Private Client

Dartmouth Square House

Exploring a late Victorian typology, this refurbishment and extension required a balance between historical character and contemporary lifestyle.

This project involved the complete refurbishment and extension of a Listed Victorian terrace house in central Dublin. The design focused on examining how a raised ground housing style from the late Victorian era could meet the needs of modern living. Specifically, it explored how the lower and upper ground floors could be interconnected to accommodate contemporary lifestyle requirements. The main stairwell and associated return levels were altered to connect the two floors more closely, while walls at the firstfloor level were reconfigured to draw daylight deep into the lower ground floor through the roof.

 

As well as enhancing the original features, careful study of the building fabric uncovered opportunities to create contemporary space to the rear.  The existing return was demolished and replaced with a new dining room on the lower ground floor and an additional bedroom above.  The new bedroom, wrapped in bronze, appears to float above the concrete volume of the dining room, allowing changing patterns of sunlight to animate the interior.

“At the start of every project you have an idea or a rough outline of what you want. The team at Nex— had vision and that made all the difference in delivering to us a result beyond our expectations.”

Private Client

Name:
Dartmouth Square House
Client:
Private Client
Date:
January 2011
Location:
Dublin, Ireland
Status:
Completed
Budget:
£300,000
Sector:
Residential
Team:
Alan Dempsey
Photography:
Ros Kavanagh
Collaborators:
Structural Engineer: CORA Quantity Surveyor: WMQS