Carraig Ruacháin Bheag
English
Gaeilge
Carraig Ruacháin Bheag sits in a landscape of great natural beauty to the northwest of Cork city. The area Carraig Ruacháin Bheag, meaning “Little Red Rock”, gets its name from the rich vein of Cork red sandstone, upon which the townland sits. Under the Cork County Development Plan, the area falls under the “Green Belt” zoning which is afforded the highest level of protection to development. Thus, producing a design for a home sympathetic to the site and its inherent beauty was central to the client’s brief. To access the secluded site, you have to traverse through a disused stone quarry and woodland. Upon exiting the wooded area, an open south-facing meadow, protected by a row of mature deciduous trees, greets you to the north. This site is a special place. The organisation of the plan of the house is based upon the geometry of a square. Internally, a raumplan arrangement of spaces creates fluidity between rooms. Views and connections to external spaces from within the house are exploited to take advantage of the setting. The placement of a fireplace at the end of the entry axis serves to welcome a visitor into the heart of the house on a winter’s night. A two-story volume housing the sleeping accommodation is set up on a north-south axis, while the living quarters are housed in a single-story volume that faces due south. An inner square courtyard is formed by these two volumes, which permeates out to the sylvan landscape beyond. The refined form of the house alludes to vernacular building typologies, while the placement and proportioning of the opes on the façade makes reference to the principles of classical architecture. On the west elevation, there is a playfulness in the composition of the roof and chimney inspired by Frida Kahlo’s painting “Viva la Vida”.
Tá Carraig Ruacháin Bheag suite i dtírdhreacht álainn nadúrtha in Iarthuaisceart Cathrach Chorcaí. Faigheann Carraig Ruacháin Bheag a ainm ón bhféith ghainneamhchloch saibhir dearg Chorcaigh, ar a shuíonn an baile fearainn. De réir Phlean Forbartha Chomahairle Chontae Chorcaí, tá an ceantar suite ag suíomh zonáil Chrios Ghlas, áit a bhfuil an leibhéal is airde cosanata tugtha dó. Mar sin, bhí sé mar phríomh chuid do mhionteagaisc an chliant, dearadh a bhí báúil don suíomh agus a áilleacht nádurtha a chruthú. Chun bealach a fháil isteach chuig an suíomh íargúlta, áaitfidh tú dul trí chairéal chloiche nach bhfuil in usáid agus coill chomh maith. Ag fagáil an choill, fáiltíonn ón taobh thuaidh thú, cluain oscailte ag féachaint ó dheas,agus é cosanta ag crainn lánfhasta duillsilteacha. Is áit draíochtúil é an suíomh seo.Ta riarachain phlean an tí bunaithe ar geoiméadracht na cearnóige. Taobh istigh, cruthaíonn leagan amach Raumplan éascaíocht idir na seomraí. Baintear leas as na radharcanna agus na ceangail leis na spásanna taobh amuigh, ón taobh istigh, chun buntáiste a fháil ón suíomh. Cuireann socrú tinteáin ag deireadh áis an tslí isteach fáilte roimh an aoi chuig an tí ar óiche gheimhridh. Tá toirt dhá stór in a bhfuil an loistín chodhlata suite lonnaithe ar ais aduaidh aneas, agus an lóistín cónaithe suite i dtoirt stór amháin ag feachaint ó dheas. Cruthaítear clós cearnógach taobh istigh ag an dá toirt seo, a théann amach go dtí an tírdreacht coillteach lasmuigh.Tugann foirm galanta an tí ómos do tíopeolaíocht tógála dhúchasach, agus déanann socrú agus toisí na hoscailtí ar an aghaidh tagairt do na prionsabail ailtireachta claiseacacha. Ag féachaint aniar tá spraíúlacht i dtoisí an dín is an simléir, a bhfaigheann a spreagtha ó saothar Frida Kahlo, leis an tideal, Viva la Vida.