COMPLETED AVOCA KITCHEN

As an architect I can visualize projects before they are built so this gives me an expectation of the outcome long before client can see it. In many cases the outcome meets my expectation but at this project in Avoca where the Kitchen was demolished and rebuilt my expectations were far exceeded. It is truly delightful and I think we had the dream team of client and builder to thank, as much as myself. The delightful oak trusses were finished with a simple bees wax finish. The indirect lighting by Willie Duggan perfectly compliments the mood and makes the entire space very restful. My last meeting went on for a while because...I simply didn't want to leave the space (and the company)!

AVOCA KITCHEN

If ever you are looking for an expert carpenter and builder in Wicklow you could do a lot worse than talk to Mick Murphy who is completing this new Kitchen wing I designed. He expertly made the oak trusses you see on this photo as well as acted as main contractor. The Kitchen represents a traditional style we sometimes do and in the case of this particular house it fits right in. I am looking forward to seeing the completed kitchen in  a few weeks, especially because the client makes the most divine coffee! I would also like to mention that the bay window area in this photo is not as low as it seems, the plasterer is on stilts! The Kitchen is complimented by a rear entrance lobby, utility space, garage with indoor access (from utility) and both east and west side terraces. A new car turning area was created at the front of the house so that the entire rear tarmac area could be re-landscaped as a garden, directly outside the west facing bay window. We look forward to seeing on this project the discreet uplighting system which is being provided by Willie Duggan Lighting in Kilkenny.

VIEW FROM ABOVE

warm, bright, cosy and spacious

It was a delight to get the opportunity to design a sun room which was tall enough to have a first floor bedroom window open into it. I featured this country project before (see here) but it was recently completed and the daylighting effects are truly magical. The conservatory faces south but because it projects out it catches morning and evening light also thus giving both a wonderful atmosphere and a high level of passive solar energy. A pair of sliding glazed doors between the kitchen and the front dining room afford new views to surrounding landscape also. In addition to all this the heating system is hardly needed as the insulation upgrades are having a significant beneficial effect.

view from bedroom

COUNTRY STYLE KITCHEN IN THE CITY

View of the architect's kitchen

Although the works to our own kitchen were carried out a few years ago it is only recently that it has been professionally photographed by our esteemed and highly skilled photographer Denis O'Farrell ( http://www.digital-den.blogspot.ie ). The country style kitchen relies on much traditional loose furniture and the floor has a natural untreated spanish clay tile which we finished with linseed oil and floor wax. The small window to the left was originally a glass single door to the garden, before we put french doors in  the bay window, and the cat still, to this day, scratches the wall below the window when she wants to go out. A green Aga cooker (not seen in this photo) completes the picture. The central table is a real treat for dining, pastry making, homework and, on occasion, table tennis!

SERIOUS ENERGY RETROFIT

Work on the extension and alteration to a Victorian cottage in the midlands is approaching completion and the Ballymore Eustace based contractor Pat Doran is doing a sterling job. Many design modifications were made pre-contract but since the work started it has been relatively plain sailing. Watch this space for completed photos in a month or two. The main feature of the design is the interlinked Dining, Kitchen and Garden room with the 2 storey high conservatory. The house itself has undergone a serious energy retrofit also including Gutex breathable dry lining boards (thanks to  MacCann and Byrne in Athboy aka Ecological Building Systems, great chaps to work with).

WHAT'S IT LIKE TO HAVE YOUR HOUSE RIPPED APART?

When, as an architect, I walk on site and see the side of a house taken out (as planned) you would normally detect a faint smile on my face. I love the cut and thrust of the building process as I am always looking ahead to the final result when the altered or extended property is completed, looking well and enjoyed by the client.

But what does the client think at this shocking appearance? Probably a feeling of terror and anxiety and a strong feeling of  "Have I done the right thing?". This of course is their dear house, their castle, their private domain and it's half demolished!  Also it is normally the first time they have had such  an invasion on their life. Perhaps I should hide that smile a little more in future but the one thing I won't do (and don't need to thank God) is share their deep felt anxieties.

As an architect I put trust in the builder, the chap who is actually doing the work, and this explains why at the first or second meeting I have with the client I explain to them that I reserve the right to not work with certain contractors, those being the ones I have neither worked with before nor can get good professional references for.

We can never be in complete control of every process but we sure can avoid obvious errors and lack of judgements. The picture is of a Terenure project in Rathdown Park...at that scary stage.

COLLINSWOOD TRANSFORMATION

Deep reveals conceal night time shutters.

Before

Work has just completed  on a simple but effective extension to a semi-detached house in Collinswood off Collins Avenue in Dublin's northside. A pair of roof windows centrally placed over the french doors give a semi-conservatory effect while minimizing heat loss. The ceiling profile in the extension area was raised to further contribute to the spacious and bright effect. A pair of window seats were created at either side of the french doors to facilitate daytime book reading. The increased view of the rear garden has the added effect of increasing the perception of space and helping the Indian sandstone terrace feel part of the extended room. The project also involved the construction of a front porch and refurbishment of 2 bathrooms. The clients expressed delight at both the design and the overall efficiency and skill of the contractor Karl Gray Construction.

New rear elevation

Former rear elevation