Arrangement

This new-build house is located on a land-locked site (with only pedestrian access) surrounded by protected structures. By virtue of its seclusion from the street, the atmosphere of the site feels rural, despite its location, close to Dublin’s city centre.

The house went through a protracted planning application process. It was originally planned to be approached from the east side around the rear of the adjacent, existing mews house (see site plan), however through a quirk of the planning process this approach route was changed to the west, while the design of the house remained the same. In the built condition, the intended front façade (with its monumental chimney) is now the rear, and the house is now typically entered via the ‘back’ door (perhaps fittingly, this is common practice in rural houses in Ireland).

The form of the house is a direct result of the surrounding condition. The house presents a single storey façade to the east, where it is close to neighbouring houses, while to the west (where it is sufficiently far away from neighbours) a more open, two-storey façade is made. The ridge line matches that of the historic mews directly adjacent, while materials are chosen to align tonally (but not literally) with this close neighbour.

Spatial       

The house is simply arranged and seeks to gain its character primarily through the composition and articulation of its windows. The main living space of the house is given a tall ceiling, off which niche-like spaces open. In the upper corner of this room a brass-lined scallop-shaped projection is illuminated toward the end of the day through a small high-level window.

Construction

The house is constructed with full-fill cavities, air-tight, triple-glazed throughout with demand-controlled ventilation and heat-recovery. The roof covering is of natural slate, with an emphasis on the articulation of the eaves. The exterior walls are made of ‘tumbled’ brick, which is painted with a Belgian ‘Kalaei’ chalk wash paint, intended to echo the ghosted stone walls of the white-washed mews building adjacent.