Airship in the Trees

Airship in the Trees - Ennis

Project Overview

A strong example of how material performance and precise system engineering combine on a historical home.

Designed by John Curran Architects, Saol san Aer is a woodland home rooted in Ireland’s Golden Age of Flight. Overlooking the Shannon Estuary, the project draws on the legacy of early transatlantic aviation at nearby Foynes, where elegant flying boats once departed for America and Europe.

The house takes inspiration from the idea of a wooden airframe, with its form, structure and detailing referencing the craftsmanship and romance of early aviation. Set within a mature woodland site, the building expands an existing 1960s property to accommodate three generations of family living — blending memory, narrative and landscape.

Architecture & Narrative

The design celebrates an era when aviation symbolised ambition and elegance. From the Yankee Clipper to the Lockheed Constellation, the architectural language echoes the flowing forms and structural logic of aircraft construction.

Rather than imposing on its setting, the house sits among the trees, with materiality and geometry working together to create a crafted, story-led piece of architecture.