Martin House (House at Chapel Pass)

The clients acquired a secluded site beside a church grounds in the seaside town of Blackrock to build a house for their retirement. The site slopes gradually eastwards, with open views out to sea, across Dundalk Bay to the Cooley Mountains.

The house is designed to take advantage of the views, with living areas and master bedroom in a split-level, open-plan spiral. Entry is from a gravel forecourt at the North-East corner of the site, and the house is organised around the forecourt, with bedrooms facing East and kitchen/dining opening on the South side onto a timber jetty.

The monopitch roof gives the house a low-lying profile, and it appears as a single storey when seen from Chapel Pass on the west side. A raised lightbox brings South-West light into the living space at the centre of the plan. Two guest bedrooms are located under the half level on the east side at the lower level on the site contour.