House in Wicklow
Status: In progress

This is a most idyllic site for a new house, set on a west facing slope in a valley in the Wicklow mountains. Our clients are planning to move from a beautiful but rambling old house close by as they plan for their retirement. However down-sizing doesn’t appear to be on their mind as they want to accommodate all the aspects of their former home here aswell as space for their extended family of children and grandchildren to eat, drink and sleep. The current plans show most of the accommodation on the ground with extended family sleeping quarters on the upper level. Creating a privacy wall at the entrance, the accommodation to east is secondary whilst allowing the primary living spaces along with the master rooms to enjoy the south and west aspects along with the view. With cold and rain in winter and midges in the summer, the initial suggestion to create stepped outdoor terraces was quickly dismissed by the client. Views of the hills and sheltered spaces were more in order as were spaces to take off wet gear! The upper floor floats and creates 3 dimensional solids and voids to add to the complexity of the experience of the house. We are hoping to lodge planning shortly.