Atlantic House

Atlantic House 

Location: South Cork 

Project Start November 2014, Completed May 2019 

Cost : confidential 

The 1.4-hectare site on a south-facing hillside which enjoys panoramic views of the Irish Sea coastline from its elevated position above the access road.  

The Atlantic House comprises a three-bedroom house of 249m2, including an upstairs library and master study, both contained within the volume of the internal open roof space.  

The footprint of the house responds to orientation, creating courtyards sheltered from prevailing winds and fitting into the existing contours of the site by balancing cut and fill on the very steep site.  

The house consists of two gabled buildings with slate roofs and whitewashed brickwork.  The larger building houses the living/dining room, kitchen and library while the smaller holds the three bedrooms. They are linked by a sinuous flat roofed volume that forms the circulation and service areas: entrance hall, plant room, guest WC, storage areas and an internal sun space that opens onto an external south-facing terrace.  

The building’s footprint and roofline form an undulating profile against the landscape, echoing the qualities of the site’s rugged formations and the sculptural coastal rock that characterises the area.  

Several corner windows are expressed within the facades.  The master bedroom corner window opens to the east and south for morning light and views towards the distant lighthouse. The living space is completed by a 3-sided glazed box which has been located at the point on the site which offers a 270-degree view of the sea and offshore islands.