We were delighted to give two site tours today, as part of the Architecture on the Edge festival. I was chuffed to be asked to do it, but I also thought nobody would come all the way out, but we had 30 people attending. Thank you to everyone who came and the thoughtful questions and feedback. It was so lovely to see our home from fresh eyes, when you’re in the trenches trying to make it happen, it’s great to get the opportunity to come up for air and enjoy the moment.
I started off by walking everyone around the site to view the house from different angles, to show how the form had been inspired from the slanting trees and massive boulders in the fields and how it changed as you move around the site. We were lucky we had a sunny day, so we could take our time, without running for cover.
We explained the design inspiration, how we integrated the building in the landscape, the building technology and how the house will adapt to our needs over time. There was lots of interest in the timber frame approach, using off site construction, airtightness, windows and our cladding. It was brilliant to see people’s reaction when came through the front door. The first thing that hits people is the comfortable temperature, then the spaciousness, views and light. I believe architecture works well, when it makes people feel good, that is the best test. I can’t wait to share this space with our family and friends.
I explained how we are using the house as a learning platform to test a variety of building techniques, this will allow me to be in the better position to recommend the best approach to my clients, as the Dragon’s den say, ‘if you haven’t invested, you don’t have a stake in the business’. I was really in my element sharing the story of our build, although I do most of the talking, it is a massive team effort from Cian and myself, our skills definitely complement each other and we both have worked very hard to make it happen. I guess I am the dreamer and he is the believer and pushes us to make it a reality. I look forward to giving another tour next year at the festival with hopefully a finished home.
