Living Design - Spring 2025

livingdesign Northern Ireland Architect Designed Homes

£4.00

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SPRING 25

CONTENTS

VOLUME 18 NUMBER 1

WORK IN PROGRESS Birch Cabins at Florida Manor 02 Lough Eidin House 04

Page 08

CASE STUDIES Lough Road House

08

Page 22

David Capener

Haven in the Hills

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Karen Latimer

On the Rise

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Page 34 Page 32

Architect’s Account

Hip to be Square

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Architect’s Account

Back to Life

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Page 48

Architect’s Account

Clover Cottage

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Architect’s Account Page 58

01

Let it Grow

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Peter Hutchinson

Living Design

FEATURES Page 72

livingdesign Northern Ireland Architect Designed Homes

SPRING 25

Cover:

Sperrin House Architect:

Photography:

£4.00

(e7.00)

Monad House.

Page 48.

Farren Architects Donal McCann

ARCHITECT DESIGNED HOMES IN NORTHERN IRELAND

2 Mount Charles, Belfast BT7 1NZ Tel: 028 9032 3760 www.rsua.org.uk

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Managing Editor Chris Sherry Editorial Assistant Gemma Johnston Living Design Editorial Committee Kari Simpson (Convenor) Jayne McFaul Jane Larmour Mark Todd Rory Caithness

Contributors Karen Latimer Daivd Capener Peter Hutchinson

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Living Design

02

Work in Progress:

Birch Cabins at Florida Manor A luxurious forest retreat nestled in nature, surrounded by calm, Birch Cabins at Florida Manor in Killinchy, County Down.

In collaboration with Crown Creative, a hospitality design studio, 2020 Architects are excited to be working on this three-phase project which will launch later in 2025.

Designed to become part of the forest, the individual birch cabins are inspired by the natural materials they are surrounded in. Burnt wood coats their exterior, while internally, American oak interiors, natural colours and textures promote luxury and calm. Whether close to the water or secluded in the forest, each cabin will feel private and provide the perfect atmosphere to relax and get away from it all. n

2020 Architects www.crowncreative.com www.birchcabins.com

Work in Progress:

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Lough Eidin House, Roscommon

The new dwelling in Foxhill, Coothall, in Roscommon, is set within a landscape of low undulating drumlins interspersed with several large lakes. The site is located on an elevated part of land overlooking Lough Eidin.

Proximity to an ancient ring fort influenced the siting of the dwelling to ensure adequate separation from the archaeological site of historical importance.

The form is conceived as a clustering of monolithic, sculptural volumes which are at once familiar in form but also expressive in shape in response to the landscape they bed into. The building is orientated to maximise shelter and views as well as benefit from direct sunlight.

The single-storey response comprises of two linked pitched forms: one for daytime/living spaces (kitchen, dining, living, office & lounge) and the other sleeping/bedroom block. Both blocks borrow from the vernacular tradition in being 1-room deep in plan, long and rectilinear in shape, with pitched roofs; a response that is familiar and typical in this context.

The design is a site-specific response that is contemporary but distinctively

rural through characteristics such as its simple building form, well-proportioned massing, ease with which it sits in the landscape, the maximisation of solar gain and provision of rooms where natural light streams in throughout the day, its restrained modelling on the front plane and its positive connection between outside and inside.

The use of thermally modified black stained timber as the primary external finish reflects a confluence of aesthetic appreciation and environmental consciousness, being a material that

recedes into the landscape to sensitively integrate into its elevated position within the wider setting, whilst adhering to sustainable practices.

The compact design minimises energy loss and the preservation of surrounding green spaces contribute to a reduced carbon footprint. The passive design approach includes natural ventilation, daylight harvesting, solar gain and active technologies such as a heat pump and solar panels. n

Farren Architects

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Lough Road House Living Design

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LOUGH ROAD HOUSE Studio idir

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Drawing on their research the architects have designed a plan that is lean, deceptively simple and economical.

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ARCHITECT’S CASE STUDY ACCOUNT

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LOUGH ROAD HOUSE Studio idir

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t the end of a long winding gravel path in a small Co. Antrim woodland, sit two cedar clad boxes, each respectfully offering a knowing nod to the surrounding rural and agricultural context.

