Rural Design Advice for Individual Houses in the Countryside

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5.DESIGNING THE HOUSEBuilding Form - Summary ChecklistAim to Achieve:Try to Avoid: Wide frontage and narrow depth plan forms,with additive elements where required/suitable. The external appearance of the building shouldbe arranged to reflect the internal planarrangement. The main elevation should generally be flatfronted,except for porches, with subtle breaksin the building line used to add interest and tocreate and define external spaces. Most two-storey houses should be doublefronted(with central front door). The range of building materials should belimited and, wherever possible, locally available. Real materials - stone, timber, slate - arepreferable to artificial ones. A change in material should reflect a change instructural function. Colours should also be limited, and muted inhues. Chimneys add interest to the roofscape, andshould be carefully located and detailed. Roofs should be consistently pitched, dark tiled(preferably slate) and with neat eaves detailing. The proportion of void to solid on any façadeneeds to be carefully considered. Cumbersome, boxy and near-square floorplans. Unusual and elaborate forms, complicated roofshapes exaggerated and random changes inridge line. Over-scaling of traditional form and altering roofpitch to suit. Imitation styles, such as haciendas, chalets, logcabins and pattern book designs. ‘Façade’ architecture and randomly appliedexternal finishes. Artificial materials (uPVC in particular) shouldbe avoided. Arbitrary changes of materials. Excessive use of natural stone. Bright garish colours, especially in structuralelements such as roofs and walls. Over-sailing roofs and boxed verges. Irregularly placed or over-large roof lights. Protruding bay windows and elaborate porches. Over-scaled or contrasting additions (garages,conservatories, sun rooms). Ill-proportioned openings, bay windows anddormers.50.County Limerick: Rural Design Advice for Individual Houses in the Countryside
DESIGNING THE HOUSE5.Building ElementsMaterials and ColoursThe traditional buildings of the County tend to be verysimple in form, with limited decoration, and built of alimited range of locally obtainable materials - slate roofs,rendered walls, painted timber windows and doors. Localstone was used for construction of walls, but oftenconcealed by whitewash or rough harl rendering.Exposed stone construction was reserved foroutbuildings associated with the main house. Goodquality ashlar stonework was rarely used in vernacularbuildings, except for architectural detailing such asquoins, lintels and chimney stacks, mainly in estatecottages and in proximity to quarries. Elsewhere cutstone was reserved for important civic buildings(churches, courthouses, schools, etc.) or for largecountry mansions.Applied 2-dimensional embellishments, such as artificialcladding, quoins and columns, should always be avoidedThe colour of a new building should aim to blend withsurrounding buildings and the local landscape. Bold,vivid colours should be avoided, especially on walls androofs. Generally the use of ‘earthy’ colours thatcomplement the natural hues of the countryside will bemost appropriate for large surfaces (walls). Whites, offwhitesand light greys were often the dominant colours oftraditional buildings, and can effectively off-set morebrightly painted elements such as doors. Windows andtheir surrounds should preferably also be muted incolour.58. 59.57.Simple materials and colours of traditional cottageThe range of contemporary building materials hasincreased greatly in recent years, providing newopportunities for the creative use of natural products.Artificial materials, including pvc doors, windows, eavesand weatherboarding, fibre-cement slates and concreteroof tiles should all be avoided.60.Wherever possible, natural materials that are moresustainable should be used. Timber, glass, slate, plaster,lime mortar, insulation such as sheeps wool, renderedand painted blockwork and the appropriate use of stonecan be successfully combined to create attractivecontemporary houses. Natural materials such as thesewill also allow good ventilation in the home, which hasconsequent health benefits. A random mix of materialssuch as brick, stone and concrete should be avoided.61. 62.63. 64.County Limerick: Rural Design Advice for Individual Houses in the Countryside51.
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Rural DesignAdvice forIndividualHou
Page 3: CONTENTSPage1. Introduction 1Purpos
Page 6 and 7: 1.INTRODUCTIONPurpose of the Design
Page 8 and 9: 1.INTRODUCTIONThe Local Planning Au
Page 10 and 11: 2.EVOLUTION OF THE COUNTRY HOUSEThe
Page 12 and 13: 2.EVOLUTION OF THE COUNTRY HOUSECla
Page 14 and 15: 2.EVOLUTION OF THE COUNTRY HOUSEVer
Page 16 and 17: 2.EVOLUTION OF THE COUNTRY HOUSEMod
Page 18 and 19: 3.SELECTING THE SITEIf a proper fit
Page 20 and 21: 3.SELECTING THE SITEAgricultural Lo
Page 22 and 23: 3.SELECTING THE SITE31.Western Upla
Page 24 and 25: 3.SELECTING THE SITESite LocationLo
Page 26 and 27: 3.SELECTING THE SITEExisting Develo
Page 28 and 29: 3.SELECTING THE SITERoads and Infra
Page 30 and 31: 3.SELECTING THE SITESite Selection
Page 32 and 33: 4.PLANNING THE SITEContextThe new c
Page 34 and 35: 4.PLANNING THE SITEScale, Building
Page 36 and 37: 4.PLANNING THE SITESimple dominant
Page 38 and 39: 4.PLANNING THE SITEBuilding Orienta
Page 40 and 41: 4.PLANNING THE SITERenewable Energy
Page 42 and 43: 4.PLANNING THE SITEGeothermal Energ
Page 44 and 45: 4.PLANNING THE SITEA. Local Sustain
Page 46 and 47: 4.PLANNING THE SITEBoundariesRoadsi
Page 48 and 49: 4.PLANNING THE SITESite Planning Ch
Page 50 and 51: 5.DESIGNING THE HOUSEThe use of sta
Page 52 and 53: 5.DESIGNING THE HOUSETry to avoid:
Page 56 and 57: 5.DESIGNING THE HOUSERoofs and Chim
Page 58 and 59: 5.DESIGNING THE HOUSEDoors, Porches
Page 60 and 61: 5.DESIGNING THE HOUSEConservatories
Page 62 and 63: 5.DESIGNING THE HOUSEBuilding Conve
Page 64 and 65: 5.DESIGNING THE HOUSEExtensions to
Page 66 and 67: 6.DESIGNING WITH THE PLANNING SYSTE
Page 72 and 73: 1.APPENDIXRecommended Planting Type
Page 74 and 75: APPENDIX 2.Building RegulationsThe
Page 76: APPENDIX 3a.Design Statement for si
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Rural Design Advice for Individual Houses in the Countryside

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