These holiday homes in West Cork were accommodated in a ruined coastguard station (1904). A decayed flat roof was replaced with a hipped roof accommodating new rooms at high level with superb views The interiors were reordered, to allow sunlight to penetrate the entire ground floor, enjoying sea views and opening onto private sun-trap terraces, sheltered from the prevailing winds.
The colourful staircase emerged as a key detail of the design, aesthetically containing the kernel of the concept, finally, although grounded in very practical concerns of fire safety and smoke control; often it's the resolution of details and many conflicting factors that transcend compromise, to bring real delight to design and make it 'sing'.