The silvery Cedar cladding is at home amongst the woodland of native Irish trees planted by the clients 40 years ago. Building this house took the clients into what they describe as “uncharted territory.” After 40 years of living in the adjacent 300 yearold listed thatched cottage they decided to build a new house, one where the septuagenarians could begin a journey of discovery as they explore what opportunities their aging and retirement might bring them.

The question for the architects to answer: How can residential architecture provide independence and dignity for aging clients?

The answer, a simple, respectful, and beautiful house that was recently shortlisted for the 2024 RSUA Design Awards, and the prestigious UK wood Awards.

The question of an architecture for the aging is one that Studio Idir thinks about

a lot. “Much of our work is concerned with considering housing for old age” says Rusk. Through an Arts Council funded project they have recently been able to explore these ideas in more detail through a project called Reimagining Elderhood.

Using community co-design at the neighbourhood and home scale they have been able to explore the theme of aging and to consider how architecture and design might respond to an increasingly elderly population. According to Age NI by 2030 one in five people in the North of Ireland will be over 65.

Drawing on their research the architects have designed a plan that is lean, deceptively simple and economical. The angled barn-like forms are connected by a generous entrance hall where a large glazed aperture greets you. The glazed opening like a cinema screen plays an almost silent slow motion movie. A cast of slowly swaying trees perform, a newly formed wildlife pond holds up a mirror to the sky catching passing clouds in its reflection, birds dance from

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ARCHITECT’S CASE STUDY ACCOUNT

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perch to perch, and luminous green rolling fields cascade gently down towards the distant misty shores of Lough Neagh, where the water and the horizon blur into one. Every window opening in this house is thoughtfully positioned.

The idea for how the clients will live as they age in the house is simple. The ground floor is designed as a self contained house — living, eating, sleeping. The upstairs contains guest rooms including a beautifully designed crafting workspace, which should it need to in the future could be relocated downstairs. To the left of the entrance hall a gently curving wall leads into a simple double-height open plan living and kitchen space. A projecting glazed box creates a window seat capturing views of a new wildlife pond that the client hopes will provide a resting spot for migrating birds. Snapshots of drifting clouds can be caught through roof lights that run the length of the pitch. A fully glazed west-facing gable floods the space with all the colours of

LOUGH ROAD HOUSE Studio idir

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CASE STUDY

First Floor Plan Living Design

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Ground Floor Plan

Detail sections

LOUGH ROAD HOUSE Studio idir

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Front and Rear Elevations

THE PROJECT Client: Leslie Boydell Architect: Studio idir Lead: Aisling Rusk Structural Engineer: Ivan Scott Associates Landscape Designers: Sweeney Landscape Design, with PMC Landscaping Main Contractor: Kudos Ltd Site Plan

Photography: Donal McCann

CASE STUDY

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the day. At the opposite gable, above the dark grey kitchen worktop made from recycled newspaper, a small picture window hangs like a woodland watercolour.

Located to the right of the entrance hall is a smaller, more intimate living space. Upstairs, amongst the canopy of the trees, floor level grandchildren-height windows mean that even the youngest visitors can connect with the carefully framed views of the surrounding landscape. Externally the house is wrapped by a simple landscape — gently curved planting beds to the front and a hardstanding terrace to the rear. The rural silence is broken only by the whirring of the air source heat pump which fuels underfloor heating and cooling to the ground floor.

This is a simple and beautiful house that responds cleverly to its context. It is both gallery and curator hosting an ever changing exhibition of the surrounding Irish landscape. n David Capener

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Haven in the Hills Living Design

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SPERRIN HOUSE Farren Architects

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one of the key features of the design is the inter-connectedness of indoors and outdoors, a biophilic approach to architecture which is driven by research that shows connecting building occupants with nature has a positive effect on their well-being.

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CASE STUDY

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he Sperrin Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), designated in 1968, has tended to be the Cinderella of AONBs in Northern Ireland with the Mournes, Antrim Coast and Glens and, of course, the Giant’s Causeway being better known, certainly beyond these shores. The Sperrins, however, is a place of great scenic grandeur, its heather-strewn moorland and blanket bog giving it an atmosphere and habitat all of its own. The landscape architect, Gwen Buchanan, writing in Frank Mitchell’s Book of the Irish Countryside (1987) notes that, “…you will find ancient rocks pushed and folded and squeezed into jostling horizons of hills and valleys, smoothed down to elegant profiles. These folded hills and valleys have held life for thousands of years – first plants and animals and later people, who have left mysterious signs of their presence all around,

especially in the higher parts, the great open spaces where the lark sings, the heather is purple and the views are spectacular, mile after mile.”

