32 Greenlea Road | GKMP Architects

This project involves the demolition of a 1990s extension and shed to the rear of a semi-detached suburban house in Dublin, Ireland and the construction of a new single storey extension to the side and rear extending to 31sq.m. A new plywood kitchen and dining space open out to receive west light and connect to the back garden. White glazed tiles bring texture to the façade and bounce light into the interior and onto the new polished concrete floor, whilst the cast concrete countertop then continues the language of the floor into the new plywood kitchen. New windows are made from Iroko timber and green ceramic tiles are used to highlight certain window openings. The green tile is also used to draw attention and add scale to the washed concrete terrace. A large planter, clad also in green, seeks to bring the garden right up to the dining room window. Inside, a large, plywood-lined skylight marks the transition between old and new construction and serves to bring light into the centre of the living space. The new extension extensively overhauls the interior arrangement of the ground floor. The formal hallway is retained with access to a front living room, then, on entering the kitchen the plan begins to open out, connecting the kitchen to the more informal living space, to the new dining room with built-in birch plywood seating, and finally to the terrace and west-facing mature garden beyond. A new skylight highlights the connection between old and new and brings light as far into the plan as possible. All of the new joinery is built of birch plywood which further lightens the interior and adds warmth to the surfaces. The entire ground floor was refinished with polished concrete, again to emphasise the connection between different living spaces and give a coherency to the ground floor.