There is an emerging young practice in the European island of Ireland. The Dublin based practice of ODOSarchitects takes a humanistic approach to their work by prioritizing the users functional needs, and their relationship to nature. With an overarching desire to better understand the fundamentals of work, play and rest, ODOSarchitects have completed a recent home extension that epitomizes vernacular inspiration. This award winning practice has delighted us with curious and comforting projects from their native island.

The private Ballymahon residence features a refurbishment and extension of the existing farmhouse and stable complex in Longford county Ireland.  The 450 sqm addition emphasizes elongated rooms with plenty of opportunities to view and connect with the surrounding exterior world.  There are striking resemblances of Philip Johnson's Glass House as this home addition is exposed through the large spans of glass, allowing it to become part of the exterior environment.  Rich, warm wood clads the exterior facade as a high contrast to the surrounding buildings; this makes the home addition a place of interest as you approach the entry.

The interiors are simple and clean enough to allow your thoughts to focus on what's happening in the 'picture windows' as opposed to the interior partitions.  Functional furniture is placed on a muted Eco-CEM floor that matches the floor outside as it connects the interior to the exterior.  While the primary light source comes from natural daylight, a simple gesture of recessed lighting follows the length of the extension on two sides, while a small lamp rests on the floor to provide ambient light when the sun has set.  The box extension emphasizes its length as the environmentally friendly Eco-CEM floor extends beyond the interior to create an outdoor dining and entertainment experience.  The bedroom and living room furniture is soft and inviting against this clean, open box expansion boasting with its renewable energy source using a high-efficiency wood pellet boiler.  

ODOS extensions and refurbishments on private residences unfold clean lines and focus on the importance of natural light into the interior space. They emphasize the innate importance dwellers must have with nature, as large spans of glass provide the most minimal threshold between interior life and outdoor experience. They approach the home with sophistication through simple lines and forms, a limited but rich palette against selective combinations of materials and finishes. The final selections of furniture bring natural and new colors into the space but do not overpower the architectural gestures; they complement rather than isolate. 

The intentional balance of color and materiality enriches the lightness and comfort of these projects. They successfully achieve the aesthetic tactic of "Less is more" made famous by Mies van der Rohe.  ODOSarchitect's approach to these vernacular projects delineates their primary objective to provide their clients not only the functional needs to their homes, but also to play on curiosity and adventure between their spaces. The projects celebrate the residence's public, semi-public and traffic arteries. More importantly, they celebrate the individuals living within them, allowing them to be the protagonists of their residences. The extensions by ODOSarchitects are also approached with eco friendly facets to further demonstrate the studio and their client's commitment to the environment.  ODOSarchitects commits to an awareness of the philosophy on the environment and the well being of their clients.