It is in this context, not far outside Draperstown, that Farren Architects have designed a new house for clients returning to their family land to set up home with their young children in the countryside. The original house is long gone and indeed a replacement dwelling has been built which meant that infill planning permission had to be sought, involving close collaboration with the planners. Outline planning permission was achieved initially so that the site could be developed, followed by a reserved matters application to get approval for the details of the final scheme. It helped that the clients and their architect were

keen to build a house that respected the history and context of the site, including retaining existing farm buildings. They achieved this through the use of materials, keeping to a simple palette of timber and stone sitting on a concrete plinth, through a thoughtful relationship with the land, and by referencing local vernacular dwelling forms and agricultural buildings. The barn-like form of the building sits above a textured board-marked concrete base. The impact of the house on the landscape is reduced through the design of pitched roof forms breaking down the massing. The aim was to strike a balance between the traditional and contemporary – and this is exactly what has been achieved.

Sperrin House is the result of a well-honed brief and continuing dialogue between

SPERRIN HOUSE Farren Architects

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architect and client – always the best approach to achieve a successful outcome.

The result is an open-plan, family-friendly, light-filled, easy-to-maintain house with stunning views over the surrounding landscape from every room. Indeed, one of the key features of the design is the interconnectedness of indoors and outdoors, a biophilic approach to architecture which is driven by research that shows connecting building occupants with nature has a positive effect on their well-being. Sperrin House nestles into the landscape, working with the natural contours and taking full advantage of natural light, sunlight and spectacular views.

There is ample provision of covered external spaces that have been carefully planned to take account of the sun’s path and ensure sufficient shelter from the wind and rain – it is Ireland after all.

CASE STUDY

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Indoors the spaces are both beautiful and practical. At the core of the house is the kitchen, dining and family living area which is filled with light and keeps to the same palette of materials used throughout the house, timber harmoniously meeting stone. Attention to detail is evident everywhere in this house and clever use of space is another key feature. Tucked off the living space is a dinky little play area with splendid views out into the garden and ample storage space. The sliding door can be left open to connect adults and children or closed over to create a snug private retreat. Flexibility, but focused flexibility if there is such a thing, is another recurrent theme in the design of the house and it is easy to envisage this space developing into a teenage den or a study at a later stage. Another carefully considered detail is access to the garage and lots of storage space through another cleverly disguised door.

On the other side of the house, yet again entered through a hidden door, is what might be described as the adult sitting room – a sophisticated space with warm timber walls, a slightly lower ceiling and spectacular views across to the hills. Another surprise awaits here as a secret door leads into a small but perfectly formed library-cum-study, a modern more luxurious take on a monastic cell, with a long narrow window giving enough of a view to entice but not distract. With shades of Louis Kahn and Alvar Aalto, this is a bolt-hole to escape from the hurly-burly of everyday life - to write

SPERRIN HOUSE Farren Architects

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Site Plan

Floor Plan

THE PROJECT Client: John Jon & Siobhan McWilliams Architect: Farren Architects Planning consultant: C. McILvar Ltd Engineer: M.A. McCloskey Ltd

Section

Main Contractor: Carnanbane Contractors Ltd Photography: Donal McCann/Elyse Kennedy

CASE STUDY

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that great novel, epic poem or just get a little ordinary work done! There are plenty of places to stop and stare in the house including a small be-anything-you-like space with a view and a Juliet balcony at the end of the corridor leading from the entrance.

The house has five bedrooms with some separation between the children’s bedrooms and the master and guest bedroom. The bedrooms with a shared bathroom for the older children are tucked away up a flight of stairs, giving them a sense of independence.

The guest and master bedrooms have en suites and both get the morning sun across yet more splendid vistas.

In today’s world, energy-efficiency and sustainability are central to any good design and Sperrin House is no exception to this.

As well as encompassing passive design elements such as natural ventilation, and maximising use of daylight and solar gain, new technologies were employed including an air source heat pump, solar panels, mechanical ventilation heat recovery, and the use of energy-efficient appliances, lighting and

HVAC systems. Repurposed stone from the former buildings on the site was intermingled with the basalt from a nearby quarry used for the new build; renewable Siberian larch was chosen for the timber cladding; and windows were carefully placed for natural light optimisation. As architect Eoighin Farren noted, “This contemporary home for a growing family seamlessly integrates with its rural surroundings while pushing the boundaries of sustainable design.”

