# Irish Times Architect?! re extension



## JOEC26 (21 Jan 2010)

Hi; I read an IT article a few months ago in which an architect explained that he had talked a lot of people out of building extensions & advised them to "reconfigure" their houses instead. Does anyone know who this guy is? Would like to do something with my 4 bed detached with garage ripe for conversion & reckon I dont need to extend, but to "reconfigure"; Or would be interested in talking to a similar architect/designer in Midlands area. Joe


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## onq (22 Jan 2010)

The current trend is to re-use the house as opposed to generate vast tracts of space. This usually involves internal remodelling to open up and / or combine rooms, together with a modest extension and development of hinterland to the rear into somethign usable. The use of almost detached elements and low key detailing couple with primal materials like timber and steel completes the palette.

Donaghy and Dimond do fine work in this field, not immediately apparent from their website

http://www.donaghydimond.ie/

I visited two houses they did last year with the AAI and they were quite stunning in their simplicity and appropriateness. 

http://architecturalassociation.ie/
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ODOS Architects are another kettle of fish, but their Castlewood extension may interest you:

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Finally there is Box Architects

http://www.box.ie/projects/index.html

Have fun learning to navigate their site.

These are three of the best out there are the moment in my humble opinion. My plugs don't fit the stuff they do, me being far more geared to traditional design, but there is no doubt they ring the changes very well and their work looks finished to a very high standard. No connection with any of them, except I know the father of one of the ODOS guys who was a lecturer Bolton St DIT and for whom I worked at one time. I have never met his son.

A point I've made to many another correspondent here is not to limit yourself to a geographical location for your architect's practice. He/she could be on the Aran Islands if he was the right person for the job. The fact is that many of the best architects live and work in Dublin. Some may even have cars.



ONQ.

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## Shawady (22 Jan 2010)

I don't know if this is the same article you are refering to but I read about this person in the Sunday Times a few months ago. From what I remember she carried out a 2 hour consultation to explore how to get the full potential from your home regards getting best use of space.I checked out her website but never went further so cannot comment on her service.Her name is Eva Byrne and this is her web address.www.evabyrne.com


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