House in a long back garden in Navan A narrow linear garden behind an existing restaurant on Railway Street is the site for this new house. The house is designed in response to the clients’ particular requirements. They needed to be near to but separate from their work. They had been living over the restaurant and used an existing courtyard – the hollowed out shell of a disused workshop – as an outdoor room. The house is organised around three courtyards with external circulation between living and sleeping zones. The living space and bedroom tower are positioned on either side of the footprint of the former workshop. Storey height retaining walls hold back the higher level neighbours’ gardens on either side of the court, the living room roof is at the same level as the adjoining gardens. The cast-in-situ cranked roof gives the living space a cave-like character. Glazed screen doors connect living and courtyard spaces and the stone floor runs from inside to outside. Access to the 3 bedroom floors is across the sunken courtyard. The upper bedrooms have views across the gardens to the Navan skyline. Concrete steps lead from the courtyard level along the side court to the existing raised garden at the rear. The house is built in concrete and lined internally with plasterboard and plywood. External joinery is untreated iroko. Hudson House, Navan, Co Meath, Ireland Project Team Sheila O'Donnell, John Tuomey with Fiona McDonald Construction 1997-98