1958 – House, Malahide, Co. Dublin

The architect and town planner Frank Gibney (1905-1978) was one of the most prolific housing designers of 20th century Ireland. Responsible for over five thousand local authority dwellings in every part of the country, his central concern was for human scale and good living standards and these two tenets delivered homes of a quality which is still evident today. His major work is his Bord na Mona (the Turf Cutting Board in those days) commissions. Between 1951 and 1958 he was asked to build more than 700 dwellings for workers and their families in locations across the Irish midlands, primarily in County Offaly.

This privately commissioned house was a modern, simple design using field stone as accent material – his usual style was a subtle Arts & Crafts inspired design language. Here the bedrooms are a separate wing while the daytime living spaces are higher and brighter internally because of orientation and larger windows.