5 Irish Architects That Will Tackle Your Small Space Projects
Adrian Buckley features in House & Home article which can be read at source here
Got a project to plan or rooms that need rescuing? We've rounded up five Irish architects who are our smartest small space saviours.
Irish architects: Optimise Design
Irish architects: Buckley Partners Architects
Adrian Buckley, Buckley Partners Architects
This Wicklow practice is best known for its low-energy, responsible environmental design coupled with its conservation work on countless Georgian and Victorian homes across Leinster. Founding partner Adrian Buckley believes that central to the design process, regardless of the size of the project, are his clients’ interests and personalities, and that spaces should mirror this and not just the ideas of the architect.
When tasked with designing or reconfiguring a small house, Adrian loves, “the rigour of planning every inch carefully to harness all the space available. Nothing can be wasted, so it’s a really interesting and fun challenge.”
A recent project, saw the firm build a house on a plot that was only 5 metres in width and 8 metres in depth. Nicknamed ‘The Peat House’ because of the turf-like colour of the brick used, it was squeezed between two existing terraces on the west side of Stoneybatter’s Oxmantown Road.
Hidden storage solutions and clever windows ensure the house flows beautifully and is light filled from the front and rear. “We used a horizontal format ground floor window facing onto the street which lets light in form the street level, while at the same time it acts as an interesting splash back to the kitchen units,” Adrian says.
“And the window in the bathroom, which also faces out onto the street, is hidden behind slot cut outs in the aluminium panels over the entrance door. We hid the utility room under the stairs, accessed by concealed doors,” he adds. Clever design is paramount in tight spaces. “We try on a wider level to enhance the quality of everyday life for the users of whatever we are working on,” Adrian confirms.
Adrian’s top small space tips
A family affair: Each person who is going to live in the space, even the kids, should write their wish list before you start, and hand these over to the architect. This is so helpful in keeping the project focused, right through the works.
Go pro: Use an architect, no matter how small the project, to get the best out of your home.
Team budget: Agree the budget up front and ensure that your architect and builder work with you to achieve this. Coming in on-budget is a team effort between the three parties so you all need to communicate daily.
Define the details: Agree all the detail even before contact with the builder. It you have a good set of design documents, that have been well discussed between you and the architect, there should be very little need for change and therefore more cost and design certainty.
Experience the journey: Enjoy the project; it’s a once in a life time experience. Try to involve the whole family, in discussion as well as with the progress of the build and site inspections if safe. It’s a great opportunity to make wonderful memories.
Buckley Partnership Architects, 2 Duncairn Terrace, Bray, Co Wicklow; Bpa.ie