There are more than 100 million single-family residences scattered across the United States but one of the country’s most famous houses sits in the center of Washington, D.C. Today, the structure is more office than house, however its design still encompasses a clarity of purpose and an openness that homeowners across the county crave.
Completed for the first time in 1800, the White House was designed by James Hoban, an Irish-born architect who immigrated to the U.S. around 1785. Hoban, who was born in Kilkenny around 1760, pulled his design inspiration from Dublin’s Leinster House, a Palladian-style former mansion that now holds the republic’s national parliament. Known for symmetry, the classical style is named for the work of Andrea Palladio, a 16th-century Italian architect, and its influence is still seen in historic public spaces across the country.
Centuries later, Irish-born architects are still shaping the U.S. architectural landscape, albeit with styles all their own. Born in Dublin, the Los Angeles-based architect Lorcan O'Herlihy founded his namesake firm in 1994, creating an award-winning studio that’s strongly informed by the social and environmental contexts of its projects. O'Herlihy, who briefly lived in Ireland as a teenager, sees some of his heritage’s influence in his work.
“Ireland influenced me in its great public spaces, such as squares and the sense of community and its wonderful appreciation of people and communication,” O'Herlihy said via email. “They’re very welcoming, and I push to provide spaces in my projects that allow people [to] engage each other.”
Take for example LOHA's Trancas House 2.0 project in Malibu, California. O'Herlihy built the original Trancas House for his parents, but the 2018 Woolsey wildfire destroyed it, and the firm was tasked with designing another home for the property's new owners. Designed to withstand future fires while remaining open to its surroundings, the resulting project also offers a series of pockets that encourage gathering and community within.
O'Herlihy also noted his interest in European architects, such as the Swiss-French practitioner Le Corbusier, a pull that “is certainly aligned” with “Ireland’s sensibility,” he said. “I have been fascinated with modernism ever since the beginning of my practice, and it has been a source of inspiration over the years.”
“There’s definitely a thoughtfulness, clarity of ideas, and an appreciation of context in Irish architectural history, and that is aligned with my work,” O'Herlihy said.