Project Size: 2,800 square feet

Program: The clients, a family with young children, provided the architects with clear guidelines for their house on a protected site on a cliff overlooking the sea on the southern coast of Ireland. They wanted a relaxed and comfortable design that blended in with the craggy site and did not feel “clinically modern” or formal; floor-to-ceiling windows to maximize views; and a flat roof with a terrace. In addition, they stipulated that much of the house be wheelchair accessible to accommodate visits from grandparents.

Solution: The one-story L-shaped house, clad in local stone with recessed glazing, is a thickly insulated, airtight, prefabricated timber structure with a concrete foundation. The architects oriented the building to avoid strong sea winds from the west and to shield a garden on the south. The house, which cost $1,012,000, greets visitors with a low-ceiling entry at the northwest corner, then leads to living and dining spaces in one wing and three bedrooms and a master suite in the other.

Architect:
Aughey O'Flaherty Architects
32 Nassau St,
Dublin 2,
Ireland
Ph: 00 353 1 6729932