Rural Design Guidelines for Offaly

1. Page 11

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   Consider carefully the internal arrangement and design of the house. It needs to be functional and make good use of space. Ensure that required uses are not being duplicated resulting in costly unnecessary rooms. Overly complicated mix of features and materials “Simplicity is the essence of good design”. Designing Houses - Creating homes in the Offaly Countryside Page 9 1 2 3

2. Page 12

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   C H I M N E Y S Chimneys can contribute significantly to the character of a house if properly executed. They should be located through or as close to the ridge as possible. On gables they should remain flush with the wall. They should be substantial and robust in appearance. Chimneys can be used to incorporate passive ventilation for bathrooms or radon sumps. W I N D O W S Windows are an important element of house design and often referred to as “the eyes of a building”. Windows with a vertical emphasis generally work better as they help balance the width of the building. Aim for a high solid to void ratio i.e. less window, more wall. Proportion is important as is avoiding introducing a number of different sizes and styles. Try to balance ground and first floor openings. A well designed/ orientated window can significantly enhance a building. B AY W I N D O W S Bay windows were traditionally not a feature of rural dwellings, but can be used in a modern context provided that they do not lead to an over fussy appearance, are appropriately designed and used in proportion with the house and finished with appropriate materials. Ensure the bay window is symmetrically located. Other options include working the bay into the overall roof. Designing Houses - Creating homes in the Offaly Countryside Page 10 Good chimney division 1. Through and across the ridge 2. Flush with gable Poor chimney division 1. Tall thin chimneys protruding from gable 2. Awkwardly positioned in roof Good window division – greater vertical emphasis Poor window division – unsymmetrical, unbalanced, horizontal Examples of traditional house with and without bay windows Poor bay window design Well designed bay window incorporated into the roof 1

3. Page 13

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   D O O R S Generally aim for simple sheeted or panelled timber doors. Limit the use of decorative glazed areas. Create an entrance without dominating the façade. Consider the style and location of light fittings and keep them as simple as possible. Try to design the location of meter boxes so that they are recessed or to the side of the main elevation. Try also to locate larger garage doors to the side and aim for a vertical sheeted finish. P O R C H E S Porches can play an important role in energy efficiency; they act as a buffer zone while providing an internal lobby and help to reduce heat loss. Avoid false classical styles, arches or other fussy porch details. Where a porch is required, keep it simple. Consider the use of an internal porch. C O N S E R VAT O R I E S Ensure that conservatories or sunrooms are designed to form an integral part of the plan and not merely added on to the side of your house. Consider carefully its orientation, and locate it facing towards the south. Sunrooms should be used to maximise passive solar heating gains and help reduce energy costs. Ensure that it is in scale with the rest of the house, is well detailed, correctly ventilated and well constructed. G A R A G E S Locate sheds or garages to provide sheltered external spaces – as with traditional rural houses and outbuildings, rather than positioning them in isolation from the main house. Try to design their entrance so that large double doors are located to the side. B A L C O N I E S Where balconies are deemed appropriate ensure that they do not dominate the façade, and that the materials used are in keeping with the rest of the design. Designing Houses - Creating homes in the Offaly Countryside Page 11 Poor conservatory design Good conservatory design 1. ‘A’ pitch south-facing to rear or side 2. Projected gable to rear or integrated lean-to Poor balcony design with ornamental railings

4. Page 14

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   Good design should take valuable lessons from the past while drawing on professional expertise to create a beautiful asset for all of the family to enjoy. These are examples of traditional design. Designing Houses - Creating homes in the Offaly Countryside Page 12 1 32

5. Page 15

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   Designing Houses - Creating homes in the Offaly Countryside Page 13 These are examples of more modern and contemporary design. 1 7 3 5 2 4 86

6. Page 16

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   Section 4 : Materials, finishes and colours M AT E R I A L S , F I N I S H E S A N D C O L O U R : W H AT T O A I M F O R A N D W H AT T O AV O I D External materials are best kept simple. Use a small number of high quality finishes. Consider as an option, omitting eaves and roof overhangs. Clean simple lines with good detailing can give a more crisp appearance. Use natural slate where possible. It is real stone and will last for several generations and looks better with age. It is more expensive but it is a far superior product to look at than manufactured varieties and will add value to your home. Slates should be dark in colour except in rare circumstances where a differing architectural style prevails and is being interpreted in a modern context. Do not mix colours of slates and roof tiles as shown below. Generally avoid white uPVC fascia and soffit, black looks better and is easier to maintain. It is preferable to use a plaster finish around dormer windows. This section examines external materials, finishes and colour. The key message is to avoid over elaboration and aim for a small number of high quality materials and finishes. S e c t i o n 4 Designing Houses - Creating homes in the Offaly Countryside Page 14 Simple gable detailing with flush natural slates Unattractive grubby uPVC detailing Discoloured manufactured slate inappropriate red ridge tiles and brick quoins

