Sky Houses

An existing dormer building is restructured as a permeable light box. Removing the old dormer windows, a three-and-a-half storey block is locked onto the top of the refurbished building. The new block provides a series of duplex and triplex units in the form of vertical houses. The block is carved out to form terraces, gardens and winter gardens, a multifaceted version of the traditional Irish back garden which divided and distributed to provide a range of uses and experiences. Conceptually comfortable houses are placed in a city centre location with three or four sided views over the city and green pockets acting as breathing space. Continuing the sense of rural life in an urban setting, allotments are available to residents. The apartments wrap around a central circulation corridor providing single- and double-height space within each unit. The new block is wrapped in a light glass skin, the deep structural mullions emphasising the play of light and privacy. Externally, gardens push down into the walls of the existing building interlocking the two blocks into a single but distinct unity.

Project: Commission
Size: 1 250 m²
Budget: Confidential
Place: Church Street, Dublin
Status: On going
Team: Architecture Republic, CORA
Type: Commission
Client: Monti Ltd