This house on the outskirts of Tullamore, constructed in 2022, was designed by chartered engineer Dermot Keyes. It is the second house he has built here on family land, which “has components that you just don’t find in other houses”. There are four 0.75-acre sites here in total, destined for one-off private homes. Two have already been built, number 1 Cois na Cille and number 3, which he refers to “as a cousin of number 1 due to its simple mono-pitch walls”. Number 3, an A-rated Scandinavian-style property, sold in 2020.
Keyes designed this house in 2016, constructed it during Covid and finished it to a high standard last year. Its contemporary design really stands out. First of all the slope of the house is designed to suit the geometry of the boundary of the 0.76-acre site, and the standing-seam cladding – a seam created when two sheets of metal meet – adds interest against the white rendered walls and Siberian larch facade.
The 284sq m (3,057sq ft) property takes inspiration from around the world. It is on one level in three distinct units (with the exception of a loft in the garage). The first houses all five bedrooms, including a family bathroom and en suite main bedroom. This connects via a corridor to the largest part of the property where a kitchen, utility room, diningroom, livingroom and all-important plant room lie.
Beyond is a two-car garage, discreetly hidden behind a seamless-looking wall of Siberian larch that adds a further 70sq m at ground level and a 20sq m loft above. Adjacent is a home office that has the benefit of a kitchenette and bathroom. This space could also work as a granny flat as it has all the necessary services. It’s an effective space, as it is far enough from the family areas and bedrooms so noise will not be an issue, but it’s close enough should you need to pop in for lunch. With the house, home office, garage and loft, there’s quite a lot of room in this offering.
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Of interest is a concrete-effect plank wall between the dining room and sitting room. Here Keyes sandblasted softwood timber – allowing the grains and knots to rise – which he then used as a frame to pour concrete, which in turn takes on a timber effect. Another use of concrete is on the ceiling in the sittingroom – negating the need for plaster – in a space that has a floating corner window with verdant views to the garden.
Keyes imported much from the EU for this build: sourcing the Waterkotte heat pump from Germany, white render (negating the need for paint) from Lithuania, windows from Denmark and metal cladding from Poland.
He loves the comfort of his home as it’s at a constant 22 degrees thanks to the underfloor heating and triple-glazed Aluclad windows. Collection of fresh rainwater is stored in an underground tank, then used for chemical-free showers and taps.
Small details such as drainage and soil vent pipes, discreetly hidden away within the structure, allow seamless lines all round.
Its contemporary open-plan design has a Scandinavian feel to it with a simple grey kitchen (with hidden pantry) and pale grey Marmoleum flooring matching the anthracite coloured windows.
As you would expect, it has a great Ber of A2, ensuring low heating bills but allowing maximum comfort.
It is just 200m from the nearest secondary school in Killina, 500m from the Grand Canal greenway and a five-minute drive from the train station, which will have you in Dublin or Galway in an hour.
The impressive house, with its unique design, high efficiency and granny flat/home office, is now on the market.