Sperrin House received a well-deserved Commendation in the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland’s prestigious 2024 awards. It is not hard to see why it earned this accolade in a highly competitive field.

It combines the contemporary with the traditional and nestles into the distinctive landscape of the Sperrins, whilst still having a strong presence of its own. Most importantly, according to the clients, it is eminently liveable in, providing them with “a haven” to come back to from the outside world. n Karen Latimer

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Living Design

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On the Rise

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CRAIGDARRAGH RISE BGA Architects

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A restrained collection of pitched-roof buildings (linked with secondary flat-roof elements), at right angles to each other, articulate the design intention of reflecting a contemporary clachan in the countryside.

ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

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S

ited equidistant between Belfast and Bangor along the Craigdarragh Road on the way to Helen’s Bay, this housing development of three bespoke houses enjoys stunning views over the rolling farmlands towards Belfast Lough.

Set back from the main road in an elevated position, the development is accessed via a private lane and gated entrance.

Planning permission was sought under Planning Policy Statement 21 Sustainable Development in the Countryside. The design of the

CRAIGDARRAGH RISE BGA Architects

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individual house remained unchanged throughout the planning process. Indeed this scheme builds on the numerous houses and housing completed in the Ards and North Down Borough Council area, a body of work that spans almost twenty-five years.

The overall layout of this semi-rural development was conceived as a clachan. The idea of creating a courtyard arrangement ‘or clachan’ in the open countryside is deep rooted; the grouping of a series of different scale buildings for different uses can be seen dotted across our countryside.

The three houses work together to create shared and private spaces in equal measure. Indeed, the coherent development reads more as one

ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

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CRAIGDARRAGH RISE BGA Architects

masterplan rather than three individual dwellings.

A restrained collection of pitched-roof buildings (linked with secondary flat-roof elements), at right angles to each other, articulate the design intention of reflecting a contemporary clachan in the countryside.

The group of buildings are arranged to create a sense of arrival, to provide shelter and to respond to the sun path whilst making the most of the views.

Houses one and two are sisters… sharing the same shape and size of footprint, however, their orientation, internal layout and window placements have been manipulated to suit their specific site constraints and opportunities. For example, house one has an entrance link, while the same link in house three is a utility and pantry. And the garage form in house three is the separate lounge in house one.

The middle house (which is the furthest plot from the road) is slightly more modern in its form and materials. Zinc is used to clad the uppermost part of the pitched-roof form and the majority of the building is a flat-roofed box housing the main bedroom suite and separate lounge with adjacent home office.

In this house the glazed entrance link is a full two storeys, unlike the neighbouring two houses.

(either garages or lounges) are finished with red brick or blacken timber. Splashes of rougecoloured zinc visually connect the three separate addresses. First-floor window placements are linked by recessed panels of blackened timber to ensure the overall visual fenestration is limited. Where possible the bathroom, en suite and circulation spaces are top-lit with roof windows so that the external façade remains as uninterrupted as possible, as found in barn and agricultural building typologies.

When viewed from the public road the houses have a degree of intrigue with predominantly blank and solid façades; it is only when you enter the houses that you get a sense of the open, transparent nature of the internal spaces as the more glazed part of each house faces its private garden space while giving views of Belfast Lough and the mountains beyond.

Internally, the rooms are arranged traditionally with living downstairs and bedrooms upstairs.

Typically, for each house on the ground floor the staircase splits a large open-plan living/ dining/kitchen space from the separate lounge and home office. Upstairs, the staircase segregates the kids’ bedrooms from the main bedroom suite.

The main block of each house is finished with smooth painted render whilst the smaller blocks

For each house, carefully considered outside areas directly relate to the inside spaces

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ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

HOUSE 1 - PROPOSED FIRST FLOOR PLAN

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HOUSE 1 - PROPOSED GROUND FLOOR PLAN

CRAIGDARRAGH RISE BGA Architects

THE PROJECT Client: Andrew Dunlop Homes Architect: BGA Architects Quantity Surveyor: Rainey & Best Plumbing: Denvir Plumbing & Heating Electrical: GMC Electrical Main Contractor: Gary McCann/Avogue Construction Photography: We are Phantom

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ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

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with hard landscaping surfaces kept to a minimum to provide as much greenery and planting as possible.

