Whitehall

This residential project involved the refurbishment and extension of an existing semi-detached house in Whitehall, North Dublin. The brief was to improve the connection between the existing home and rear garden while creating a larger, light-filled kitchen, dining and family living space, together with additional bedroom accommodation at first-floor level.

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The proposed house extension was initially conceived as an L-shaped addition extending into the rear garden at ground-floor level, with a smaller first-floor volume providing the additional bedroom space. During the architectural design and planning process, a number of spatial constraints influenced the development of the proposal and helped shape the final layout.

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The completed design comprises a long ground-floor volume containing the new kitchen and living area, alongside a smaller volume accommodating the dining space. This arrangement creates a sheltered courtyard between the new extension and the existing house, strengthening the relationship between the internal living spaces and the garden. The first-floor extension sits above, providing additional bedroom accommodation while maintaining the composition of the ground-floor spaces.

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Large areas of glazing punctuate the brick façade of the ground-floor extension, maximising natural daylight and creating strong visual connections with the rear garden. A strategically positioned rooflight introduces additional daylight deep into the new kitchen and living space.

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The material palette was carefully selected to distinguish the new contemporary extension while complementing the character of the existing Dublin house. Brick was chosen for the ground-floor volume, providing a robust material connection with the original structure. The upper-level extension is clad in charred Japanese timber, or Shou Sugi Ban, creating a contrasting lightweight volume above the brick base.

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The result is a contemporary house extension and renovation that provides additional living and bedroom space while significantly improving natural light, functionality and the relationship between the home and its garden.