ARDOYNE MEWS BALLSBRIDGE

The eight no. Mews type apartments at Ardoyne House, Pembroke Park and Clyde Lane Ballsbridge Dublin were designed and built on the site of Ardoyne House, a multi-story apartment building, constructed in the mid-60s. A section of this site which had been occupied by a number of garages was designated for residential development. Although this portion of the site is part of the Ardoyne House Complex it specifically addresses Clyde Lane and consequently the pattern of existing buildings and mews along this lane resulted in a development of two stories. The scale of the buildings take their reference from the existing buildings on Clyde Lane. The architectural expression is contemporary and establishes a relationship with Ardoyne House itself.

Accommodation and Planning
The two-bedroomed units have the bedrooms and bathrooms located on the lower floor, while the living spaces are located on the first floor. The ground floor configuration provides for shared access to each pair of apartments. This configuration at ground level extends from front to back providing dual orientation to the bedroom section. On the upper floors the kitchen/utility and living spaces are sub-divided along the long axis of the building providing four apartments whose upper floors address the Ardoyne site and four apartments whose upper floors address Clyde Lane. This provides for an interlocking arrangement between ground and first floor in each apartment. The placing of the living accommodation on the upper level provides for an area of private open space above ground taking greater advantage of the light and providing privacy from passing traffic and pedestrians. It also permits the floor to ceiling height in the living space to be increased to 4m allowing significant additional light through clear storey windows into this area.

Materials and Finishes
The apartments are constructed using a limited number of materials and a limited colour palette. They are clad externally in white Portuguese limestone with a single panel of St Bedes red sandstone identifying the four entrances. The windows and glazed sections on the outer skin are set in the same plane as the limestone and are finished in gray powder coated aluminium. The screen addressing the balcony is finished in white oak providing a carved out space for the external balcony lined with timber on both wall and deck surface. The remaining areas of external cladding which do not form part of the outside envelope are finished in standing seam zinc. Internally walls and ceilings are plastered and painted white, while all floors are in polished hardwood. The staircase, which is also finished in hardwood threads and risers, has a solid glass balustrade without framing. All internal fitted units are finished in white American oak.

Services
The environmental quality within these buildings is attained by an underfloor gas fired central heating system and a comprehensively designed electrical lighting system. No radiators, wires, pipes or any other service elements are visible inside or outside the building. High levels of insulation in roof, walls and floor coupled with double glazing in the windows provides for a fully controlled environment.

Photographs copyright Kevin Dunne.