A Light Touch
Type: Historic Structure Extension & Refurbishment
Client: Private
Location: Blackrock, Co. Dublin
Stage: Construction
This detached 1860s stone & brick house is nestled discreetly in the heart of a residential area in Blackrock Co. Dublin. The site is accessed through a narrow laneway, the house reveals itself as you cross the footbridge over the Carysfort River.
We were commissioned to renovate and extend this historic structure for a young family. The focus was on repair, the use of natural materials, a connection to nature and the celebration of the existing house.
The ground floor layout of existing house was problematic, interventions over the years had resulted in a disjointed and disconnected series of rooms.
Surprisingly, considering the beautiful setting of this historic structure, the existing house had limited physical connections to the lush gardens and river.
Through minimal removal of historic fabric and the careful demolition of non-structural modern stud walls the potential of this house could be realised.
Our design opened up and expanded the ground floor creating a series of interconnecting rooms with more connection to the external spaces beyond.
The storey and a half extension mimics the proportion of the main wing of the existing house. It is raised on stilts to have minimal impact on the ground below, allowing the wildflowers to flourish beneath.
The extension captures the sun from sunrise until sunset and houses a new family bathroom, sauna and music room, opening onto a West-facing terrace.
The existing house is reconfigured to provide a generous kitchen and dining room, a home office and a snug. The careful relocation of existing spaces along with the addition of new rooms allows for new visual connections between adjacent spaces as well as the garden beyond.
Natural materials are used throughout the renovation and timber framed extension including exposed timber joists, lime plaster and stone.
Drawings: Islander Architects
Photography: Islander Architects