House in a Special Area of Conservation

Ervey Woods, Northern Ireland

Brief

The client inherited land with a ruinous farmhouse which was prone to flooding by the nearby Burntollet River. They wanted a new three-bedroom replacement home located safely above the floodplain in a part of the site designated as both an Area of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation.

Solution

Stephen Ball designed a house that has a deliberately unobtrusive and informal presence in this special landscape. The scale of the house is diminished by splitting it into two simple overlapping volumes. To reduce physical and visual disturbance to the sensitive site, the house is perched above it and has a minimal footprint and silhouette.