Project Details

Sunnyside, Portmarnock, Dublin

Location
'Sunnyside' in Portmarnock is a detached three bedroom house comprising around 2,000sq. ft. The Timber Frame is 140mm with an infill of 150mm fibreglass insulation.

Details
The interior of the frame has a 2,000g polyurethane weather membrane attached to the face of the ply. A 50mm cavity with a lOOmm brick entire exterior finish completes the walls.

Architect
Leo Healy

Dublin architect Leo Healy designed himself a modern Timber Frame house beside the original solid pine Norwegian residence on the coast Road in Portmarnock where he lived for over forty years. It proved a wise move indeed. The architect explains why.

"The concept in designing this house was to eliminate all passages and corridors without it looking too openplan, to have no external maintenance and to have a very high level of insulation," He had a good idea of the insulation properties or Timber-Frame houses before embarking upon the project having already designed TimberFrame houses in America before moving to Portmarnock in 1952. Notwithstanding all his previous experience, he was pleasantly surprised at the extent of the heat retention properties of the new house.

The heating is oil-fired with aluminium radiators and two gas stoves, eliminating all coal or wood burning.The maintenance free exterior consists of brick walls, with double-glazed PVC windows and PVC soffits under the projecting 600mm eaves and aluminium entrance and patio doors. The only concession to external painting is to the two steel columns supporting the roof over the entrance porch. These were originally part of the columns supporting the balcony in the old Theatre Royal in Dublin.

The shape of the exterior walls to the back, which face south west, make for a more interesting room configuration to the studio, breakfast room and family room looking out to the back garden through extensive window space. This gives a complete sun-trap to the back of the house with patio doors leading from the studio and family room. The front of the house faces east and catches the morning sun, which turns the glazed entrance porch into a land loving small conservatory and gives morning light to the two bedrooms.

The shape of the exterior walls to the back, which face south west, make for a more interesting room configuration to the studio, breakfast room and family room looking out to the back garden through extensive window space. This gives a complete sun-trap to the back of the house with patio doors leading from the studio and family room. The front of the house faces east and catches the morning sun, which turns the glazed entrance porch into a land loving small conservatory and gives morning light to the two bedrooms.

Front view, Sunnyside, Portmarnock, Dublin

Under the roof there is a spare en suite bedroom and a drawing office-cum-work studio, where the architect pursues his hobbies of oil painting and stained glass work. This is accessed by a decorative spiral stairs which becomes a feature of the downstairs studio and dining area.

The rest of the downstairs consists of two bedrooms, kitchen, breakfast area, family room and utility room.

"My wife is responsible for the interior decoration and colour harmony," Leo Healy adds. "Having lived in Sunnyside, which is built in the grounds of the old house for almost a year now, my wife and I are delighted that this house, which although small enough for two people, can still hold a party for forty two with comfort."