'Things are changing and in the current climate, architects have to be more accessible and offer a better service' A cantilevered house with plenty of light and space has been stopping traffic in Co Wicklow INTERIORS
The client's brief was clear from the beginning: a couple with young children, they wanted a contemporary home that would make the most of the woodland site and have as much light and space as possible.
Dave O'Shea and Darrell O'Donoghue of Odos Architects responded with a design that is a bold sculptural form sitting at the foot of an escarpment in the Wicklow hills. It is a two-storey house with a garage at ground level and the living spaces and bedrooms above. The open-plan aspect suited the owners' way of life: they love entertaining and throwing parties. The main living area is conducive to family life too - it's one great big space where everyone gathers.
The new house replaced a derelict 1940s cottage. "Given the location we decided from the start that we wanted to open up the landscape to the house," says O'Shea. "The original cottage had small windows and no views so our idea was to strengthen the connection with nature. We decided to raise the house up from the ground so that the family would be at a higher level and therefore have a better outlook on the surroundings. It's a little like the Georgian idea of a piano noble or main living space that's higher than the entrance floor."
The building is entered from ground level via a flight of wide steps that rises to the first-floor entrance hall. "It's processional and dramatic," says O'Shea. Once inside, a hall leads to the open-plan kitchen, living and dining area. These are all in the cantilevered part of the house, sitting above the drive to the garage underneath. "The hallway is like an internal street. It gets narrower towards the private rooms, such as the bedrooms at the back of the house, and wider as it goes towards the public rooms, living and kitchen space." The lighting is in recessed strips rather than predictable spots.
The main living space has long stretches of window looking to the front and rear of the house. The roof is peppered with roof lights that are trained on the steep cliff above the house and its foliage. They provide an interesting, alternative view, not to mention plenty of security and light.
The exterior of the house is so striking that two minor crashes have occurred on the road that runs parallel to the site as drivers slow down for a better look. This unfortunate aspect aside, O' Shea believes buildings should invoke curiosity. "So much architecture is bland and doesn't invoke any opinion. I'd like people to be excited by our buildings - houses need to inspire their occupants."
One striking visual element to the exterior (and one that contributes to the stopping of traffic), is the striped-wood effect that breaks up a wall of windows. Long pieces of wood are painted shades of grey, white and black. "We looked at wood lands and although tree trunks are primarily brown, these colours are also there. It adds a bit of fun to the exterior." As do the yellow glass window panels that are interspersed between the painted wood.
This house was not an inexpensive build but neither was it sky high. O'Shea says one of the objectives of the practice is to provide good architecture that is affordable. "People shouldn't be scared of architects' fees. We don't charge for the first consultation and potential clients and can see early on what's involved. They can come to the studio and see how much something like this or that will cost. We're also careful with pre-planning so that money isn't wasted on trying to get planning that is refused. Things are changing and in the current climate, architects have to be more accessible and offer a better service."
Although the house is minimally furnished for these photographs, it has become a happy place for the resident kids to play. "It's not a house for two people in white coats," says O'Shea. "One of the children's favourite things are the red poles that support the cantilevered part at the front. They're placed at various angles and are again a connection to the woodland nearby."
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