House at Ballinastoe
House at Ballinastoe, Roundwood, County Wicklow, Ireland, 1978. Refused Planning Permission for being 'too unusual'.
This house for a family with three young children, and with an integral 'granny flat'. It was to be located on a wild mountain site, surrounded by pine forests, near Ireland's highest town Roundwood, County Wicklow. Wicklow County Council had introduced strict aesthetic guidelines on building form and design, materials and colour. Although the design proposed was white walls and black slate roofs, as is traditional in the area, it was refused planning permission.
"We have no objection in principle to a house on this site, but a house design of a more conventional nature will be required." Planning refusal from Wicklow County Council
As a result the house was never built. The clients acquired another site, closer to towns, and we designed another house for them - possibly the first 'passive solar' house in Ireland, with an integrated solar conservatory.
