A new build designed to resemble a typical Irish cottage and its associated outbuildings is providing inspiration for those keen to construct a house in keeping with the landscape of rural Ireland.
Designed by Paul McMahon Design – Chartered Architectural Consultants, the dwelling is set on a 5ac greenfield site in south Offaly close to the Laois border, not far from Portarlington.
The client keeps horses and hopes to develop stables to create further cluster buildings in the future. “This will further enhance the old farmyard style which she hoped to achieve from the outset,” Paul McMahon said.
“The client had a strong local need for the area, therefore had no problems gaining planning approval. The same concept and vision could be applied in the case of a replacement dwelling, or the restoration of similar styled old cottages scattered throughout the country,” he said.
“These old cottages and farm buildings are a passion of ours and we try our best to ensure that this part of Irish heritage is preserved for generations to come.
“It is such a shame that many people do not think outside of the box and are still building dwellings with no thought process incorporated at the design stage.”
The homeowner’s request for an Irish cottage and farmyard inspired design was not an unusual one, Paul said. “We have a clientele that appreciate good architecture and want to think outside of the box in this regard.
“This project was no different and the client had a really exciting brief which we could not wait to delve into and design her dream home,” the Meath-based designer said.
“We take the time to get to know the client, involving them personally in the design process and learning exactly what they hope to achieve with their project. This is the process which many people overlook and do not consider when starting the building process.”
Paul explained that the architectural design process and a detailed client brief are important to get the exact design.
This particular design was extremely easy to get planning approval for, according to Paul. “We did not carry out any pre-planning meetings at the outset as we were confident that no issues existed with the site nor the design,” he said.
“We made a valid planning application and a decision to grant planning permission was issued within eight weeks.”
Paul designed the 148m²/1,590ft² cottage in a rectangular form, with rooms occupying the full width of the cottage, allowing light penetration from both sides.
“We wanted to create the character and beauty of these old style buildings which more often than not, comprised old corrugated outbuildings. We designed all aspects of the proposal, including the garage, to reflect the clustered style and used materials sympathetic to this brief,” he said.
“Our client wanted to stay true to the rustic charm of the traditional Irish farmyards of Co. Offaly, albeit with a contemporary twist,” the chartered architectural consultant said.
Keeping small windows was critical in retaining the concept of the cottage design and achieving the look of the old Irish traditional style, Paul explained.
“These windows are still 900mm wide and 1,300mm high so bigger than one might expect upon first glance,” he added.
“They must achieve compliance with fire egress windows in compliance with building regulations and also must achieve compliance with purge ventilation requirements set out in the building regulations.”
A savvy aspect of the design, is that the floor plan is one room deep so there are multiple windows to every room along with the installation of roof lights throughout.
“So appearances can be deceptive; these rooms will get more natural daylight than the majority of bedrooms in homes throughout the country. E.g., the master bedroom has three windows and a rooflight located within the space,” Paul said.
All windows are orientated and designed to get the correct proportion of natural light throughout the day to the various spaces.
Paul’s firm implemented its passive house knowledge to achieve the best possible levels of energy efficiency and lowest running costs.
Corten steel, also known as weathered steel cladding, was used to achieve the typical farmhouse style.
“It invites rust to form on its surface and this forms a inherent protective layer, meaning you don’t need to treat it or paint it,” Paul continued.
“It ages continuously in a unique manner, making it expressive and long lasting, reminiscent of the old corrugated cottages and outbuildings throughout the country.
“Through the use of hidden gutters and downpipes installed behind the cladding, which will be battened out, this dwelling will have clean modern lines but yet draw massively on traditional Irish design.”
The client wanted the dwelling to be as compact as possible as the budget was extremely tight. Yet she wanted as many rooms as possible with little to no wasted space.
The dwelling comprises a large open plan kitchen/dining/living space which opens out onto a south / south-westerly-facing patio meaning this space can benefit from natural daylight throughout the day and the connection between indoor and outdoor space is seamless.
There are three bedrooms, fitting a king-sized bed and Sliderobe wardrobe space, with the main bedroom incorporating a walk-in wardrobe and en-suite. A large family bathroom contains a bath and shower.
The utility room / laundry room is located between the bedroom spaces for ease of access. A boot room is located just off the primary entrance door with toilet and washing facilities.
“All this is achieved with minimal circulation space and all areas of the dwelling are filled with natural light,” he added.
“Viewpoints were created through the house at every juncture to give glimpses back out to the outside from every part of the house. They also optimise the sense of space,” Paul said.
Creating a sense of flow and openness in a design can help promote feelings of relaxation and comfort, he said.
“Based on the client’s brief, we designed a space which maximised light and space, added functionality and achieved the best return on our client’s investment. Our client will reap the rewards of this design through the quality of space created.
“This design has really intrigued people the length and breadth of the country, sparking numerous new enquiries from people with existing cottages and greenfield sites.
“It has captured people’s imagination and has shown people what is possible when one considers something other than the copy and pasted bungalow bliss which blights our countryside,” Paul said.