The team at Panasonic have been working in collaboration with architects, engineers and local crafts people to create an unfiltered, luxury living experience.
The experience will allow visitors to get close with nature, while staying warm, in bubble style Domes to bring a 180-degree transparent window to the world of nature.
Michael Beare of Finn Lough Resort is the visionary behind this holiday experience. He explained: “Our aim was to be able to offer holidaymakers a truly unique experience in this glorious setting, yet with minimal impact on these wonderful surroundings. We aimed to minimise the footprint of the domes, offering off grid power and heating solutions, minimal construction requirements and a design that blends into the landscape.”
Each Dome is kitted out with Panasonic Aquarea Fan Coils, which are connected to air to water Panasonic Aquarea Monobloc heat pumps, for quick reaction heating and cooling as well as domestic hot water.
Panasonic additionally supplied DX ERV units to maintain a constant air flow rate and each Dome can be monitored via the Panasonic Aquarea Smart Cloud technology to maintain the optimal environment for each guest.
Michael continued: “I wanted to create a unique environmental experience where people can enjoy all the different elements of nature from a safe environment in a bubble of peace and tranquillity – I believe we have now achieved this.”
The first Domes were created in 2015 but had several challenges such as misting up, being cold in winter and too hot in the summer months. Michael then started discussions with Panasonic to understand and solve these issues. With continuous prototyping and testing, the team has since adapted and improved the Dome’s comfort and experience for guests.
Walter Stephens of Panasonic Ireland, added: “We are delighted to be part of this exciting and innovative project. The Panasonic Aquarea Mono-bloc air to water heat pump is an ideal, energy efficient solution, to heat or cool the Domes. The units have the added benefit of using the outside air and passing the air over refrigerant-filled coils (like a refrigerator). The then captured heat is automatically transferred to water, which is then ready for use in the heating or cooling system within the domes and for supplying hot water. Furthermore, the units do not require access to mains gas.”
The Panasonic Aquarea heat pump technology was chosen for this project as the units can adapt to extreme low temperatures (-20oC) and high temperatures, whatever the climate. The units are described as highly energy efficient (COP of 5.08), compact, positioned externally to save on internal living space, quick and straightforward to install.
The Domes are proving popular, with seven initially installed at the Finn Lough Resort in Northern Ireland which has recently increased to 14 Domes due to high demand.
Visitors’ feedback is said to be highly positive, so much so that the resort now has an ever-growing waiting list. Each dome has a four poster bed, en-suite bathroom, nespresso coffee machine, fluffy robe, daily breakfast included and reside in the middle of a private forest.
Visiting guest, Ainhoa Barcelona from Hello Magazine, commented: “Each dome has been fitted with underfloor heating and a boost button by the bed that can give you a blast of heat at intervals. This is glamping taken to the next level.”
For more information, visit www.aircon.panasonic.eu.
