RIAI | Irish Architecture Awards

Citation

Architect’s Comments

Sophia Housing Association was founded seven years ago with the aim of providing affordable housing and to offer support and educational services to those on low incomes. Their stated aim is to identify specific groups in need of additional support and provide assistance. This particular scheme, developed in conjunction with Fingal County Council is intended for young families and offers on site support services for young parents coming to terms with juggling family life with day-to-day commitments and the possibility of re-entering the workforce. 

In fulfilling these requirements, the brief for Hazel Grove was to create a new development of twenty residential units with a particular emphasis on the encouragement of communal interaction while also offering a safe and secure environment for young families.

The development is located on a tree-lined road on the edge of Donabate village slotted in between two detached bungalows and surrounded to the rear by suburban housing. In order to minimise the impact on this essentially pastoral context, the buildings are set back from the site boundary and present gables ends to the road recalling the established rhythm of detached properties in the vicinity.
 
Entering from the road, one slips between the gables of two terraces into a central garden space. This space is bounded on it’s north/south axes by two terraces of dwellings, one of which, describing a gentle arc in plan, pivots away from the northern entry point where administration and education facilities are located and opens to the south and the light.
Primary access to all the dwellings is via this central garden space. A 3m high brick wall projects along the south edge of the garden space, screening a more secluded play area and childcare facility to the rear.

All residential units enjoy dual aspect along an east/west orientation and the standard two bedroom unit comprises of an open plan living area on the ground floor with a small utility / downstairs WC tucked under the stairs and two double bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor. First floor rear windows look south into external recesses to prevent over looking of the neighbouring properties. In addition to the communal garden spaces, each unit has a semi private patio to the rear of the their unit.

The development is generally of masonry construction with shallow mono-pitched roofs of insulated profiled metal sheeting. Terraces have painted rendered finishes. Iroko cladding, windows and doors provides a an interesting visual and tactile contrast with the more muscular masonry components of the scheme. The crèche facility is a single storey steel frame structure with floor to ceiling iroko windows playfully glazed in different colours.

Clients Comments

The design, by Gerry Cahill Architects, was planned in consultation with the planning department from Fingal Co Co and great care was taken to ensure that the surrounding properties were not overlooked.

The development is located on a tree-lined road on the edge of Donabate village slotted in between two detached bungalows and surrounded to the rear by suburban housing. In order to minimise the impact on this essentially pastoral context, the buildings are set back from the site boundary and present gable ends to the road, recalling the established rhythm of detached properties in the vicinity.

Entering from the road, one slips between the gables of two terraces into a terrace of dwellings, one of which, describing a gentle arc in plan pivots away from the northern entry point where administration and education facilities are located and opens to the south and the light.

Primary access to all the dwellings is via this central garden space. A 3-metre high brick wall projects along the south edge to the garden space, screening a more secluded play area and childcare facility to the rear.