The houses are primarily constructed from traditional masonry walls with concrete floor slabs and simple truss roofs finished with natural slate. High levels of thermal insulation combined with effective airtightness measures and renewable heat source give these dwellings A-Rated performance.

The resulting scheme is deep rooted in the vernacular yet is progressive in its architectural language to create a collection of high-quality homes sitting comfortably in the semi-rural context, sympathetically integrating with the surrounding built and natural environment. n BGA Architects

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Hip to be Square Living Design

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MONAD HOUSE BGA Architects

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Externally, the materials are restrained and robust. The smooth painted render sits atop a grey brick and blacked timber plinth.

CASE STUDY

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A

simple arrangement of two cuboids is nestled amongst mature trees in an established residential suburb within an area of townscape character.

buffer zone to the adjacent river which ran along the eastern boundary of the site. This condition helped to shape the site layout and positioning of the footprint on the site.

This site is situated off a private road in the Cultra Area of Townscape Character in Holywood. Outline planning permission had been granted in the back garden of the original period house prior to our appointment.

Full planning permission was granted without any design changes to the original submission or dilution of any of the initial design concept and intent.

Although this outline permission envisaged a more traditional approach to the site, our brief was to create a contemporary one-off house, in contrast to the many historic and period homes in the immediate and wider context.

However, one of the planning conditions that did need to be addressed was a ten-metre

The topography slopes quite steeply from east to west across the short side of the site; we decided early in the design process not to introduce split-levels into the design.

In order to address this level change we wrapped a retaining wall around the side of the house, creating a sunken zen garden which informed the placement of the more cellular rooms within the design brief and thus directing the open-plan spaces to the other end of the plan.

MONAD HOUSE BGA Architects

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The design references the post-war Californian Case Study Programme; this highly publicized program ran from 1945 to 1964, spanning thirty-six individual designs, many of which were never constructed. Those designs that were realised continue to inspire some 80 years later.

The principal form, a two-storey cube which fronts the private laneway, is only interrupted externally by an entrance recess which forms a cantilevered porch.

Internally, the cube is dissected by a central circulation void which visually links the accommodation in all directions as well as bathing the house in natural daylight from above. The main feature in the entrance hall is a bespoke openthread timber, steel and glass staircase which adds material warmth on

CASE STUDY

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arrival. From this space a carefully planned vista leads you towards the rear of the house to the entertaining space.

The single-storey secondary cube creates an open-plan pavilion-like structure and completes the L-shape plan form at ground-floor level. This part of the house accommodates the kitchen, dining and living space and has a fully glazed wall on one side, connecting the main living space to the south-west private garden. Again, frameless roof windows on the flat roof flood the inside space with daylight and give views up to the tree canopies which in turn filter dappled light into the space.

A linear overhang, clad in standing seam metal, allows for covered outdoor living as well as providing solar shading to this long wall of south-facing glass. Outside areas directly relate to the inside spaces with

MONAD HOUSE BGA Architects

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THE PROJECT Client: Andrew Dunlop Homes Architect: BGA Architects Quantity Surveyor: Adam McComb Plumbing: Malachy McErlean plumbing Electrical: GMC Electrical Main Contractor: Kevin McLaughlin Photography: We are Phantom

CASE STUDY

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hard landscaping surfaces kept to a minimum to provide as much greenery and planting as possible.

Externally, the materials are restrained and robust. The smooth painted render sits atop a grey brick and blacked timber plinth.

First-floor window placements are linked by recessed panels of stack-bonded grey brick to ensure the overall visual fenestration is limited. All bathroom, en suite and circulation spaces are top-lit with roof windows so that the external façade remains as uninterrupted as possible, creating large panels of blank unadorned walls.

The house is constructed primarily from a timber frame with sections of steel framing to produce the large open spaces both in horizontal plan and in vertical section.

High levels of thermal insulation combined with effective air-tightness measures and renewable heat source give this dwelling A-Rated performance.

The design emphasises harmony of materials and balance between the interior and exterior through the use of voids, terraces, glass walls, cantilevers and skylights.

