David Flynn Architects Ltd.

We purchased our house in Malahide for its location in the full knowledge that we would need to transform the dark and cold interior to create a warm and welcoming family home. Commencing this project during Covid times with three near teenage children we wanted the house to allow us gather as a family but crucially to also allow for individual space to work, live and play. David listened to our requirements and produced a design that exceeded our original expectation. The resultant home is light filled and warm on the coldest winter day and takes full account of its westerly orientation. The views of the mid-summer late evening sunsets over Malahide estuary are breath-taking and a bonus that we never imagined. David’s attention to detail and knowledgeable advice is evident throughout in both the underlying design but also in the finishings and fittings with no detail overlooked. David took the time to get to know us not just as clients but also as a family as he sought to unpack our hopes and dreams for the property and entwine these with his own vision and creation of a fully functioning family home. We quickly gained confidence in the quality of the output sought and knew we were in good hands. David knew just the right level of hand holding needed with personal discussions on how something should look frequently ending with “what does David think?”, in the full knowledge that he would guide us in the right manner. The result is a warm and cosy house that works on many level, large open spaces combine with cosy functional rooms to facilitate all that family life entails and is a pleasure to live in, to entertain in but also to relax and unwind after a busy working day. Overall we were delighted with the outcome of our engagement with David Flynn in the transformation of a dark and cold mid-century dwelling into the wonderful house we now love to call home.

Selecting an architect is a big decision. We’d engaged architects on 2 of our previous homes over the years and had 3 criteria. We wanted a multi-architect practice, established but innovative, for which our project would be another step forward in the practice’s development. We researched various firms online and via our friends and family and decided to approach DFA. Vanessa responded promptly and we were soon meeting with David and Vanessa to discuss our project. We’d bought an old and tired 1940s bungalow on a lovely site in Mount Merrion. As we were empty nesters we had very specific requirements in terms of future-proofing our new home. DFA took the detailed brief we gave them, interpreted it into a form that worked on the sloping site and elaborated on it with some wonderful design features. Their drawings and models enabled us to visualise the finished house very well. Once we’d settled on the design we then had to apply for planning permission which was achieved with minimal conditions as DFA had designed a split level dormer which fitted in very well with the overall street look and with our neighbours’ roof heights. Next step was to get our Bill of Quantities and go out to tender. Then along came covid. This delayed matters and, with the supply chain impact, pushed building costs up. Despite this we decided to proceed and DFA were most helpful in helping us select a contractor. Then the heavy work began. It was a complete demolish and build anew as we simply couldn’t achieve the energy efficiency or the design requirements by working around the original house. The entire build took a little over a year which was very acceptable given the extent of the works. We moved in on August 4th and are really enjoying our new home, how it sits on the site within redeveloped gardens, its design features and the build quality. Apart from designing us a beautiful home we really appreciated how DFA led the team and stayed very actively involved at all stages. We’d be very happy to recommend DFA to anyone considering a similar project. Jackie & Eamon

From the start of the project David and his team were proactive and easy to work with. After the initial consultation, they provided several options for our renovation project and were always happy to discuss alternatives. When we settled on the final design (after a couple of meetings) David provided detailed drawings and a 3D image of the final design which was really great to help us visualise the project. He also helped design our kitchen and TV wall unit. The detailed drawings also made life easier for the contractor. Throughout the 10 month renovation, David and his team regularly visited the site and had very good engagement with our main contractor. Each site meeting had an agenda with the focus on any amendments (either proposed by him, us or the contractor) as well as completion deadlines. While the project overran the initial 6 month time-frame by c. 4 months this was no fault of the architect but was primarily due to Covid related supply issues (i.e. windows, aluminium fascia). We as the client did have to source certain design elements of the project ourselves (i.e. burnt timber cladding) as David did not have a source but this is probably to be expected. We were also very fortunate to have a very good contractor who was able to deliver upon David’s design, which is key. We are so happy with the final renovation and really appreciate the work David put into the project, from the initial design options, changes resulting from the numerous site meetings and his overall project management. If you are looking for a modern and contemporary design, then we recommend David and his team.

