ON THE DRAWING BOARD

This is a preliminary first sketch for an alteration to a house in Clonmel for a disabled person where the bedroom and en-suite need to be on the ground floor. It also involves changes to the kitchen and provision of garden room. Although I use CAD all the time I still do sketch designs, like this, by hand when I am coming up with the design concept.

HADDINGTON ROAD IMAGES

These images by photographer Denis O'Farrell of the recently completed Haddington Road project can be read in conjunction with the text of my earlier post. For the record the project was completed ahead of time and (largely) within budget.

RETURN OF THE STUDY MODEL

While doing a recent sketch design for house alteration I thought it was about time I again reached again, after many years, for the craft knife and foam board and made a scale model. The clients loved it! Problem was...so did I but I had to leave it behind with them! Maybe I'll make 2 next time!

2 SUNKEN TERRACES REVITALIZE HOUSE

We have just completed the extension remodelling and refurbishment of a house in Haddington Road, Dublin 4 and by creating sunken terraces at front and rear we have opened up the basement ( or should I say...Garden level). The return was clad in external insulation and a sedem (green) roof was provided over the dining area. Original period features were retained and restored. The job finished ahead of schedule. These 2 images are by Denis O'Farrell ( http://www.digital-den.blogspot.com/ )

TEN GOOD REASONS TO EMPLOY AN ARCHITECT

1 The building industry in Ireland is highly unregulated. You need guidance through the minefield.
2 Architects are independent of builders. i.e. no kickbacks
3 Architects are qualified following minimum 5 years full time third level and 2 years post graduate. Title "Architect" is now legally protected
4 They are insured and operate under a code of professional conduct.
5 Their design skills optimize construction spend. Lateral thinking is often applied to give unexpected good results.
6 ...and add a wow factor without breaking the bank.
7 Architects administer fair building contracts fairly.
8 They protect and optimize your biggest investment. Too many people enter big projects with poor design and poor agreements and no architect or contract administrator.
9 They guide you through the maze of planning and building regulations. Violation of these codes puts your investment value at risk.
10 For a fraction of the overall construction budget they represent excellent value.
Contact Anthony at ABA Architects on 01-6683519 to discuss your project. In the current climate good advice is more essential than ever.

UCD CRECHE ENTERED IN WORLD ARCHITECTURE NEWS EDUCATION AWARDS

If a child arrives at the new Oakmount Creche at University College Dublin (UCD) they will meet a fun building which is both welcoming and exciting. The glazed entrance area immediately gives sight of the coloured playground beyond. The blue floor has an arrangement of yellow "stepping stone" circles. The blue "Magic room tower" has an odd assortment of windows of different shapes and sizes vaguely imitating a freckled child's smiling face. The low horizontal windows at the bottom are designed for toddlers and waddlers to look through either to the outside world or to the oncoming parent!

In this extension development an entrance courtyard, terminated by the said tower was created and large corridor windows to the front are deliberate to make the building as bright and friendly as possible. The setting for the building is an Arboritum which belonged to the now disappeared Roebuck Grove Georgian mansion (demolished in 1970).

Stated Assessment Criteria:
Originality: A blue tower with funny windows on a third level campus.
Innovation: A fun building to observe the world from
Form: A welcoming courtyard and a transparent entrance
Special Quality: Not for stuffy adults...just kids.
Sustainability: Passive and active solar energy, humidity variable diffusion resistance vapour barrier, timber frame
Context: Arboritum on university campus
How the design addressed the key elements of the brief: Although functionally meeting all the childcare guidelines space requirements for the 50 additional children (110 total) it remains a "home from home".
Specific examples of how your building has enhanced the education process: The Montessori principle of "learning by fun" has been significantly enhanced by the buildings colour, openness and relation to playground and outside areas.
Different age groups mix in the Magic Room and develop social, creative and imaginary skills.

POST CRASH LIFE

We live in a different country to the Ireland of the mid naughties. The denial about debt has caught up with us like a bad liver catches an alcoholic and one is left wondering in the carnage is there any light. We recently launched the "Help My House" scheme giving "Smart Advice for a fixed price" Nationwide (we have 19 RIAI colleagues in other counties). This service has led to some "micro projects" something I am happy to do, primarily because there a re many who have been left behind with house problems and no obvious place to go for independent advice. Look at www.helpmyhouse.ie for details.
Many people still have houses, money and problems and are more careful about how to spend it. Some are "greening" their homes like the sei.ie "Greener homes scheme where some grants are available for renewable technologies like Solar Panels, wind turbines and the like. Others are improving insulation, always a good idea, and again sei (Sustainable Energy Ireland) are offeing grants. Ideally people are working towards debt freedom and a degree of self sufficency...This approach to the current crisis (or "adjustment" as the optimists call it!) is in my opinion highly commendable. The other bright light is the restoration of communities where people are again passing the head of cabbage over the garden fence to the neighbour. Let's hope Celtic Tiger Obsession with SELF is a thing of the past. The things that cannot be shaken will remain at the end of all this shaking and that, ladies and gentlemen, is something more than a bandaged up ecomomy.