Development by Gottstein Architects in Ireland
e-architect
Architecture News
World Buildings
Ellenvale Extension, County Down
2008
Catriona Duggan & Achim Gottstein Architects
Photos : Paul Tierney
Architect's Comments
The farmhouse is situated on a large rural site in County Down surrounded by a mature garden. Built in the late 1820's, the main house was originally designed with a two storey return that accommodated kitchen and servant spaces. By the 1960's, the house had fallen into a state of disrepair and the two storey return was mostly demolished, leaving behind a single storey external garage. The plan of the main house was then re-configured to accommodate a small, north-facing kitchen and entrance porch. In making the modifications, the circulation was altered so that one had to travel through the living room to access the kitchen from the hallway.
In 2006, the new owners of the house wished to create a small kitchen extension where they could engage with the garden, provide a downstairs W.C. and create external access to a loft space in the garage.
The design intention was to re-establish the connection between the main house and the somewhat 'left-over' garage space. A sculptural form was created that would 'fuse' together the two buildings and accommodate the programmatic requirements of the brief. The form is expressed as a pure element made of white brick that is molded to create the kitchen extension, a new boiler house, external terrace and access stair to the loft.
The modesty of the intervention is reinforced by the use of a singular material - the white brick being suitable for use both internally and externally to form the walls, terrace and stairs, whilst visually uniting the white rendered forms of the house and garage. The solidity and robustness of the original stone walls are echoed in the walls of the extension and the services and drainage, together with the kitchen storage cupboards are concealed within the mass of the walls. Inside, the utility room has been relocated to beside the kitchen in order to rationalize the circulation and the new W.C. tucked under the stairs behind a timber-panelled wall.
Total area: 50 sqm
Internal: 29.7 sqm (11.7 sqm new extended area/ 18 sqm remodelled existing area)
External: 22.3 sqm external terraces and stairs/ boiler house
Contract Value: £40,000 Sterling
County Down House & Leisure Building images / information from Gottstein Architects
RIAI Awards 2009 : Shortlist
New Houses
Irish Architects
Dublin Buildings
Zaha Hadid
World Architecture : e-architect - a guide to key buildings across the globe
Comments / photos for the County Down House & Leisure Building Irish Architecture page welcome: info@e-architect.co.uk
County Down House Building : page - adrian welch / isabelle lomholt
Buildings by this architect:
Hotel Europa Spa
Key Links:
Skyscrapers
Architecture Studios
Irish Architecture