- Area: 160 m²
- Year: 2016
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Photographs:Ste Murray
Text description provided by the architects. This design of a new family home, located on a tight site off a narrow laneway in Dublin City Centre, responds to its restricted context by creating a central courtyard to maximise natural light and spatial quality. By splitting the plan into two main spatial volumes, the open courtyard allows the linking areas to benefit from dual aspect and a visual dialogue that contains a very carefully considered palette of colours and materials.
The break up of the the building’s main elements, defined in elevation by the horizontal structural lines, help to identify the structure and functions contained behind. The building profile is further strengthened with a deliberately weighted treatment to the openings at first and ground floor level adding to the aura of secrecy as to what’s contained within.
The floor plan of the dwelling is conceived as a flexible pattern or weave of built and unbuilt spaces stitched together around the central circulation route linking the split level accommodation. The central courtyard becomes an outdoor room and brings the experience of landscape and foliage into the core of the dwelling and stimulates a strong spatial dialogue between opposing areas.
