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renovation station

Environmentally friendly concrete makes for a striking modern extension

Concrete has never looked so good.

CONCRETE MIGHT NOT be the material that springs to mind when you’re considering renovating and extending your home.

It would be a touch chilly to the toes, one would fear.

Richard Hatch Richard Hatch

But wait until we show you this renovation and extension of a farmhouse and stable complex in Longford from ODOS Architects, and you might reconsider.

BALLYMAHON+S3 Richard Hatch Richard Hatch

The architects decided to go as ecological as possible and used Eco-Cem, ‘an eco-friendly cementitious board that is composed of 80% cement and 20% cellulose fibers.’

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The house is also fitted out with a high-efficiency, ecologically-friendly, wood pellet boiler which supplies the whole house with underfloor heating – making chilly concrete floors a thing of the past.

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Stark white finishes, floor to ceiling glazing, recessed lights and polished concrete floors throughout combine to create a modern, calm and light-filled home.

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On the exterior, the original stonework is preserved as much as possible, which contrasts beautifully with the stained timber cladding, full-length glazing and concrete finishes throughout the extension.

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These finishes mirror nicely the stonework and timber detailing of the original stables, tying the two buildings together through a mutual palette.

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The concrete is even used as an external decking area to the rear of the property, which makes the most of the light into the evening.

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The smooth poured concrete finish marries well with the original stonework colours, managing to be both modern and unobtrusive at the same time.

BALLYMAHON+H3 Richard Hatch Richard Hatch

The footprint of the new build mimics the shape of the original stables but the two couldn’t contrast more in styles.

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See more of ODOS Architects’ work here

See more of photographer Richard Hatch’s work here

Read: We found some wheelie bin storage solutions so you don’t have to

Also: Take 4: Homes for every budget