Slemish Design Studio Architects Architecture, Planning & Project Management

Modern House in Ladycastle outside the village of Straffan, County Kildare

Rural Kildare house combines traditional stone exterior with contemporary details

Ballymena Architects Slemish Design Studio has transformed the site beside an existing farm settlement in Kildare into a contemporary house comprising of timber cladding stone with a crisp white render.
When deciding to build on land beside the parent’s farm in Straffan, Kildare Sean & Heidi wanted a modern house that would suit what they need for years to come.

The Brief

This brief is one that we come across more & more with new projects.
A house that lets in plenty of daylight, open plan living and is cheap to run (what people call eco homes)
Along with the bedrooms & playroom, they wanted a master bedroom, where they can get away from the noise and relax taking in the views of County Kildare.

Our Response

Working in the Republic of Ireland can be a strange one depending on what county you’re in, due to each county council having its own planning laws.
With the help and knowledge from Heidi’s Uncle, who is familiar with the Kildare planning authority we sailed through planning.
The modern house we designed is something that we thought might be an argument.
But from speaking to the local planning authority, they loved the idea of a modern house using natural and local materials such as stone, timber cladding & the metal stand & seam roof, to relate back to the adjacent farm