Distinctive elements of a ruined homestead are retained as a starting point for this new farmhouse, such as the existing cottage, original stone culverts and a stone seat at the base of a mature tree. The intention was to preserve the historical and architectural integrity of the place, which is of significant nostalgic value to the applicants’ family.

The proposed new dwelling takes precedent from the typology of low slung two–storey farmhouses typically of Ulster uplands, running with the contours of the land and sheltered and screened by trees. Nestling into a gentle dip in the rugged topography, its internal and external spaces step down the hillside with the gradient.

Within the typical vernacular form, external walls are pushed and pulled under the pitched roofs to create covered ‘verandahs’ or to open up rooms to views and sunlight. The main rooms of the house are orientated to address various prominent views of Slieve Gullion and its encircling hills.