The original Georgian property comprised three floors of accommodation, which had been converted into separate studio bed-sits on each floor. Most of the original decorative plasterwork and joinery features of the home had been lost, with the exception of the main hallway and staircase, which were reasonably intact.
The roof was in poor condition, and in need of total replacement. As each floor has been converted into bedsits, poorly constructed bathrooms interrupted the floor plan on every level. Our clients were a young couple who wanted to turn this city centre property into a home for entertaining and enjoying the views of its Dublin docklands setting
Retaining the perimeter walls of the house, stairs, entrance hall and floors, an entirely new roof structure was inserted. Rooflights at the apex of the roofs provide seamless views of the sky. A tower-like extension was added to the rear to provide new bathrooms and a terrace leads from entry level to the lower small rear garden.
The open plan kitchen and living room were repositioned on the top floor where the occupants could best enjoy the light and views. Bedrooms were placed on the upper ground floor, with a garden-level living area and bedroom below. Space saving sliding doors give access to storage concealed within the thickness of walls, and opaque glazed steel framed sliding doors give access to the new bathrooms from the staircase. The glazing in all stairwell doors allow borrowed light to reach deep into the middle of the house.
Shou Sugi Ban charred larch was selected to clad the tower in the rear garden, creating a shadow-like presence, with the dark carbon crust contrasting with the untreated natural copper parapet. Due to their proximity to neighbouring rear gardens, the bathrooms and upper-ground floor terrace have shielded views through charred timber screens which obstruct direct over-looking.
New full-size windows were inserted into existing window openings with secondary frames concealed behind the brickwork. Glazing is maximised internally and from the street read as simply framed openings.
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