This single family home marries a functionality of spaces and honesty in aesthetics with a clarity of material. This manifests in a built structure that ultimately appears simple but contains complexity in plan and spatial organisation. n BGA Architects

Tel: 07860 642420 Email: dbrown416@hotmail.co.uk

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ULSTER GORDON BANKANNAN APARTMENTS HOUSE Graham Irvine C60 Architects

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“

“

The focus of the design was retention of historic character, so any interventions to improve the thermal performance of the existing fabric had to be carefully considered.

ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

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B

uilt in around 1920, the Grade B2 Listed former Ulster Bank is one of Donaghadee’s most prominent buildings, with its gables and chimneys dominating on the town’s skyline. The bank soars above its neighbours, giving spectacular views of the harbour, lighthouse, nearby Motte and Copeland islands from the top floor, which was originally set out as the manager’s residence. The scheme was designed to frame these key views in every direction from the main living areas.

A victim of the decline in high street banking, the branch was closed in about 2015, and was subsequently acquired by a private client with a view to change of use to a dwelling.

C60 Architects worked closely with the client to develop proposals which included the insertion of a mezzanine bar into the main living space and reconfiguration of the garage roof to introduce a private sun terrace. The focus of the design was retention of historic character, so any interventions to improve the thermal performance of the existing fabric had to be carefully considered.

ULSTER BANK APARTMENTS C60 Architects

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ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

Proposed Ground Floor

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Proposed First Floor

Proposed Second Floor

The ground floor was converted into guest accommodation, an office space, a gym and utility space. The original bank counter was reconfigured to divide the office space and allow the historic tiles to be retained. Indeed, the clients sourced tiles to perfectly match the historic floor so it could extend seamlessly into a newly formed kitchen area. The vault was converted into an uber-cool shower room, which required new openings to be inserted into the 1m-thick reinforced walls.

Early in the design process it was decided that the existing solid brass windows would be retained. Specialist fabricators were engaged at an early stage and trial sections were tested to develop an appropriate repair methodology. Original stained glass uncovered during the stripout of the building was reconditioned and refitted into the original frames. At landing level a new opening was formed to the terrace area and this was also designed around reuse of the historic glazing and frames.

The original hallways were poorly lit and claustrophobic. Low quality 1980s partitions were removed and thin profile steel-framed screens were inserted to

Proposed Mezzanine

open up the space, flood it with light and give a more modern feel. This was carried through to the bar area where a steel staircase was carefully crafted to fit perfectly over the kitchen.

A ‘night lock’ mechanism from the second floor, linking to the groundfloor vault, was discovered behind wall cladding and found to be still working. Its location required designs to be revised to avoid its control mechanism, which has been integrated into the final design.

Due to the need to preserve detailing, it was not possible to enhance insulation in some areas. A balanced approach was therefore adopted with some of the most exposed walls being lined internally and other walls being left unlined. Analysis was carried out to assess condensation risk and inform the detailing of the renovation.

By retaining almost all of the original fabric of the building, the embodied carbon has been preserved in the completed scheme. All existing timber stripped out during alterations has been reused within the fitted joinery, which has also helped ensure that historic character and appearance has been preserved and enhanced.

ULSTER BANK APARTMENTS C60 Architects

Ground Floor Alterations

First Floor Alterations

Second Floor Alterations

Attic Alterations

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Proposed Section A-A

The heating strategy is based on low temperature operation over longer periods to utilise thermal mass and work with the existing fabric. This is being monitored post occupation and will be adjusted as necessary to cope with seasonal variation.

Externally, there is little visual evidence of any change, save the removal of the ATM machine. The existing Portland stone required routine maintenance. Several of the stones worst eroded by fierce northly

Site Plan

Front Elevation

gales had to be replaced. Lead capping was added to improve shedding of rainwater and better protect the more vulnerable historic sandstone details.

THE PROJECT

The completed scheme has helped heal the town centre and has brought life back to a beautiful historic building for future generations, which may otherwise have lain derelict. n

Architect: C60 Architects

C60 Architects

Client: Alison Bell & Ronnie Johnston

Structural Engineer: Haworth McCall Photography: Alison Bell / Glenn Mills

ULSTER BANK APARTMENTS

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12 Leitrim Road, Castlewellan 07730 700715

livingdesign Northern Northern Ireland Ireland Architect Architect Designed Homes

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Let it Grow Landscape architect Peter Hutchinson tells Living Design about his latest project in south Belfast.

