A 1970s elliptical bungalow was given a pentagon-shaped extension when it was remodelled 25 years ago by a storied architectural practice. It stands the test of time.
Towards the late 1990s, in the last millennium, a single-story home dating from the 1970s was given two further floors by Ireland’s godfather of ecotecture, the portmanteau used to describe ecological architecture.
The design has stood the test of time. And it’s now giving off treehouse vibes.
Address: Dún na Sí, Ross Road, Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, R35WD27
Asking price: €695,000
Agent: DNG Kelly Duncan
The five-bedroom, four-bathroom detached residence underwent a complete transformation between 1998 and 2000 under Paul Leech of Gaia Associates, who is both a civil engineer and an architect.
The firm is well regarded in design circles.
It was responsible for the timber construction visitor centre at Knowth and for Navan Credit Union, a five-storey timber construction that was revolutionary at the time.
But it is its work in its residential space that is especially exciting and makes this property worth more than a cursory look.
Its homes included a fort-like grass-clad work-live space in Co Mayo, a lakeside dwelling off the river Shannon that is tepee-shaped and Waterfall House, a beautiful buff brick and glass building based on the substructure of an old mill and incorporating its original turbine in Co Meath.
The scale of Dún na Sí is also impressive.
It now extends to 365 square metres across its three floors, one lower and one upper, sandwiched between the principal floor at entrance level.
The extension added about 120 square metres to the original footprint, recalls Sally Starbuck, a director at Gaia, who also worked on the project.
The entrance floor comprises two wings: the original elliptical-shaped bungalow, which houses four of the five bedrooms and a study, while the other is home to a large, pentagon-shaped open-plan kitchen, dining cum living room that opens out to a timber deck.
The kitchen is by SieMatic and has black polished granite countertops.
The island includes seating, and there is room for a dining table and a lounge area.
This opens out to a timber deck that is south-west facing and frames the mature garden,n which is bounded by mature trees.
You look out to the canopies, as if in a treehouse. The surrounding timber beams are all Douglas fir.
Secreted off the kitchen is a large utility room that could double as a dirty kitchen, for it is exceedingly spacious.
On the lower ground floor is the living room, which has an open hearth and opens out to the mature and landscaped grounds.
There is also a winter garden or home gym that opens out to the grounds, as well as considerable storage space, currently in a raw block state, that could be used as a wine cellar.
Above, on the first floor,r is the principal bedroom, and you can see its angled walls within the bespoke cabinetry.
It has an en-suite bathroom and has a triangular-shaped window.
It also opens out to a timbered balcony, giving more treehouse vibes. Within the mature tree boundary, a weeping willow draws the eye across the expansive lawns.
There is a plant room that accommodates the oil-fired central heating boiler, zoned heating control system, and a water softener.
The property also includes a timber-framed garage, patio area and basketball court.
Situated southwest of Tullamore between the villages of Mucklagh and Blue Ball, the C Ber-rated property is seeking €695,000 through agents DNG Kelly Duncan.
