Join architect Shane Cotter for a tour of this clever downsizing retrofit and reimagining of a courtyard house in the heart of Killester, originally built within an early 21st-century development by O’Mahony Pike Architects. Moving from a large period home nearby, the clients wanted to bring the spatial generosity and sense of drama from their former home into a more compact, north-facing dwelling.

Though adding just a 3-square-metre extension, the intervention completely reorders the internal plan. New vaulted ceiling insertions introduce direct and borrowed southern light over the stairs and living space, adding a striking sense of scale. The open-plan interior connects directly to a newly landscaped courtyard and uses a restrained palette of natural materials including a bespoke oak kitchen, solid oak stairs, a terracotta brick screen, and a polished concrete floor, to prove that downsizing can still feel beautifully generous, bright, and calm.

Pre-Book Only

The meeting point for the tour is outside 150 Howth Road, Dublin 3, D03 AH90. This is a gated property so sign in with Open House Volunteers on arrival.

Paid parking is available directly opposite the property at Super Vale Killester.