TAKE ONE DILAPIDATED cottage in Co Tipperary that needed both extensive refurbishment and extension and bring it swiftly past the present and into the future.

How?

With a futuristic glass box extension linking the old with the new.

In an effort to honour the traditional look of the cottage whilst also making it a more modern family home, architect Gary Mongey of Box Architecture had to think outside of the, well, box a little.

Paul Tierney Paul Tierney

The original cottage was built in the 1940s and was in pretty bad shape. In order to make it a functional place to live, an existing rear extension was demolished and three new elements were added – a new living space, a glazed ‘link’ and a shed.

Paul Tierney Paul Tierney

The new extensions are tucked behind the existing cottage making sure that the stunning views of a lake and flood plane to the north of the property remain unobstructed.

Paul Tierney Paul Tierney

The new extension contains an open-plan living room, kitchen and dining area while the original cottage houses the bedrooms. A glazed corridor connects the two so the family can move from one to the other without braving the elements.

Paul Tierney Paul Tierney

In the original cottage, rooflights and folding glazed doors were added to help light to penetrate through what is a traditionally dark construction, while in the new extension large windows and wall-to-wall rooflights allowed the movement of light through the cottage throughout the day.

Paul Tierney Paul Tierney

Inside both buildings, lots of consideration was taken with the internal finishes and bespoke furniture design. There is a walnut-veneered built-in unit that runs the entire length of the new build, and conceals a desk with a horizontal window above it, providing a view to the side garden and polished concrete floors throughout.

Paul Tierney Paul Tierney

See more of Box Architecture’s work here.

See more of photographer Paul Tierney’s work here. 

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