At the same time, new county council guidelines appear to be encouraging a return to the architectural models of the 19th century, such as cluster-style developments and small hamlets of traditional-style houses.
But old cottage extensions in the vernacular can all too easily fall into the realms of pastiche, while adding on a modern wing can fall foul of planners and the heritage party-poopers. To the casual observer, it seems that sometimes you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
Architects say we should be bold, keeping the extension as distinct as possible from the original house. Philip Geoghegan, a practising architect and lecturer at the UCD School of Architecture, Landscape and Civil Engineering, has a particular interest in conservation. “We did a