There's vision in creating an interesting Box

By Michelle Adelman

The Sunday Business Post Date, November 21, 1999

In a neighbourhood of similar looking houses stacked upon each other with little room to run, one extension sits alone. A converted garage set amidst a Japanese garden in the Dun Laoghaire district of Mountown successfully moulds the outer environment with the inner one. The designer of this secluded structure, David Dwyer of Dublin's Box Architecture, was recently honoured with the Opus Building of the Year Award for the six-month old work which cost just £20,000 to build.

Dwyer said he was "delighted" to win the award, not only because it generated three jobs, but because it reflects a "value on smaller work". The 300 - square foot extension encompasses a patio and small room that provide a sense of serenity and an ideal spot for meditation. Ironically, the space that Oliver and Carol Whelan originally intended to create an air of privacy is now the focus of increased attention and interested visitors.

But that doesn't bother the couple. The owners of the re-modelled 1950's home, in which they have resided for about seven years, are very complimentary when they speak of Dwyer's creation. And they say they are pleased with the award. Besides providing an attractive selling point for potential buyers someday, the recognition of "Dave's baby" is well deserved in their opinion. The small project was selected among 67 entries for the award in the houses under £200,000 category.

The actual construction only took about six months to complete, but the design was conceived over a period of about three years, Dwyer said. His vision for the area, which clearly draws inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright, was similar to the one the Whelans had in mind from the start. Both parties wanted a design to incorporate rather than disrupt the natural setting. Oliver, who is a lecturer in the painting department at the National College of Art and Design, was intent on having the space serve as a piece of art in itself. And he didn't want a sunroom that would become uninhabitable in winter months. He thought the inner room could work nicely as a studio and gallery. One of the white walls, which are now blank, is perfectly suited to support a row of ornaments.

But one of the aspects of the area that the Whelans and Dwyer appreciate most is its versatility. It is so adaptable, they say, that it can be used in turn as a playroom for the Whelans 17 month-old-daughter Jessica, as a study or as a sitting room.

Although the structure is simple upon first glance, the design is armed with subtle details that lend an artistic touch. For example, the hard wooden floor, made from re-sawn oak, does not stop at the foot of the walls. It creeps up just enough to provide a decorative trim covering an area usually reserved for outlets. But in this room, the outlets are on the floor concealed by silver, metal boxes.

The nine-foot high ceiling is a foot higher in this room than in the rest of the house, and the sky windows are situated in a manner that makes the area appear even more open than it is. The rose-coloured wall that begins inside extends outside, interrupted only slightly by a large swinging glass door that divides the two areas. Carefully placed lights can be switched on to illuminate the entire area. The typical barbecue-ready deck one is accustomed to seeing outdoors is abandoned here through the use of thinly slotted sections that gently complement the garden.

The windows and planes are strategically positioned to consider the light. "The Light is always where we start", Dwyer said. "The Planes are positioned to manipulate the light penetration creating different luminance during the course of the day and season. This creates awareness in the occupant of the nature of the path of light." And this awareness creates what Dwyer calls a "light time clock." The area looks different with every passing hour and season, depending on the status of the sun.

Dwyer said he has always wanted to do the kind of work he is doing now, even if it "a while to get there".

Before heading to Architecture College at the age of 30, he worked as a technician in London, assisting in large building projects that ranked creativity low on a list of priorities with time and space pressure near the top. He met his current business partner, Gary Mongey, at college and the two hatched the idea for Box. Today, the two and a half year-old, four person company places the emphasis on creative design. Fortunately for Box, Clients like the Whelans understand that. Oliver said that "you can't just go down to the local store" and expect to buy every piece required in a design. One has to be willing to wait for hand-made pieces and altered plans. The swinging door, for example, had to be redesigned several times. But the couple agreed that the end result has made all of the delays worthwhile.

Carol Whelan said that an extension is a less expensive and easier way to create space than moving into a new home

Although the Whelans were required to give Dwyer 15 per cent of the total building cost upfront, Dwyer was able to keep expenditure down through careful shopping and patience. He said building the same extension this year would probably cost £25,000 because prices continue to rise with the growing economy. But despite popular perception, architectural design doesn't require "megabucks." Dwyer added he would design something as small as a teapot if someone asked. And he was only joking.