We had this idyllic site, a south facing hillside site with beautiful views over the lake and Maam valley. We needed a home that made the best of this wonderful site.
The architects were great, they listened and worked with us to create a house that was sensitive and added to the feel of the place. It sits into the ground concealing its size and now seems like it was always there. One thing that I love is the internal brightness, it is very empowering and uplifting. The house has become a retreat from our work in the city: the silence on coming home is very peaceful. At weekends, there is a magical atmosphere, the trees are alive to the sound of kids playing. We love with this place.
Now that we have moved back into our extended and refurbished home, we are delighted with how well Max and his team have met our requirements. What proved to be the greatest challenge - getting light into all rooms to the back of the house that face north was very well met by the use of large skylights, that throw light into the centre of the house and large floor to ceiling windows that make the garden seem part of the house. The design by Aughey O'Flaherty was very effectively built by Brian Leach Construction and uniquely over the 12 month time period of the project architect, builder and client succeeded in remaining on good terms.
Currently a project is being done in the college where our main building is being re-roofed and refurbished. The project is being done over a two year period, in the summer breaks while the building is empty. What a difference has it made to the college, for quite a number of years everywhere you looked during the rainy season, there were buckets, buckets of varying in size and intensity. We lost computers and other equipment because of leaks in the roof. The buildings were very difficult to heat with the huge heat loss through the roof. Now in the area that's completed its like being in a building of two halves. One is dry and much warmer and much quieter than the other, so its been a terrific experience for us.
If the question is would I work with Aughey O'Flaherty Architects again: the answer is yes, absolutely. In fact the whole experience between AOF and the OPW that has been very good.
Our brief to the architect was we wanted to build a contemporary house we could live in for the rest of our lives. We wanted a house which was spacious, comfortable, bright and easily maintained; the living areas had to be connected yet separate and it was important we used the entire living area – ie no “good rooms” used only a few times a year. Privacy, in a built up urban area, was also essential.
Our architects Aughey O’Flaherty listened and delivered. The attention to detail in the design and build process was evident from day 1 and shows in the final finish. The house exceeds our expectations and we were very lucky to have an excellent team involved in the build, and builders who took great pride in the quality and finish of their work.
We love living in our new home.
When I look back at my original requirements, I am delighted to say that the architects were able, through their inventive use of space, materials and technology, to give me the home I wanted and more.
The house is a resounding success and is a pleasure to be in.
Waterford City & County Council were delighted with the restoration of the Almshouse protected structure for the provision of social housing. The project is an example of investing in the regeneration of a rural Waterford village through the conservation/restoration of an otherwise forgotten structure, resulting in the preservation of a protected structure and utilising an existing vacant building to provide social housing under the Rebuilding Ireland Programme.
From the start, we have been more than impressed by Max’s enthusiasm, professionalism, good ideas, ability to understand what we were trying to achieve and good advice throughout …. to get the right design, we felt it was important to enlist the help of a good architect with whom we could interact without barriers. We were very glad to have Max - it was only with his ideas and patience that we were able to emerge with a design that totally satisfied us. We couldn't thank him more and would have no hesitation in recommending him to others, as we've already done.
I have recommended Max to many of my friends, here's why. He is responsive, honest, diligent and quietly inspirational. The depth of consideration and appreciation for the complete context of every suggestion he makes is exceptional. It is clear to me that he has a wonderful command and love of his subject. In short, he is a pleasure to work with.
Taking my time to select an architect (Max) was important. I needed someone who had creativity, passionate engagement in the project and the people skills to listen and understand what I was looking for and to present creative options back that we could consider. The psychology of working together with Max and project architect Olivia was vital for me as this not only needed to be a home I would love but I wanted to have a fun project that engaged me closely, but also supported me with detailed supervision of the build, advice on choices of materials and fixtures and project management. Most importantly, I needed someone with the knowledge and experience to stretch my thinking about architectural design.
We came to Max with clear thoughts on what we did not want but not much else in terms of guidance. He took a challenging brief in relation to creating a larger living space in a Victorian house with all of the attendant limitations, and came up with a solution that delighted us - creative, appropriate to the context and implementable. The solution really demonstrated that he really listened to us, understood our needs and applied the experience that he has in working with older houses. I would certainly work with him again.
We wanted to build a family home which would blend with the environment and be beautiful in its simplicity. In particular we wanted to be able to avail of the views from all parts of the house.
Max and the team at Aughey O’Flaherty responded to these considerations by designing a modern home which has an overwhelming feeling of serenity. There is no redundancy in the design and yet there exists a spaciousness echoed in the views to exterior. This is achieved with generously proportioned volumes, vaulted spaces, natural wood panelling and flooring. Light floods throughout.
We wanted to create an environment of clinical excellence that was comfortable for our patients.
Max’s design delivered these objectives and much more: he created new use capabilities - for example, the design allowed the clinicians to move along the clinical area without having to walk through the waiting area and he solved significant problems for example, with the ventilation of internal rooms. Max identified contractors that delivered to the specification, and he managed them so they delivered on-time and within budget. I have no hesitation in recommending Max.
