Most immediately apparent is the unusual choice of material for the exterior walls — the sort of red-brown brick we associate with 1960s and 1970s public-utility buildings such as schools and community centres.

There was also a practical reason for the selection: “We had to deal with high existing walls around the site, and we wanted something which would acknowledge the context of the surrounding buildings, so we decided to use brick,” says Boyd.

“Because the lane itself was full of one-off houses, we had the opportunity to build a totally independent house.”

Also, as the client had a collection of high furniture she wanted to keep from her period house, she insisted on having high ceilings in her new house.

To mitigate the high wall surrounds, Boyd Cody designed the house upside down, with the main living quarters on the upper floors and the bedrooms downstairs. Extensive use of timber inside, for the floors, doors and trim gives it a sense of warmth inside. True to modernist principles, the use of space is open and economical throughout. The windows, all varied in shape, have side timber panels. To the front is a rectangular patio in brick, reflecting the building itself.

The award is significant in Ireland for a number of reasons. First, it is rare for a residential house to achieve the overall award.

Second, Boyd Cody represents the younger school of Irish architectural thought, currently getting all the attention in the field of one-off residential design, and this award can be judged as the first official recognition of the firm’s role.

Finally, for the first time, the panel of judges were largely based overseas, perhaps a wise decision given that the world of Irish architecture is such a small one. Boyd and Cody for example, are both past AAI presidents.

As it turns out, Boyd Cody also scooped a second award of four overall, for its eye-catching extension at a period house in Wellington Road in Dublin 4.

Other winners this year included Niall McLaughlin, who is making waves in the UK. His prize was for his Peabody Housing project at Silvertown in London.

McLaughlin, who is acknowledged as one of the most exciting new talents in Irish architecture, also got a commendation for his interpretation of a houseboat — a sci-fi glazed affair floating on pontoons — and for his coastal home at Dirk Cove, Clonakilty.

The third award-winner was a youth and community centre at Donore Avenue in Dublin by Henchion & Reuter architects.

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