Belgrave Road, Rathmines

One of a pair of semi-detached Victorian houses, 15 Belgrave Road had been unsympathetically extended and sub-divided into three units prior to it being remodelled by PKA in 2015.

The brief to PKA was to restore the property to its original single-family use, conserving the historic elements that contribute to its special interest, and ensuring that the contemporary interventions required to adapt it to twenty-first century family life were of the highest quality.

Deciding on best location for the kitchen and dining area is one of the most challenging decisions in remodelling three-storey Victorian residences. In this case, the decision was determined by the fact that the protected structure had been previously extended at garden level; the redesign of this floor therefore become the main focus of the project.

The garden level's overall structure and plan was retained, with only minor alterations that dramatically altered the quality of the spaces: the insertion of skylights into the existing lean-to roof transformed the previously gloomy area into a sun-filled kitchen and dining area; the installation of a contemporary staircase in a double-height void created a new link to the hall-floor entrance and drawing room.

The upper floors generally had their original layouts retained, save for the introduction of contemporary bathrooms and services, in addition to conservation of all remaining elements of historic fabric: windows, doors, ceilings, cornices and joinery.

The philosophy underpinning PKA's remodelling of this protected structure is that the combination of contemporary interventions with conservation of original elements produces and architecture that is richer than either on its own.

Client: Private
Value: Private

Size: 550 sq.m.

Reference: On application
Design: 2014
Completion: 2015