Housing complex, Co. Galway, Ireland 

Architectural design and planning, 2007 - 2009-

O'Neill Consulting were employed to study the feasibility of developing housing on the particularly sensitive site of one of Galway County Council's list of protected structures in the village of Roundstone on the west coast of Ireland. The chosen site is directly on the sea and within 300m of an existing town centre with established tourist facilities – restaurants, bars, hotels and shopping focused on a small harbour. The planning of the development aims to strengthen links to the existing village and provide a sense of community within the development while at the same time respecting the existing protected structures on the site. O'Neill Consulting studied various house types and options involving both new build and conversion. Initial higher density options were examined and discarded in favour of a medium density cluster of detached three bedroom houses and an additional larger dwelling unit in a converted stables block . Working in close consultation with Galway County Council's planners, county architect and conservation officer the scheme illustrated here was granted full planning approval in July 2007. The working drawings ensure energy efficiency with group geothermal heating & mainly south facing windows optimising passive solar gain.

Don O'Neill, Architect, MRIAI
O'Neill Consulting
Dromineer, Nenagh, IRL
Tel. 087 673 8641 and 067 24311