Design guide · Kildare County Council
Rural House Design Guide (County Development Plan 2023–2029, appendix 4)
The council's guidance on siting and designing a house in the countryside.
Kildare County Council · 2023 · 69 pages
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- 5. ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS 30 Fanlights located above the door head frame are a common characteristic in vernacular architecture, used to provide light to the hallway beyond. Half-round clear glazed fanlights are a common feature in traditional two storey farmhouse architecture. 5.4 - Porches: Porches and door surrounds were relatively rare in traditional vernacular architecture in Kildare, particularly among traditional two storey houses. Porches, however, play an important role in the energy efficiency of a house. They provide a buffer area between inside and outside by providing a lobby, thereby minimising heat loss from the house. Many older two-storey houses internalised porches in the form of a lobby within the house. This solution should be explored in new designs for houses. Where porches are required, they should be closely integrated with the vocabulary of the building and their materials should relate to the main house. Figure 5.14 below is a nice example of a timeless porch. The flat profile of the porch allows the simple lines of the main roof to dominate. Doors - Key Principles: Doors should reflect the shape of the opening. The most successful type of doors are tongue and groove vertical boarded or panelled timber doors. Varnished hardwood reproduction doors, U-PVC and metal doors should generally be avoided. Front doors should be recessed from the front face of the house by at least 100mm and, in houses without porches, by a full wall thickness. Use sustainable painted or natural hardwood alternatives. While the door and surround need to admit light into the hallway, avoid large, glazed panels in doors which can look over elaborate. A window above or beside the door (used traditionally) is a good alternative. Avoid bulkhead lighting. Instead explore other locations of light fittings such as beside the door or recessed above. ESB meter boxes should be recessed.
- 5. ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS 31 Figure 5.14 – Contemporary Porch. Louisburgh, Co. Mayo. Cox Power Architects. Figure 5.15 – Traditional House with Porch, Naas. Porches - Key Principles: Porches should be modest in scale and subordinate to the main structure. Avoid introducing a different material for this element only, such as brick or stone. Roofing on door hoods and porches should reflect the roofing material of the principal structure. Pitched roofs are not always appropriate on porches particularly where it detracts from visual dominance and clear lines of the main roof. The use of fake classical style porches should be avoided. The shape and size of the porch should be well proportioned. Small roofs do not need rainwater goods. Placement of porches on the front elevation can work well but may be more appropriate on less prominent elevations. Double height porches should be avoided. Porches, if possible, should be internalised within the volume of the house.
- 5. ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS 32 5.5 - Conservatories: Conservatories can form attractive features of new houses. Many new ‘eco-houses’ and passive houses are designed with a sun space as a central part of the house to maximise solar gain. Care should be taken to ensure that conservatories and sunrooms are an integral part of the design and not merely an add-on to the side of the houses. Where conservatories are required as an addition to an existing house, proportion, size, and spatial layout size require careful consideration – sunrooms immediately beside kitchens are the most extensively used. It is important to ensure that the shape and scale of the conservatory is consistent with the main house. uPVC conservatories should generally be avoided due to their bulky sections and harsh colour. Fussy glazing patterns and pastiche or historic styles should also be avoided. Figure 5.16 – Examples of appropriate conservatories. Figure 5.17 – Examples of conservatories to avoid. Winter-garden type spaces can also be successful and help encourage the use of passive solar gain. Such elements should be visually subordinate to the main form of the dwelling and generally harmonious with the language of the rest of the dwelling. 5.6 - Finishes, Materials and Colours: Not only does the shape and form give a building its identity, but also the finishes, materials and colours used need to be carefully considered. The palette of materials, particularly those used in the elevations of any dwelling, should be kept to a minimum. Locally sourced sustainable materials should be used where possible, e.g., stone and timber. Indigenous materials have a natural harmony that improve with age and weathering as opposed to many synthetic materials such as PVC and coated finishes which require more maintenance and in some cases replacement.
- 5. ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS 33 The palette of materials used in the structure should be specifically chosen to respond to the setting. Figure 5.18 – Successful combination of traditional and contemporary materials. Castlegrey. Denise Murray, Murray O’Laoire Architects. If using stone for wall finishes it is important to consider using stone on the full 3D element and not, simply applied to the front elevation only. For example, if using stone on side wings or annexes it is important to consider applying stone on front and side elevations, as shown in Figure 5.19. Figure 5.19 – Appropriate use of stone as a wall finish on all elevations of the side annex. Stone and other cladding materials are less successful and less visually satisfying when they are clearly applied as a ‘veneer’ of material to decorate a surface and work better if front and side elevations are completed in the same material. Figure 5.20 – The application of stone on projecting front gables only is less successful visually.
- 5. ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS 34 Texture, Tone and Colour: Materials that work well in a rural context often share a subdued range of neutral colors and moderately rough textures consistent with the use of natural materials. Where strong colours are traditionally used on doors, small details or on outbuildings for example the effect is more powerful as these colours are seen against a generally neutral and subdued context. Materials and finishes which have extreme colour and texture such as red clay roof tiles or polished metal finishes are likely to seem out of place in a rural context. Examples of traditional and contemporary materials used in the countryside are outlined in a series of images on the following pages. Finishes, Materials and Colour - Key Principles: Use a small number of high-quality finishes. Minimise the use of uPVC, particularly white fascias, soffits and rainwater goods. Avoid dry dash, brick, and artificial stone. These finishes are generally not suited to rural areas. Use natural, soft colours on external walls. They provide an attractive contrast to dark roofs and strong window and door colour. Avoid bright and garish colours. Use natural slate where possible as it is durable and improves with age. Slates should be a dark colour; do not mix colours of slate. Avoid expensive add-ons and frills which are often added to compensate for poor design.
- 5. ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS 38 Traditional Materials:
No text on this page — it is probably a drawing, a map, a photograph or a scanned page. See it in the PDF.
- 5. ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS 40 Contemporary Materials:
No text on this page — it is probably a drawing, a map, a photograph or a scanned page. See it in the PDF.
- 5. ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS 42 Key considerations: - Can a 35-45-degree roof pitch be achieved? - Does the roof have a large overhang? Does it sit on the building like a lid? - Is a rooflight / dormer required? Are dormers extending upwards from the main wall? - Can dormers be placed on the rear elevation away from public view? - Are chimneys located across the ridge? Are they strong and robust? - Have the window sizes, proportions and colour been carefully considered? - Are environmentally friendly materials used for windows and doors? - Is the conservatory consistent with the main house? Is the use of uPVC avoided in its design? - Are traditional / contemporary materials associated with the countryside incorporated in the design?
Source Kildare County Council: Rural House Design Guide (County Development Plan 2023–2029, appendix 4) (2023) · Licence the publisher's termsText read from the publisher’s PDF; tables, maps and drawings do not survive as text, and page numbers are the PDF’s (its first page is 1). Check the original before relying on a passage.