A covered outdoor space is the surprising highlight of this Dublin extension
As well as reconfiguring and opening up the layout, the extension has greatly increased the usable space in this family home.
When considering renovating and extending your home, your outdoor space is probably not at the forefront of your mind – naturally, maximising the interior space is usually the focus. But this Dublin project proves that incorporating the exterior into the design has benefits for the whole space.
As Michael Lamb, director at Ryan and Lamb Architects and project architect on this project explains, when the homeowners first approached them, this house had plenty of different rooms, they didn’t function well together.
“While the house was generous in size, it wasn’t functioning for our clients and their family. The house had views of the garden, but it did not connect as easily as they would have liked, given its southern aspect.”
The clients wanted more open space, and from the outset were clear that they wanted a covered outdoor space with a firepit, so this was incorporated into the design.
An existing extension was demolished, the internal layout was reconfigured, and a single storey extension was added.
Michael explains that, “Given the connection with the garden, we wanted to create a seamless transition between inside and outside. This was helped through the use of large expanses of glass, in conjunction with the earthy tones of the brick, timber floor, tiles and paving.”
As a result, the two spaces feel totally cohesive, and flow into each other seamlessly. “Transparency between the outdoor space and the dining room provides a visual connection that allows interaction but while still being physically separated,” Michael explains.
“What was important with the external area was to provide a functional space that was partially covered, to provide some shelter from the rain and that would still allow daylight to get into the rear living room.”
What also works well is the landscaping has allowed vines and wisteria to grow across the new structure, softening the extension and allowing it to feel part of the original house.
Full of light, with plenty of places to sit and chat, read, or just relax, this design has clearly achieved everything it set out to.
Photography: Ste Murray
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