Ballyedmonduff

The house is located on a steeply sloping site on the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains. The house is formed by two overlapping and interlocking L-shaped blocks, the lower block runs parallel and is cut into the slope of the hillside to minimise visibility from the adjacent roadway. The upper block overhangs the lower volume to create a dramatic cantilevered volume with extensive floor to ceiling frameless windows which enjoy panoramic views across the surrounding landscape and towards the distant coastline.

The bedrooms are contained in the lower stone clad block and the living spaces in the split level upper, glass and timber clad volume. The house is approached along a gravelled driveway and appears, at first to be a single storey structure. However, a large steel-framed window which faces the entrance forecourt, reveals the main staircase and the existence of the hidden lower floor. The house has been carefully designed to benefit from passive solar energy and the use of natural ventilation. The house is heated by the combination of a wood chip boiler and solar array panels and the external fabric has been highly insulated to ensure energy efficiency and low running costs for the home.