Tag: Wexford (Page 2 of 7)

Clonmore House – Wexford

May 22, 2018 / barros / 1 Comment

One thing we can take it from granted when we visit a rural site in Ireland – green pastures!

On our first visit to this site we were greeted by our young clients and Bel, the sheep.

It was easy to get lost in the stunning open views of the hills but Bel reminded us this was a working farm.

This site in North Wexford has a gentle south-facing slope and it offers the ideal location for our farmer client to build his future family home.

Re-inventing the traditional farmyard layout

The proposal was strongly inspired by the rural location, the farm environment and the close proximity to existing farm buildings. The traditional farmyard layout (see no. 1 below) was the starting point for the new scheme.

The existing site contours are used as the regulating lines for the new layout. They shift the smaller volume until it is stopped by the 2 storey volume (see no. 2 above). The result is a layout that easily meets the current lifestyle of its occupants while reflecting cultural values of the traditional farmyard layout.

The main living spaces open up to south to enjoy the best views and passive solar gains. The windows frame the views to the surrounding farmlands and hills. The bedrooms face east to enjoy the morning light. The living room connects to an outside space that is sheltered from the weather and can be used all year around.

A palette of natural and man-made materials is proposed. Stone walls feature throughout the house recalling the character of agricultural buildings. The zinc has a strong agricultural feel that balances the composition whilst connecting the traditional gabled volumes. This is contrasted with the stone and white render which act as contemporary, yet rural materials.

The layout optimises the use of solar energy and aims to achieve an A3 BER rating (50 kWh/m2/yr).

See more animations here.

Do you have a similar project? Talk to us today!

Extension to Stone Cottage Over 180 Years Old

March 30, 2018 / barros / 0 Comments

Shaolin cottage is a gem hidden near New Ross, County Wexford. The existing house retains the original character enhanced by the labor of love of its owners. The cottage is surrounded by mature trees in an extremely private setting. The owners’ brief included additional accomodation and a proper kitchen and bathroom. Attention to Feng Shui principles was also one of the initial requirements.

The basis of Feng Shui is that energy (chi) flows from one entity to another.The chi energy you take in from your environment influences your needs, emotions, physical energy and, over time, your health, Chi energy is carried through the environment by wind, water, the sun’s solar energy, light and sound. It flows in and out of buildings mainly through the doors and windows. The basic aim of Feng Shui is to enable you to position yourself where this natural flow of chi energy helps you to realise your goals and your dreams in life.

Everything in the world can be seen in terms of two kinds of energy: passive and active, or yin and yang, which is one of the fundamental principles of Feng Shui.

The Five Element Cycle

The Five Elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water – are one of the special tools Feng Shui uses.

From the very start our design aimed to keep the chi energy flowing gently throughout the house. This influenced the overall layout, the location of the windows and the orientation of the rooms. Symmetry was also an important concept used to achieve balance and harmony.

The curved shape was designed to complement and interconnect with the existing rectangular shape (cottage) with a view to achieve a yin-yang relationship. Yin and yang are complementary and integrated with each other. Both are mutually indispensable and feed each other while at the same time they cannot be separated.

We always felt the character of the existing stone cottage was there to be respected and we did not want the new design to compete with the old.

However, the required floor area was more than the existing area. This imposed the challenge of creating a new volume that would not dominate the site. We feel the new design, by its simplicity and contrasting volume, achieves the required balance and retains the old house as the main focal point.

The selection of the materials also followed the yin-yang principle by re-using in the new curved element the existing stone that matches the original house. The ‘five elements’ principle was also completed by introducing the element metal – zinc cladding – in the new extension.

See more animations here.

Do you have a similar project? Talk to us today!

Brandon House Hotel Returns to its Full Glory

June 11, 2015 / barros / 7 Comments

We are delighted to see the completion of Phase 2 of the Conservation and Repair Works at the Brandon House Hotel.

The original building of the Brandon House Hotel is a Protected Structure built between 1841-1874 and located in New Ross, Co. Wexford, Ireland. The property has been maintained reasonably well but many inadequate repairs have failed to resolve the problems.

The project involved the preparation of condition and recommendations reports, followed by specifications and contract administration. The works were carried out in 2 Phases. Phase 1 involved work to two chimneys and it was carried out by Protum. Phase 2 included all the other chimneys, external walls, roofs, rainwater goods, etc. Robert Quinn Ltd. was commissioned to carry out the works in Phase 2.

Works included repair and repointing of brickwork and stonework, replacement of roof coverings and flashings, capping and ventilating redundant chimney flues, cleaning and restoration of cast iron rainwater goods, etc.

The philosophy for the intervention to this Protected Structure was guided by international charters and principles, the aim was to prolong the life of the building for its utilization now and in the future.

Most conservation challenges are complex and many difficult challenges have arisen during the Works. Isabel Barros Architects are proud to have achieved a fantastic result through good collective teamwork and strict budget control.