learning to Leadership
Henry credits Mosart’s training for equipping him to manage that balance between creativity and precision.
“The CPHD course reinforced the importance of integrated teamwork and early design input. That learning directly shaped how we collaborated with architects, engineers, and suppliers to achieve both aesthetic excellence and uncompromising energy efficiency.”
His experience reflects what many of Mosart’s graduates discover, that this training isn’t just about theory; it’s about gaining the confidence and capability to lead high-performance projects from concept to completion.
Setting a New Benchmark for the Industry
Delivered during the challenges of the pandemic, the Moville Passive House required ingenuity and adaptability to overcome supply-chain disruptions and maintain world-class performance standards.
The result is a home that feels light and sculptural yet performs to the world’s most demanding energy metrics — a testament to both the builder’s craft and the value of advanced education in sustainable construction. With Mosart’s CPHD training, Henry and his team gained the skills to future-proof their projects, strengthen their credentials, and deliver measurable sustainability outcomes.
“The CPHD course has been an outstanding learning journey,” Henry reflects. “It shaped my professional approach to sustainable construction and gave me the expertise to guide projects like Moville Passive House with confidence.”
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