Cathal O'Neill & Associates, Architects, Dublin - Projects

image of building

Deerpark
Deerpark, Dublin, 2015

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The primary Influence of this design is the Site: the simple unencumbered plot measuring 60 meters x 60 meters, sloping down at an incline of 12% northwards from Deer Park to Wilson Road.

The Site has sweeping views of Dublin Bay and the City, especially from the upper floors of any future development, as has been confirmed from the roof of the existing cinema.

The location of the Site within the community is hugely important and has the potential to reinforce the residential element of the Village.

Our vision for this design is for a simple orderly transparent building, with large areas of glazing and virtually continuous balconies. The solid elements in the facades will be clad in pale honey coloured Jura limestone, punctuated with elements in dark red marble.

The strategy for the Building form is to re-establish the street- front on Deer Park, with a continuous 3 storey facade (2 floors of apartments with recessed mixed-use at Ground Level). The aim was to keep the three remaining site boundaries free of buildings and so the second block steps northwards down the middle of the site, varying in height with a high point in the centre of the site.

This arrangement provides most apartments with spectacular views of the Bay, the City and the eastern County. The remaining 8 apartments have views over Deer Park with due south orientation.The provision of carefully planned landscaped gardens, safe and convenient to use, is considered essential to the success of the scheme. To this end the site slope is reduced to meet safety requirements by terracing the north block and the roof of the underground car park. This forms the base of the gardens.Each garden is similar with a terrace area at the north end, to catch the midday sun and has a central lawn and raised planting boxes with built in seating. The west garden has a pergola containing a ramp and the east garden and play area for under fives. The ground floor apartments have private open spaces, screened with hedges and paved terraces. The north, east and west perimeter of the site is heavily planted with a rich variety of shrubs and trees. On the north and west a second stand of trees is planted outside the podium but within the property. Security is an important factor for the gardens which is assured here by being overlooked by the apartments