Mullarghderg — Irish Retreat

The dramatic site for Mullaghderg on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, nestled into a bay with nothing between the house but beach, create the perfect conditions for an architecture that is about sensitivity and the vernacular. Foster Lomas were engaged by the long-term owner of the existing bungalow, to create a new family home. Taking the gable form, this acts as a device to direct framed views on to the sea. The original plan takes the existing form of the bungalow and links it with an offset gabled section, to create interlinked family spaces to enjoy the outside as well as generous family spaces. The presence of granite walls within the landscape and adjacent ruins have driven the vocabulary for the architecture with granite walls situated to maximise the angle of sun penetration during the winter months, whilst the roof is clad with traditional slate with solar panels, on the south side, hidden from the beach view. The design leads the way in integrated sustainable technologies taking advantage of the site’s orientation and the natural resources to allow it to be fully sustainable and to achieve virtually Net Zero Energy rating.