HIGH POINT


“The electricity being turned on. This was the first point where it felt like the end was in sight and we could visualise ourselves living in our home.” – Una


These concepts were presented to Brian


harn a skilled architect whos based in Limerick. Laura attests to how he truly grasped their vision, and highlights an invaluable adantage he brought to the proect  eibility. “Brian presented options to us based on our wish list, and always created space for changing the design or trying a different approach to make sure we were 100% happy with everything.”


Securing planning permission was the next


hurdle in their journey. The body responsible in Ireland, Rural Ireland, is renowned for its stringent approach, a rumour which was well- founded in this project. Even with Brian at the helm, navigating this stage was “lengthy and complicated,” says Una. Their initial choice of site was rejected due to concerns over ‘ribbon deelopment. n reland this is classified as a high density – almost continuous road frontage deelopment  which means fie or more houses on any one side of a given 250 metres of road. Given the circumstances, they found themselves with no alternative but to abandon the original site. However, by another stroke of fortune nas parents owned a similar site nearby. Without needing to modify the design, the team managed to seamlessly shift the home to the new location. “We were very lucky to be in a position to do this and get approved for planning,” explains Una.


BREAKING GROUND Una and Laura recognised that with them lacking in construction epertise theyd need to opt for a contractor-led build as the most practical choice. “We both have very busy full time jobs


mar/apr 2024


so we didnt feel we had the time to inest in an independent self-build,” explains Laura. They selected a local builder with a strong reputation, and they provided invaluable guidance throughout the project.


The home has been constructed chiey using


concrete blocks, a deliberate choice made by the couple due to their familiarity with the building method; and they believed that local building contractors would be better equipped to handle this approach. Additionally, a key requirement for them was to incorporate a concrete oor upstairs to minimise noise in fact it was a non-negotiable for their design. Spanning 18 months, the construction


process saw Una and Laura renting temporary accommodation for the initial 12 months of the build then residing with family for the final si months before moving in. The couples lack of construction eperience


drove them to educate themselves as much as possible. This was to enable them to make key decisions to get the house to a builders finish ie a completed building fabric. aing a contractor was a huge help here and took the burden off us in terms of coordinating the different stages of the build. They always let us know what we need to start thinking about next.”


Once the structural framework was complete, Una and Laura actively oversaw the interior finishes managing aspects such as bathrooms kitchen design, colour schemes, and furniture selection from start to finish.


A SEAMLESS BLEND The finished home seamlessly blends www.sbhonline.co.uk 45


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70