We are very happy with our “dormer bungalow reimagined”. Whilst fitting in with the other dormer bungalows, it subtly reveals a modern design. By making the bungalow completely detached from the neighbouring residences and moving the entrance from the side to the middle on the front, the house looks like one home rather than a dormer with a side extension. The rear extension with its south facing skylight and curved ceilings gets raving reviews from friends and family alike.

We engaged David as we hoped to extend our small 3 bed semi by knocking the garage and also extend out the back to create a family space for cooking, eating, and living while adding at least one extra bedroom. David took our brief and developed a number of different schemes for us to consider and we then met to review what we liked allowing us to collaboratively hone the design. We had set a very strict and tight budget and he managed to deliver a design that gave us everything we wanted using his knowledge of construction details, costs and looking for efficiencies. He picked up on our preferences and tastes and while there were of course disagreements along the way, we’re very happy with the design. The space and light we now have is incredible. Designs were tweaked along the way too as construction progressed, to improve designs in some areas like adding a roof light over the stair well, or to allow us squeeze in bits we hadn’t initially scoped. Overall, we’re delighted with what we have ended up with and how David & Vanessa managed to work with the brief we set to deliver what we wanted.

Very good experience with David Flynn. From the start he was engaged, communicated well, worked well with the builder while also keeping pressure on him which was important. Presented different designs, all of which took our suggestions into consideration but presented clever and innovative designs. We are very happy with how the design and overall build turned out. Good overall collaboration and communication with a fine end product we are very happy with.

‘We were rebuilding the house where Julian grew up. Holding so many precious memories it was important the design retained features which made the house so special, like the garden view and wide aspect, while building in comfort, modern design and flexible living space. David, Vanessa and team delivered on those objectives and more in designing the home of our dreams. The design process was smooth, the timelines provided realistic and the team were readily accessible when we had questions or concerns. They carried through the designs to the site and provided very thorough site inspections and checks throughout the project while working well with the building contractor and Quantity Surveyor. The time and energy they invested in the project is a credit to them and we would be pleased to recommend David and team for any future work, large or small’

We really enjoyed working with David from the initial meetings to discuss our project and ideas right through to completion and the finished house. We were looking to extend and modernise a 1950s semi detached. The initial drawings and ideas which David presented showed us some of the wonderful potential in the building and how we could make the most of all of its aspects including an amazing picture window at the back of the house to maximise light. We are so delighted with the final design and having lived in the house for a few months now we are also enjoying the practicality of the layout and features for day to day family life! David and his team are an absolute pleasure to work with.

We had a great experience with David Flynn. His enthusiasm for his job is infectious and his ideas are really clever and interesting. He guided us through each stage of the project from design to completion. We had lots of queries at each stage and David and his team were always there to help. Davids vision has created a wonderful light filled space for us to live in. We love the results and highly recommend David Flynn architects.

We hired David to refurbish and extend a 1930's semi-D. We were open to ideas and he was extremely creative in terms of thinking of ways to really maximise space and light, and came up with an internal layout we would never have thought of. He showed a real respect for the era the house was built in, and introduced beautiful and unusual design features to fit with that. The final result is stunning, as well as being a comfortable, bright and warm living space. As well as the quality of the design, we were also pleased with David's professionalism, good humour, attention to detail and ability to manage the project so well and deal with the contractors.

David designed a complete renovation of our 4 bed semi-detached home, including extending both the ground and first floors and also changing the layout at both levels. The design is not only beautiful, but is also very practical and has created a fantastic bright and airy space which works very well for family life. David made great use of the space and created lots of additional storage throughout the house. He was very good at coming up with solutions for any problems we posed. David is very personable and easy to deal with and worked well with our contractor, who was very complimentary of his drawings which were very detailed. He is also extremely professional and responded to phone calls & emails promptly. We would have no hesitation in recommending David.

David was our architect for a rebuild of an old run down property. He took all our requests on board and came up with a fantastic design. It feels airy and bright even in winter and works really well as a family home. He pays a lot of attention to planning every detail and we could not be happier with the end result!