Healy Butler Moffat

  A homeowner rings about a garden room. Nothing unusual there. They’ve read about the planning changes, measured the space behind the house and found a supplier who says the unit can be delivered in six weeks. “So,” they ask, “if it’s exempt now, wha t would we need an architect for?” It’s a fair question. Since 27 July 2026, Ireland’s revised exempted development rules have made certain domestic projects possible without a planning application. The changes include larger exempt house extensions, limited subdivision of an existing home and, subject to strict conditions, detached auxiliary accommodation in a rear garden. That removes a planning step in some cases. It does not remove the building. The ground still has to carry it. Water has to stay outside. People have to get out safely if there’s a fire. Drainage, privacy, daylight, structure, insulation and access still need to work. Somebody also has to establish whether the proposal really does fall inside the exemption rather t...

  The drawings were spread across a kitchen table in a house outside Cork city. They looked convincing enough: bright open-plan room, broad glazing onto the garden, a neat new entrance and the sort of polished exterior view that makes a project feel almost finished before it has begun. The planning application had already stalled. The difficulty wasn't the client's ambition. The proposed extension simply hadn't been developed with the site, the existing house and the planning context in the same conversation. One part pushed too close to a boundary; another created an awkward relationship with a neighbouring property. The drawings showed what the client wanted, but not why that response belonged there. By then, the client had paid for the initial package and lost several months. Starting again felt wasteful. Pressing on felt worse. This sort of situation explains why people have become more careful about choosing architects in Cork . Rising construction costs have sharpene...