SPACIOUS

We decided to renovate our 1970s house which was in need of internal reconfiguration, insulation and modernisation. When we went looking for advice, we weren’t sure where to start. Luckily Paul was working on a project for some friends and they were very happy to recommend him to us. We really liked what he had done for them and we asked him to draw up some plans for our house. We asked for more light and more storage considering our young family. Paul presented us with several options and the one we chose involved knocking down some outbuildings, opening up the back of the house for light and reconfiguring the downstairs room layout. Paul added value by giving us advice on paint and lighting options, window choices and storage design. His attention to detail on the project design and execution together with his patience and professional approach means that we would have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone considering a similar project for themselves. Thank you, Paul – you have helped us to create a beautiful family home.

We could not recommend Paul from Spacious Architects highly enough. Paul designed and project managed the renovation of our house in Dun Laoghaire from start to finish. The house was completely transformed and extended from 140m2 with a poor C2 energy rating, to 210m2 with a deep energy retrofit, to bring it up to an A3 BER. We chose Paul over other architects at the outset as he was easy to deal with and he took the time to really understand what we wanted to achieve with the works. Our main aims were to have a house that was energy efficient and had living spaces that were bright, contemporary, spacious, functional and properly connected to our outdoor spaces. Paul achieved all of this and more. Energy wise the house is amazingly warm and comfortable with an air-to-water heat pump and underfloor heating. The airtightness was brought up to current standards for new builds and a demand controlled ventilation system was installed. The spaces are beautifully designed with unique features (e.g the porch retains original brickwork walls that have been painted and lit with concealed lighting and there is custom designed bespoke joinery throughout). Our main living space at the back of the house is south-facing and on the same level as the patio and garden making them all feel like one space on a sunny day when the large sliding doors are open. The overall design and functionality of the house was very well thought out. In terms of delivering the project, Paul was highly involved throughout. He was regularly onsite to ensure builders were delivering to spec. His high attention to detail ensured no corners were cut. On several occasions Paul asked the builders to redo aspects of work that he was not 100% happy with. In short, Paul delivered on everything that was asked of him. He takes ideas on board and puts thought into them to develop them further. He is well versed in interior design and complex energy requirements to ensure projects look well while also being functional and highly efficient. And he holds everyone involved to account right through to completion of the jobs. We are very happy with the finished product and would recommend Paul to anyone.

Claremont Court, Glasnevin, Dublin 11. As an architect, Paul Mulhern took on a very tricky project for me at the above address, a Seventies terraced house on a long narrow site in a housing estate. This was a house that had been lived in wisely for a while but latterly not too well. My brief to him was to illuminate what had become a murky, dark, cramped and very dilapidated property by creating a space filled with light and air. I also wanted him to bring it up to modern standards of insulation, wiring and plumbing, and thereby making snug what had been damp and cold. On such a site, the brief seemed impossible and when I led him into the property in its original condition, I expected him to be daunted, even to refuse to have anything to do with it, but his reaction was immediately to see it as a challenge. And how brilliantly he overcame that challenge! While remaining aware of my relatively limited budget, the design he produced involved gutting the entire house and opening it up to light from the roof, via three voids. The result is the fulfilment of my own dream, the testament to which is the steady stream of neighbours arriving on various pretexts but with the obvious aim of being invited in. Throughout the construction vicissitudes (and there were many, none of his making) he remained steadily supportive to me in what was a very difficult and long process. I cannot praise him highly enough for his tenacity, his concentration on what was best for the house and for me as a client - and not least for his calm tact when things fell apart, as they frequently did. His professionalism and collaborative spirit are outstanding but overarching all of the above, his creativity and vision were and are superb. DEIRDRE PURCELL.