7. Page 17

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   Use simple round black rainwater goods, copper, aluminium or cast iron where appropriate. Avoid square profile white uPVC rainwater goods. Consider how the layout of waste/rainwater pipes etc. will affect both the front and rear elevation of your home. Avoid dry dash, brick and artificial stone. They are finishes generally unsuited to rural areas. In the past, cut stone was mainly a construction material and not a decorative material. Stone was generally only used in public buildings such as schools and churches and unplastered rubble stone in out buildings. It should be used carefully and sparingly. Consider the distance of its source and the landscape impacts from quarrying. For doors and windows use the highest standard materials that you can afford. Avoid windows that attempt to create a Georgian effect with thin plastic strips. They give a flat ‘dolls house’ like appearance. Windows in the past were generally of painted timber. It is preferable not to use uPVC windows but good quality sustainable timber, when properly cared for, can last up to twice as long as uPVC. Lighter and pine type colours can be used to good effect to give a contemporary feel. Always use deep cills to give greater definition to the windows. Stone cills, although more expensive, are a superior detail if common to the locality and will not add substantially to the overall building cost. Generally avoid quoins unless a strong feature in the locality. Generally light soft colours should be used on main walls. They provide an attractive palate against which to set dark coloured roofs and strong door and window colour. Garish, bright or unnatural colours should be avoided. Good use of simple rainwater goods Designing Houses - Creating homes in the Offaly Countryside Page 15 Examples of traditional and contemporary stonework Example of a subtle colour scheme 1 2

8. Page 18

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   Section 5 : Roadside boundary treatments R O A D S I D E B O U N D A R Y T R E AT M E N T S : W H AT T O A I M F O R A N D W H AT T O AV O I D In many cases, good work in the design and siting of a house can be undone by inappropriate front boundary treatment. The same rules apply as for siting and design. It should be appropriate to its rural context but this is frequently not the case. Aim to retain the existing front boundary where possible by just making a simple splayed or bell mouthed opening. If traffic safety requires that it must be set back always aim to re-establish what is existing i.e. hedgerow for a hedgerow, stone for stone wall. Random rubble walls are more preferable as they help encourage nesting/plant growth - biodiversity. This section deals with boundary treatment. The greatest visual impact of built development in the countryside is frequently created by new entrances to house sites. The key message is that making an entrance to a site can form the first and lasting impression of the overall design and it is something which must be given careful thought with an emphasis on retaining what is already there. S e c t i o n 5 Designing Houses - Creating homes in the Offaly Countryside Page 16

9. Page 19

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   In rural Offaly, earth, sod, stone and native hedgerows are the predominant roadside boundary, with some examples of low rendered walls with simple capping details. If the entrance has to be set back, view it as something that can be easily re-established and that is simple, economic and easy to maintain. The area between the new boundary and the road edge should be grassed and not finished with a hard surface. To help establish new natural boundaries – plant the new native hedgerow at the commencement of building works. Also remember that native hedgerows, as well as being visually attractive and offering screening and privacy, are important wildlife corridors. New hedgerows should be linked to existing to facilitate this. Where there are already varied boundaries try not and add to this complex mix. Using the previous tips set a positive trend for other new dwellings. Gates should be of a simple design – metal or wood and with a strong horizontal emphasis. Avoid replacing indigenous boundaries with insubstantial fencing, blockwork walls, post and wire fencing, concrete balustrading, Leylandii or other dense conifer planting. Designing Houses - Creating homes in the Offaly Countryside Page 17 Existing hedgerow retained and enhanced Over elaborate entrance Old estate wall opened up for new entrance with hedge

10. Page 20

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    Section 6 : Landscaping L A N D S C A P I N G : W H AT T O A I M F O R A N D W H AT T O AV O I D New dwellings should make full use of any existing mature planting and also seek to create sheltered situations through the planting of native trees and hedgerows. Ensure any existing trees are adequately protected during construction. A good shelter belt serves the dual purpose of screening a new dwelling from beyond the site, while providing an inspiring microclimate within. It can also help with savings in heating costs. Good landscaping can soften the outlines and reduce the dominant appearance of new buildings and help harmonise them with their surroundings. Consider planting a wildflower meadow. Encourage biodiversity where possible, plant semi mature tree groups where possible to integrate new houses. Hedgerows should only be cut between 1st Sept and 28th Feb under the Wildlife Act. Avoid/reduce suburban plant species and symmetrical garden layouts. Reduce mowed lawn areas. Learn from your surroundings. Avoid surrounding the house with hard landscaping which will divorce it from the natural context of the site. Avoid tarmacadam and brick driveways. Aim for self-draining gravel which has a less harsh urban appearance and avoids water run off. Avoid floodlighting of sites, decorative lamps and other suburban features, consider their impact. This section deals with landscaping. In most situations, the existing field boundaries and landscape elements are an inseparable part of the larger landscape, and this critical issue is often forgotten. The key message is that all possible efforts should be made to preserve, retain and integrate trees, hedgerows, walls and other landscape features. By conserving these patterns it is easier to create a landscape sensitive solution. S e c t i o n 6 Designing Houses - Creating homes in the Offaly Countryside Page 18

Source Offaly County Council: Rural Design Guidelines for Offaly · 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.