First underground umbrella house in Northern Ireland

This is the first ‘Umbrella House’ to obtain Planning Permission in Northern Ireland. An umbrella house is a simple underground house design that uses a novel insulating/water-shedding blanket that covers the structure and surrounding soil.

The umbrella creates a huge subterranean thermal reservoir that soaks up the sun’s energy during summertime and stores it for winter heating. In many cases, the clever design makes a heating system unnecessary.