The most sustainable building is the one that already exists. Dr Sandra O’Connell finds this historic home that has been reimagined for reuse
Architects: Architectural Farm. Photographer: Ste Murray.
The new order of this home renovation connects house and landscape.
Poorly considered extensions, overheating in summer and inadequate connections to the rear garden were the architectural challenges for the renovation of this otherwise handsome 1930s semi-d in Clontarf. A first step for Shane Cotter and Kathryn Wilson from Architectural Farm was therefore to design a new order for the rear of the house, while creating relationships with the courtyard and patio. Rather than adding a large extension, Cotter and Wilson adopted a “fabric first approach”, which meant retaining and improving as much as possible of the existing house and working with the original footprint.
Timber fins and panelling bring texture and an interplay of light and shadow to the spaces.
This included a complete deep retrofit of the existing fabric, including floors, walls, roof and glazing. All the new glazing and joinery were sustainably sourced and custom made locally. Heating is provided via a new air-to-water heat pump. Only modest changes were made to improve the internal flow including removing of some earlier additions, which had resulted in odd shapes and under-utilised spaces, and a small extension.
The new colonnade gives a sense of protection and permanence, while also preventing the living spaces from overheating.
The most arresting device is the new deep colonnade which surrounds the south-facing living spaces at the rear. In the past, these spaces felt uncomfortably warm, now they are elegantly shaded. Connections with the garden are significantly improved and the redesigned landscaping meanders through the columns, from the courtyard to patio. A favourite space is the deep window seat in the first-floor master bedroom that offers views from the mature trees in the garden to the Dublin mountains. @architecturalfarm
