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The Belfast Roman Villa
Thomas and Dervla O’Hare had lived in Belfast for 18 years when they decided to build a 21st century answer to a Roman villa, with a copper roof, glass and concrete walls and vast amounts of living space all arranged around a central courtyard. In order to cope with the incredibly steep slope the house was divided across three levels.
At the base of the building there is a garage and utilities. Through the front door a double-width staircase leads up to the living and dining areas. Full-height glass walls separate the sitting room and the central courtyard. At the rear of the site where the slope is steepest there is a bedroom block, partly built into the hill and sheaved with two storeys of south-facing glass to catch the light.
