Two houses are located on a site which slopes steeply from Sunday's Well Road to the north to the marshland of the River Lee to the south. The tight fabric of the city at street level and the wide open character of the Lee Valley with its uninterrupted views to the south provide a variety of contrasting conditions.
- RIAI Award - Best Living
- Cork Architectural Association Annual Exhibition, 'Geometry + Space'
Cork, 30 Oct - 30 Nov 2018
One house responds to the urban condition, creating a bookend to the existing terrace of houses. Small, bridged courtyards, light wells and screens provide privacy, light and air- characteristic of the typology of the neighbouring houses. The south facing living space with its urban terrace looks to the city and landscaped park. The other, larger house belongs to the typology of villas which sit in gardens overlooking parkland and city. This 4 storey tower house is accessed at second floor, crossing a bridge onto an entrance terrace. The upper bedroom looks up the valley to the west. A first floor living area provides views of the city and its monuments. A series of steps and terraces connect this level with the garden below. Ground floor bedrooms are screened by a canopy of trees. A meandering stepped path with connected lawns provide a sequence of garden experiences from expansive vistas to private hideaways.
Publications:
- More Space for Architecture, 2022
- RIAI Annual Review, Vol 9, 2022, A House Tower in Sunday's Well, Sandra Andrea O’Connell PDF
- Irish Examiner, 14.06. 2019, National architecture awards turn spotlight on Cork, Eve Kelliher PDF
- Architecture Ireland, Jan-Feb 2017, New and Next - Cork City and County PDF
- AV Monographs, 2016