Bungalow Bliss
Client: Private
Type: Renovation and Addition
Gross Internal Area: 284sqm / 3056 sqft
Status: in Planning
Location: Co. Kerry
Date: 2024-
A typical Bungalow Bliss-era dwelling in rural Ireland is set to be transformed into a contemporary family home.
Drawing inspiration from the vernacular farmstead typologies of the Irish countryside, the intervention reimagines the single-storey linear bungalow as an L-shaped composition. This new form introduces “kissing gables” that define a sheltered entrance courtyard, creating a sense of spatial containment and enhancing the experience of arrival.
To the rear, the reconfigured plan frames a south-facing courtyard garden. This orientation maximises solar gain, encourages passive ventilation, and significantly improves outdoor amenity. The spatial strategy takes cues from the inward-facing layout of traditional Irish farm clusters—settlements shaped by the need for collective shelter from prevailing Atlantic winds and a strong sense of enclosure.
Where possible, the original wet-dash rendered walls will be retained and repaired, preserving the understated, utilitarian character of the existing structure while reducing demolition and material waste. The external palette draws on the local vernacular, favouring durable, natural materials that resonate with the Kerry landscape and its agricultural heritage.
Internally, the design introduces vaulted communal spaces—a contemporary take on the traditional direct-entry cottage, where various aspects of domestic life once coexisted under a single roof. This approach balances openness with intimacy, encouraging connection while allowing for the adaptable, fluid living patterns of modern family life.
Client: Private
Type: Renovation and Addition
Gross Internal Area: 284sqm / 3056 sqft
Status: in Planning
Location: Co. Kerry
Date: 2024-
A typical Bungalow Bliss-era dwelling in rural Ireland is set to be transformed into a contemporary family home.
Drawing inspiration from the vernacular farmstead typologies of the Irish countryside, the intervention reimagines the single-storey linear bungalow as an L-shaped composition. This new form introduces “kissing gables” that define a sheltered entrance courtyard, creating a sense of spatial containment and enhancing the experience of arrival.
To the rear, the reconfigured plan frames a south-facing courtyard garden. This orientation maximises solar gain, encourages passive ventilation, and significantly improves outdoor amenity. The spatial strategy takes cues from the inward-facing layout of traditional Irish farm clusters—settlements shaped by the need for collective shelter from prevailing Atlantic winds and a strong sense of enclosure.
Where possible, the original wet-dash rendered walls will be retained and repaired, preserving the understated, utilitarian character of the existing structure while reducing demolition and material waste. The external palette draws on the local vernacular, favouring durable, natural materials that resonate with the Kerry landscape and its agricultural heritage.
Internally, the design introduces vaulted communal spaces—a contemporary take on the traditional direct-entry cottage, where various aspects of domestic life once coexisted under a single roof. This approach balances openness with intimacy, encouraging connection while allowing for the adaptable, fluid living patterns of modern family life.
