Davinci House on Quarry Road, Rathmichael, Co Dublin, is what is says on the tin - a zero-carbon, energy efficient timber-framed Davinci Haus.

Davinci Haus is a company that provides system-built timber-frame homes tailored to individual requirements. It was set up in Germany 70 years ago and has designers in Ireland.

The five-bedroom house, on a .33-acre site, has the distinctive Alpine lodge meets modern Tudor Davinci Haus style.

It is for sale by private treaty through Colliers Jackson-Stops for €2.35 million.

As well as huge floor-to-ceiling windows and roof lights, it has high pitched ceilings and exposed beams. Natural materials were used throughout and paints and varnishes are non-toxic.

With 264sq m (2,847sq ft) of living accommodation, a lot of it open-plan, it has great views across to Killiney and Dalkey.

Two of the double bedrooms are on the ground floor, along with an office and a bright livingroom with a double height ceiling, a large roof light with an automatic blind system and chrome rack lighting. It is overlooked by a gallery.

The diningroom has granite tiled floors and a door to the garden. As well as a kitchen, with American fridge and a breakfast bar, there is a utility room.

Upstairs the main bedroom has a balcony, dressingroom and en suite bathroom with Philippe Starck fittings. The gallery area is a living space in itself and opens out to the balcony.

There are two further double bedrooms on the upper floor and a bathroom. The gardens, mostly in lawn, wrap around the house.

Davinci House, Quarry Road, Rathmichael, Co Dublin
Five-bedroom eco-friendly
house of 264sq m (2,847sq ft) Agent: Colliers Jackson-Stops.


Stylish homes engineered by Arup, The Irish Times, 29 May 2008

Three terraced houses in Ballsbridge have been refurbished by the company that used them as offices for over 40 years, writes Orna Mulcahy, Property Editor.

When the engineering company Arup moved to brand new offices in Ringsend last year, it put its Ballsbridge HQ on the market - comprising several period houses on Wellington Road with mews houses to the rear.

While part of the portfolio was sold, the core offices were not, and so Arup has restored them as family homes and placed them back on the market. Sales agent Colliers Jackson-Stops is now offering 8 Wellington Road, a terraced house in pristine decorative order, for €5 million. Next door, numbers 10 and 12 are for sale at €7 million a piece. Both houses have long gardens and their original coach-houses, which accounts for the higher values.

Dating from the 1830s, these are handsome period houses that had been kept in immaculate structural order by Arup.

Number 8 has a spacious 353sq m (3,802sq ft) with two superb interconnecting rooms at hall level, and a series of clean empty spaces envisaged as at least four bedrooms with a kitchen and family room at garden level.

Number 12 has some fine original features including fireplaces and ornate ceiling cornices. Number 10, which is still being refurbished, will have a similar layout of about three large rooms per floor.

Long gardens and pretty coach-houses of approximately 74sq m (800sq ft) each complete the package. Peter Kenny is handling enquiries for all three properties.

8, 10, 12 Wellington Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4

Formerly the offices of Arup, these three houses, which date from the 1830s, have been restored for residential use

Agent: Colliers Jackson-Stops.