Divine inspiration for Drumcondra terraced homes

If ever there were a development that was built using divine inspiration it was Hampton in Dublin 9. Located on the site of a convent and chapel that was formerly run by the Carmelite nuns, the new homes are actually secondary to the original buildings that have been restored and now take centre stage at the scheme.

Around 2010, after nearly 200 years in Drumcondra, the enclosed order decided to move to another more modern convent in Malahide as their numbers dwindled. In 2015, Grelis, owned by developer Greg Gallagher, bought the nine-acre site on the promise that they would not knock the 1868 Pugin-Ashlin chapel. Gallagher has kept true to his word and exceeded it, with the intricate stonework now sandblasted and cleaned up, and the stained-glass windows by Mayer of Munich on show at night as it’s lit up for all to admire.

The new houses loop around the ecclesiastical buildings in a well-thought-out design by architect Justin Halpin of HA Design Studio. Green space makes up 25pc of the development, which includes the walled garden that was tended to by the nuns for so many years, now restored and open to the public.

There is planning on the site for 50 houses in total. The first phase of 28 has sold out and there are now 10 phases on offer in this latest launch. There is a mix of mid-terrace (2,380sq ft) and end-of-terrace (2,237sq ft) all priced at €1.1m.

The three-storey homes have been built to mirror Hampton’s original brickwork by combining stone, buff and russet-coloured brick on all exterior walls and natural slate on the roofs. Portuguese limestone has been used for sills and surrounds with alu-clad windows by Carlson, as well as aluminium gutters and downpipes, all finished in a tasteful olive green. Inside the houses the finish is similarly high. On the ground floor is a large reception room to the left of the hall and a kitchen with dining area to the right. The kitchen units are by Cawley and come with a Silestone worktop. There is a utility room off the kitchen, and a guest WC off the hallway.

On the first floor is the master bedroom with walk-in wardrobe and ensuite bathroom. Across from this is a second reception room. Up on the top floor are three more bedrooms (one ensuite) and the family bathroom.

All of the houses are A-rated and have a NIBE air source heat pump. Bathroom fittings are by Villeroy and Boch and gardens come seeded and walled. The grounds around the old buildings and the new houses have been carefully designed by award-winning landscaper Jane McCorkell.

Still bordered by the original stone wall, the development is now home to 88 native trees, young and old, with the plaza in front of the chapel and convent brought back to life with planting and paving.

With Hampton, Grelis has made sure that it has brought the two eras together in a harmonious style. It even got the nuns’ blessing on a recent visit, who were particularly delighted when they saw the walled garden restored, with their Carmelite arch hanging on the wall to remind everyone where it all began.