The house is situated two miles from Galway City in a rural setting overlooking Lough Corrib and the mountains of Connemara. Although adjacent to other new houses the site is bordered on the west side by mature trees, shrubs and agricultural land.
Our clients shared our affection for traditional rural Irish buildings. The desire was that the form of the house should be rooted in its historical context; a search for cultural values that would inform the design decisions, and lead to an appropriate contemporary solution.
The internal planning is unusual in that the children's bedrooms are located on the ground floor connected to a basement playroom and directly to the garden. The master bedroom, guest bedroom and living room are on the first floor to take advantage of natural light, high ceilings and the view. The primary window to the first floor living room, which overlooks the lake, is recessed behind a terrace to prevent rain drops collecting on the glass and obscuring this view. An external staircase on the west gable, reminiscent of traditional barn buildings, connects the living room terrace to the garden. A large double-height window from the entrance hall/ground floor living area is also recessed and leads on to a large terrace and the garden.
The interior is simply detailed and
painted white. Sliding walls allow the house to be largely open plan or divided off into more specific rooms as required. The guest bedroom converts to a study when opened up to the double height hallway.
The simple rectangular form of the house stands
abrupt and proud in the tradition of the Irish farm house. Seen locally as radical, the house is a friendly familiar form at home in the rural Irish landscape.