‘Irish House Designs’

Down with this kind of thing.
Hmmm think I’ll add them to the block list.

Don’t you just love the Liffey House, it has got as much design quality as it’s namesake that afflicted Tara St for years.

It reminds me of something you would expect to see on the side of an Alabama golf course.

Originally posted by Paul Clerkin
Down with this kind of thing.
Hmmm think I’ll add them to the block list.

Mother of God. Could the RIAI not block them from Ireland full stop?

Is it wrong to send a mail to this crowd? I deeply feel they need to be educated.
Their website is even more offensive than their houses, how can these people be let build?

My personal favourite is the Laragh bungalow, with the Dee dormer hot on its heels – I never knew roofs could be so tall 🙂

Hundreds of applications for those houses come into An Taisce every week from all around the country. It’s very depressing looking through them. Most of them have to go in the bin instantly. The Heritage Officer can only deal with a tiny few – for example if the house is located in or close to an SAC or is on an elevated site or lakeshore.

You can’t object to a house on design grounds or else you’re a ‘visual snob’. In fact, you can’t object/appeal a one-off house at all in Ireland cos then you are “persecuting” the people who applied for it (that’s what Roche said recently) – bizarre, isn’t it?

If people aren’t going to use architects when they build their own rural houses, should An Taisce publish a book of house designs that were
-more aesthetically pleasing
-more eco-friendly
-more Irish
than those found in a book like ‘Bungalow Bliss’?

Maybe this is not An Taisce’s function but it might be a positive act rather than lamenting how God-awful all these bungalows look.

I have never heard An Taisce “lamenting how God-awful these bungalows look”. This is An T’s policy statement on one-off housing:

http://www.antaisce.org/campaigns/policy_statements/RURAL%20BUILT%20ENV%20APP%20FINAL%2021.01.05.doc

Originally posted by Devin
I have never heard An Taisce “lamenting how God-awful these bungalows look”.

My apologies if this was unfair paraphrasing.

Anyway back to the topic. I agree mob 79 – with ‘The Liffey’ & the 2-storey ones esp. they should be tried for Crimes against Ireland.

As well as the SACs etc. mentioned, bungalows LOVE historic sites. They are attracted to them like flies on shite. Whether it’s a castle, an 18th century folly or a holy well, the nearer to a heritage site, the better.

Originally posted by phil
I have been thinking about these sorts of buildings a lot over the last few weeks. Does anyone else think that it may now be possible to regard the prevalence of these sorts of buildings as our new vernacular?

I assume you mean the architectural definition ie

“Of or being an indigenous building style using local materials and traditional methods of construction and ornament, especially as distinguished from academic or historical architectural styles”.

and, if so, God help us all.

I prefer another definition ie

“Occurring or existing in a particular locality; endemic: a vernacular disease”

The cheek of that copyright yoke how can they claim copyright on designs that are so devoid of any originality?

I am the one responsible for the website http://www.irishhousedesigns.com I understand that the current designs are very basic and may not satisfy your requirements. However, these are the type of houses which most irish people can afford to build. Bespoke architectural design and high construction costs go hand in hand. Everyone is entitled to have their own house and they should not be condemned if they cannot afford an outstanding design.
The liffey, dee and larah are weaker designs I must admit. However, I believe that the barrow, blackwater etc. are more closely linked with the Irish vernacular than some of the minamilist boxes which would be greatly praised as being great architecture. Surely a contemporary design will look even more out of place than the “liffey” in the irish countyside. ( As an aside the “liffey” was actually designed by a member of the RIAI, who donated the design)
The site is currently offline. It will soon return. I the mean time, I am sorry to offend your delicate tastes, but we all need to make a living at the end of the day.

What about modesty. Modesty doesn’t cost to much extra does it?

@Mob79 wrote:

What about modesty. Modesty doesn’t cost to much extra does it?

Right on the money mob,

if many applicants reduced project size by 10% and increased the design budget to absorb 8% of this they would have a better place to live and a more valuable property.

@neiljdonn wrote:

we all need to make a living at the end of the day.

Aren’t you lucky you live in a country under a government which is permitting the destruction of its landscape quality?

If any of you wish to view some real mansions, check out this for ‘size’. I wonder what the price tag is like?

http://www.johnmorrisarchitects.com/longview.html#

Brian O’ Hanlon.

Have to say I quite like that one.

I’m sorry – I’ll go hang my head in shame.

The design quality of one off’s even large one offs in England is so much higher than here and they tend to be built where people can see the detailing from the road as opposed to the scale from 2 miles. I wouldn’t say you could down load any of those designs for 5k

Given the lack of coherent policy on the issue the phrase ‘overly prescriptive’ in relation to materials can only be construed ‘ah sure once it doesn’t look like a slatted shed you’re grand’

The economic arguments are still unresolved in relation to how such a high proportion of residential accomodation is permitted in this form. 🙁

Like it or not, this style of housing is the current Irish vernacular. If extreme conservationism survives as an ideology, these houses will eventually be listed and become objects of magical worship just like every other housing style over 100 years old. I have no doubt that one day people will look lovingly at fat cracked, yellowing PVC windowframes and consider how best to sensitively restore them to their former white shiny glory.

When TP refers to ‘design quality’ is he referring to form or function? If he is making a comment on the aesthetic qualities of irish versus UK bungalows he must know that these opinions are purely subjective and likely to change over time. As Irish people choose to buy these houses, they must believe they are attractive and well designed. While you and I disagree you can’t argue as there is no accounting for taste.

A good point. The domestic architecture of today is without doubt the new vernacular – something Phil raised before.
And by and large people do like what they’re getting – complaints about developments today relate to house size, or local facilities – not design.

It’s only when your eyes are opened to the ‘other side’, dare I say the ‘reality’ of it all, that one’s views completely change.
Reflected I think with the PVC issue and notable even on this site – when people realise the damage PVC does, or come across the alternatives to the product for new-build, they are generally sickened from that point on anytime they see the stuff.

To begin with you notice it on your neighbour’s house for the first time, then the next house, and the next, then you venture into town and it hits you like a hammer – oh no, oh God, it’s everywhere! 🙂
I often wish that shaft of light from heaven had never decended on me – could be happily walking around now with my eyes wide shut 🙂

The same applies for domestic development design, and architecture on a much broader level.

Classy eh?

€800 is all it costs to inflict it on the landscape

It also seems that irishhousedesigns.com has become http://www.irishhousedesigns.net

Love the way the ground floor plan on that link has no front door. 😉

Why let an access problem get in the way of turning a fast buck?

http://www.irishhousedesigns.com/

http://www.irishhousedesigns.net/

It looks like the curse of Lehmans has struck