Ranelagh, Dublin.

Woods Architecture & Project Management were engaged by a private client to prepare a change of use planning application for their property located in the centre of Ranelagh village. The application sought to change the use of ground-floor retail element to restaurant/bar use and first-floor office use back to residential use. During our initial survey of the property, we found that there were storage areas at the rear of the property accessible from a rear access lane off Westmoreland Park. The stores were of little value and of no use for a restaurant tenant.

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We advised the client that the rear portion of the property could potentially accommodate two residential townhouse-style units utilizing the extensive flat roof area over the ground floor retail unit for the private/common amenity space. After taking some time to consider the advise our client gave us the approval to prepare and submit a planning application for the two retail units.

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The site comprises disused storage sheds to the rear of a single storey retail unit. The site also includes the flat roof of the ground floor retail unit. To the northeast, the site overlooks the rear gardens of houses on Chelmsford Road and Westmoreland Park across an access laneway. The southeast boundary of the site is formed by the existing retail unit at ground floor and the rear facade of the first floor 'over the shop' apartment. The site is bounded to the northwest by an adjoining property (Milano) and to the southeast by another adjoining property and partially by a vacant site.

 

The scheme proposed two no. three-storey residential townhouse-style dwelling units, both are accessed from a common entrance at ground floor level via the rear access lane. Each unit benefits from its own entrance lobby with stairs to the upper floors, storage/utility room and cloaks. A shared bin store is located at this level too. The first-floor level contains 2no. bedroom, a bathroom/ensuite and access to the first floor landscaped garden. The second-floor level contains the open plan kitchen/living/dining space with a southwest facing balcony overlooking the landscaped garden below and a private terrace to the northeast.

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The scheme proposes the creation of a landscaped courtyard garden between the new block and the existing first-floor apartment to the southwest. Bothe the new dwellings and the existing apartment will all have access to the landscaped garden as a communal private amenity in the centre of the built-up block giving the overall property the benefit of a unique hidden green space in the centre of Ranelagh village.

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Approx Floor Area: Unit 1 - 97.5sqm, Unit 2 - 102.5sqm

Approx Budget: €650k

Services Provided: Architecture.