This new 3 bed house is located in Donegal, Northwest Ireland and has spectacular elevated views over Sheephaven Bay. The form, scale and height of the house had to be sympathetic to this context, sitting within a ribbon development of vernacular houses.
Project Location_ Woodhill, Portnablagh, Co. Donegal, Ireland
Area_155 SQm
Materials_ Oak, Mirror, Glass, Plaster, Concrete & Tiles.
Function_ A 3 Bed House for a retired couple Completion Date_2018
Duration on Site_10 Months
Client_Jim & Eilish Walsh
Design_DUA – Lead Architect Darragh Breathnach,
Collaborators_Ciaran Molumby Assigned Certifier_ Michael Friel Contractor_ Noel Tease Photographer_ Aisling McCoy Drawings_ DUA (Darragh Breathnach)
Manufactures / Suppliers_ Velfac_Aluclad Windows, Mitsubishi_Heat Pump, Tegral_Slates, Cassidy Brothers_ Exposed Concrete, Global Tiles_ Tiles & Sanitaryware.
Tip I would like to pass on from this project_Designing custom made furniture for the house allowed us to make the most of every sqm of the house.
The building itself became a study in local building traditions & techniques. We stripped back the local vernacular to its simplest form, removing any unnecessary details and cantilevering the roof out beyond the walls to alleviate the need for gutters or rain pipes. The views beyond and the sky above were the main focus of the project.
The architecture plays a supporting role and attempts to emphasise this. So as not to compete with this, the interior was kept simple. Oak floors run throughout and a deep sculpted roof floats above capturing and directing the light into the interior spaces below.
Full height mirrors bring in the landscape and create exciting vistas around the house. Custom made furniture ensures everything is integrated, so as not to distract from the sense of calm and peacefulness the house strives to achieve. A perfect place to relax, immersed in nature’s unspoilt beauty.
Architects Bio_ Darragh was born in Dublin in 1985. He Studied Architecture at DIT and graduated in 2010. After Graduating, he went to work for “RCR Arquitectes”. Here he gained invaluable experience working along-side some of the most highly recognised architects in the world. Upon returning to Ireland, he worked with award winning architecture firm “ODOS Architects” for two years before founding DUA. In Parallel to working in these offices, Darragh was a co-founder of VAV Architects. Several of DUA’s project have been successfully published worldwide and featured in exhibitions. DUA have also won several awards in the short time they have been in existence, most notably the following
- RIAI Future Award 2017
- – Wallpaper* magazine’s Architects’ Directory in 2017
