Join architect Shane Cotter for a tour of this beautifully reimagined, early 20th-century house in Glasnevin, originally built and once occupied by the renowned builder Alexander Strain. While celebrated for their enduring craftsmanship, this home required a modern upgrading and reorientation to better support 21st-century living and open up more directly onto its mature, south-facing garden.

By removing the central spine wall, the architects unlocked a continuous sequence of spaces from front to back. The original front reception room now transitions seamlessly into a new kitchen, which steps down into a light-filled 20 sq m garden extension. Clad with a green corrugated metal monopitch roof that responds playfully to the informal garden sheds and outhouses, the extension uses a deep roof overhang to frame existing rose bushes, while a large circular rooflight and a 3-metre-high gable window draw daylight deep into the heart of the home.