Located on the northeast side of a pair of semi-detached houses with a commercial unit abutting the NE boundary, this rectangular rear garden (with a small storage/utility offshoot) was a challenge.

It required a landscape design that would maximise the amount of morning and evening sun and screen the mass and dominance of the adjacent property.

When the rear garage became defunct,

the previous driveway, lawn and shrub beds had been removed and the total area completely paved, making it a soulless mono-chromatic paved surface.

All that remained was a rear privet hedge and a narrow side shrub border with a straggly hawthorn tree and a 2-metre boundary fence. The difficulties were further compounded by a very large oversized evergreen cypress tree in the rear neighbours’ garden partially restricting

morning sun (and stunting the growth of the rear boundary privet hedge below) and a single side access gate which made construction difficult and machine access impossible. There was a single change of level across the garden with a short ramp linking the two paved surfaces. Access to the garden was also possible from double patio doors connected to the kitchen/dining but separated level-wise by a single step.

The house and former garage located on the

SOUTH BELFAST GARDEN Peter Hutchinson

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Garden Survey Plan

Before pic

SE and SW sides of the space threw shadows and created shade, adding to the difficulties of the project.

proviso that it was to be a low maintenance garden as gardening skills were more or less absent with the client.

The owner gave me a fairly open brief with few actual requests. They were to have: • A space for placing a small table and chairs to have breakfast outside while catching the morning sun.

• A larger space for a table and chairs to accommodate a party of family/friends that could take advantage of the evening sun.

• A way of screening the adjacent commercial unit as it was being sold and there was a danger of a higher structure potentially being given planning permission (happily this didn’t occur).

• A softer, more interesting, colourful space with more planting — though with the

Sometimes when you are given an open brief and faced with a fairly ‘blank canvas’ it is difficult to come up with ideas that fulfil the owners’ expectations, deal with a featureless space and keep within a reasonable budget that does justice to a landscape intervention — no mean task!!

The rear garden rectangle was divided into spaces where the differing functional requirements requested could be accommodated (see spatial plan). 50% of the paving was removed for plant beds to introduce colour and warmth; a pergola and timber screens were added to define spaces; raised planters for

production and display; timber slats to screen the neighbouring property and former garage wall. Finally, a staggered timber edge to define ground-level planters.

Along the long north western boundary a tall, 3-metre-high horizontally-boarded fence with narrow slats was erected, providing instant screening from the neighbouring commercial unit. The upper slats were wider spaced to let light and wind through while also being visually less dominant.

To break up the bareness of the existing monochrome paving it was lifted in two principal places: • In the L-shaped NW shaded corner a plant bed was created to soften the roughcast facades of the house.

CASE STUDY

Patio at side of garage ... accessed off reduced driveway

Front door - new brick path/metal edge with side gravel covered beds

Timber edged planter at sidewall - defines gravel surfaced parking area

Flexible use of spaces driveway for relaxed seating when side gates closed

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•

Across the garden behind the change in level a second bed was created to provide separation to spaces created. Across the bed an open trellis fence split by a link stepping stone path reinforced the separation.

The two main plant beds had a ‘toothed edge’ that followed the edge of paving not lifted.

The utility area was also screened with a trellis and a raised planter added for the client to try some gardening. The former garagewide front opening had been blocked up with unrendered cement blocks and a door. The addition of timber slats provided a screen and a frame for a climber to attach. The storage/ utility area was big enough to accommodate a raised sleeper planter so the owner could grow herbs and salad crops.

The step outside the patio doors to the kitchen was widened to accommodate a table and chairs. The client is considering adding an awning, lights and a heater so it can be used in the evenings. A free-standing timber planter with a specimen shrub/tree was placed in the centre of the lower/central paving as a visual stop/interruption to the blandness of the paving.

Construction took a number of weeks with interruptions due to the contractor’s other commitments, some minor changes to design and supply issues with materials. Because of the tight site and difficult access, attention to detail was needed to implement the design.

Time to construct was more important than a deadline to complete — quality does come at a price too.

The garden has now been completed and is in the second season of growth. The ‘bareness’ when it was handed over to the client has now been filled with climbers starting to cover the slatted timber fences and trellises.

