House at Goleen in Ireland

Niall McLaughlin Architects designed this 300 sq m residence in Spanishcove, Ireland. The owner’s idea was to re-construct the house having as basis the original structure and considering the landscape around. The old home was partially destroyed by the climate and careless development during the late years.

The site is facing the sea on the east side and has beautiful and lush landscapes surrounding it. Since the old house was positioned between a cliff and a stream, the road leading to it goes down the steep rock to the entrance. Being one of Europe’s most impressive roads, the outside of the building had to be kept untouched. More over, energy efficient systems had to be used, to create the connection with the nature surrounding the site.

The existing dwelling was kept and using a limestone pavilions system it was incorporated into the new structure. It contains the guest bedrooms, while the pavilions create a circuit of different types of spaces, from courtyards to social areas and bedrooms. The terrace is placed at the end of this sinuous road to emphasize the view on the rocks up North.

The pavilions are the new elements that hide the real spaces of the house like the dining and kitchen, living or study room. They’re made of Irish blue limestone matching and reflecting (when wet) the landscape. However, using this type of heavy stone created the necessity to reinforce the structure of the residence.