Home Design and Management Elective
Historical Development of housing styles in Ireland
Early 1800’s
Rural:
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Most common house was single storey thatched cottage
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Consisted of two rooms, a kitchen and bedroom
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Stone walls with small windows and door (half-door)
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Open turf fire used for heating and cooking
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Some cottages had a loft directly under thatch for children to sleep
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The richer(farmers) had two-storey stone houses with slated roofs
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Landlords lived in estate houses
Urban:
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Georgian houses were very popular
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Terraced houses were used and they were single, two or three story
Type of houses reflected social standing
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Wealthy merchants and professionals lived in substantial 3 or 4 story houses
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middle class people in small terrace houses, 2 story
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shopkeepers lived over shop
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ordinary workers lived in single storey cottages
Architecture:
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Simplicity in design and construction
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Stone walls covered in lime plaster
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Timber used in floors and roofs
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Main design was above doorways
Houses of the period: Georgian, Cottages, Street houses
Late 1800’s
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Move away from simple Georgian(classical) towards Gothic, Tudor and Art
Nouveau (ornate)
Home Design and Management Elective
- Rural areas:
o Two-storey with slate roofs
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Transport improved which allowed more building materials to be distributed to all
areas
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Bricks were used on many of the larger houses
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In cities the large Georgian houses were vacated and were then divided among
the poorer people who lived in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions
Houses of the period: Brick-fronted 2-storey, Gothic style, Tudor style, Art Nouveau.
Early 1900’s
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Move from terrace houses to detached or semi-detached for middle class
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Housing estates were build on outskirts of towns (brick with plaster walls)
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When land prices went up houses became two-story
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Less ornate styles were used with tiles on roofs
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Housing in rural Ireland change due to electrification and housing grants
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Slate roofed bungalow replaced the thatched cottage
Houses of the period: Modern bungalow (dormer), Public housing,
Late 1900’s
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Housing estates with common design were very popular
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Private housing styles varied greatly, classical and modern designs
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Housing standards improved due to regulations
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Cost of land increased and so did the number of high rise apartments
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Local Authorities built more housing estates throughout towns and cities
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New materials became available e.g. PVC, double glazing and fibreglass
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Slate roofs were dominant and finished in cement plaster
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2 storey houses were predominant
Houses of the period: Public housing, private housing, Modern bungalow
Home Design and Management Elective
Ireland today
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Houses of previous centuries can still be seen
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Urban areas
o Terraced, semi-detached and some detached
o Apartment blocks are very popular due to lack of space
o Housing complexes, include town houses and apartments enclosed within
security gates
o Housing estates – consist of one style of house. Styles may vary
o Buying and renovating old buildings
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Rural areas
o Thatched cottages are found in tourist areas
o Many of the houses are custom-designed on private sites
o Conservatories are added onto lots of houses
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To make more space attics are converted
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Sheltered accommodation is available for elderly or disabled