So much so that some serious pruning is required! The former bland paved courtyard has been transformed into a functional outdoor room that the client can use from morning to evening — this was previously absent. It connects visually with the kitchen/ breakfast room — the principal day space — and provides colour and interest throughout the day and seasons as the light and foliage is ever-changing. n

Peter Hutchinson

SOUTH BELFAST GARDEN Peter Hutchinson

69 Living Design

Garden Concept Plan

Garden Design - 3D Visual

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Clover Cottage

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GORDONCLOVER ANNANCOTTAGE HOUSE Graham Irvine Studio Architects Vericat

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The main challenge was to build an accessible home on a modest budget without sacrificing design ambition.

ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

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C

lover Cottage was designed for a family member who was looking to downsize to a property that would provide practical accessible accommodation for the future. After several unsuccessful property viewings, a small site in a suitable location came on the market that provided the perfect opportunity to have something purposebuilt. The brief was to provide accessible accommodation at ground-floor level, with additional space at first-floor for family to stay over when visiting. Specific requirements included a separate kitchen and large living/ dining space that could comfortably host visitors and accommodate the original family home’s 1960s dining room furniture.

The site was purchased in spring 2020 and a planning application was made just before the first Covid lockdown. The site was occupied by an existing semi-detached cottage that opened onto the roadside; it had been left to deteriorate beyond repair. We were fairly

confident about obtaining planning permission, so developed the project during the planning process which meant construction started on site almost immediately after gaining permission in September 2020. The project was completed in October 2021 for a total build cost of just under £200k.

The main challenge was to build an accessible home on a modest budget without sacrificing design ambition. Considering the uncertainty around availability of materials at the time, we chose a simple palette using traditional construction methods and selected products we were confident could be supplied without long delays. A standard contract was used and as the project was for a family member, we managed the procurement and installation of the windows, doors, all internal finishes, fittings and new services, including a new below-ground electrical connection, new mains drainage and gas supply.

The single-storey front volume of the house acts as a buffer from the road and creates space for parking alongside the house. The entrance porch gives shelter on the north facade and the timber screen provides privacy to the front door. The two-storey volume is efficiently planned with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen and utility cupboards. The single-storey rear volume creates a sheltered south-facing courtyard and manageable garden space.

The generous living/dining room is defined by a horizontal datum which sets the height for the tall doors, windows, built-in shelving and niches for curtains. The detailing of the large room means that it feels both bright and open but also intimate on a winter evening with the corner wood burning stove lit and curtains drawn. All the external doors have flush thresholds and the bathroom has been designed with further adaptability in mind.

CLOVER COTTAGE Studio Vericat

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The heating and hot water are provided by a gas combination boiler and there is underfloor heating on the ground floor. The radiators on the first floor only really need to be switched on when visitors are staying. The house has PIV (Positive Input Ventilation) and MEV (Mechanical Extract Ventilation) to control the ventilation and an EPC rating of B was achieved. More efficient energy options such as an air source heat pump and solar panels were explored at the time but unfortunately these weren’t feasible due to the budget. The lack of grants in Northern Ireland for these environmentally preferable options continues to be a source of frustration for our current projects.

The strategic selection of products such as the glazing by Rationel and the design of the oak handrail to the stair provide high quality bespoke design. Externally the white painted render has a grey base that follows the height of the ground-floor concrete window cills; the green windows and doors were inspired

ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

THE PROJECT Client: Sonya Russell Architect: Studio Vericat Structural Engineer: Haworth McCall Photography: Elyse Kennedy / Studio Vericat

Ground Floor Plan

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Elevation

by colourful Irish vernacular architecture and give a distinctive character to the elevations.

The house is painted white internally with warm oak flooring and splashes of colour in the kitchen and bathroom terrazzo-style floor tiles. The dining space comfortably accommodates the original teak dining room furniture and the 1960s pendant lights over the dining table provided inspiration for the black metal light fittings and kitchen accessories that were selected. A practical white Ikea kitchen has been personalised with bespoke worktops, textured wall tiles and an oak shelf.

First Floor Plan

Whilst externally the house maintains a strong link with a cottage typology, the careful sizing and orientation of the openings and combination of different volumes has created a contemporary light-filled interior that always surprises and delights visitors. n Studio Vericat Sections

CLOVER COTTAGE

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livingdesign Northern Ireland Architect Designed Homes

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livingdesign Northern Ireland Architect Designed Homes

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