G Roof House

Location: Bree, Wexford, Ireland

Area: 238 sq.m.

Year: 2024

The site is reached through Bree village’s main road, revealing a distinct contrast between the village and the rural landscape below.

The design aimed to establish a strong relationship between the existing townscape and the rural openness of the lower part of the site.

The house creates a visual relationship with the neighboring dwellings, which was inspired by the predominant ‘gable roof’ shape found in the village.

The G Roof House originated from the idea of a volume emerging naturally from the landscape – as if carved from the ground itself.

The visual impact of the building in the landscape is reduced by sitting the house in the lower part of the site. The flat roof volume, by its simplicity and contrasting shape, aims to achieve the required balance while allowing unobstructed views from the lands at the upper part of the site.

The dichotomy presented when accessing the site has been transferred to the house by playing with its mass and voids, and revealing rural views only after entering the house.

The house is designed and orientated to maximise passive solar gain and natural lighting.

Fenestration facing north was avoided to reduce heat loss. Overhangs to shade south-facing windows in the main living area are used to reduce overheating during the summer.