Long House / The Gallery

Long House

Long House was created for Bernard and Sinéad Jaffa on a backland site formed from part of their original property overlooking the River Lagan corridor in Belfast.

Planning permission for the house had already been secured before my involvement in the project. From that point onward, the design continued to evolve through close collaboration with the clients.

Bernard and Sinéad brought a strong vision for how they wanted to live. The house was never intended to be simply a container for rooms. It was conceived as a place for art, music, cooking, entertaining and everyday life, while remaining closely connected to the mature garden landscape that had been part of their lives for many years.

“It’s not just a house, it’s our home. It’s three years now and we haven’t gotten used to it. It’s an amazing feeling to wake up in. When we’re away on holiday we can’t wait to get home.”

— Bernard Jaffa, excerpt from BBC NI House of the Year submission, 2024

For me, that response from the owners is the clearest measure of the project’s success.

The House

The site falls significantly from one end to the other. This change in level gives the house much of its character, with lower, more enclosed spaces below and brighter, more open living spaces above.

From the lower level, the black concrete stair clearly invites you upstairs. Once there, it almost disappears from mind as the house opens into a bright double-height living space filled with garden views, artwork and daylight.

A key moment in this journey is the gradual appearance of a 65-foot-wide Neil Shawcross painting as you move upward through the house. Rather than being treated as decoration added after completion, the artwork forms part of the experience of moving through the building and helps anchor the main living space.

The upper floor is organised as a series of connected spaces rather than a collection of separate rooms. Large areas of glazing bring daylight deep into the building while framing views of mature trees beyond the site boundaries. The result is a house that feels open and spacious while still offering places for privacy and retreat.

Visitors describe the experience as being similar to a tree house. Living spaces sit among the surrounding canopy, enjoying sunlight, long views and a strong connection to nature while remaining firmly rooted in an urban setting.

Long House shows how a challenging site can become the starting point for a distinctive and deeply personal home. Through careful use of levels, light and space, the house feels considerably larger, richer and more connected to its surroundings than its footprint alone might suggest.