Wonder Walls: The Tralee home that mixes the old and the new

Irish Examiner Deputy Property Editor Catherine Shanahan is impressed with the design of Walled Garden House in Tralee 

What makes Walled House Garden such a knockout is the masterful blend of modern and historical. Pictures: Janice O'Connell, f22

In some respects architecture is a bit like theatre — just as set design roots the drama in a certain era, architects strive to design buildings that keep faith with the history of a site.

Kerryman Steve Burke pulled this off with aplomb in the home he designed for his parents, east of Tralee town. Instead of demolishing the ruins of multiple old stone sheds and outhouses on the site his father had bought, he focused on giving them pride of place in a stunning new creation that is profoundly at ease with its surroundings.