Episode 3, Alex Calder on self-building in Wicklow - the good, the bad & the ugly

In this first of our homeowner series episodes, I have the pleasure of speaking with content director Alex Calder about self-building in Wicklow over 4+ years through the pandemic.

Alex Calder and her husband are creative professionals working at gifting startup &Open and Meta who have had long-term plans to self-build on agricultural family land in Wicklow. Alex and her family have excellent taste and experience in design projects, which is why it is so illuminating to hear her approach and learnings on taking on a self-build project with demanding tech careers, a young child and pandemic to boot.

In this episode, Alex takes us through the timeline of a self-build project, her biggest learnings, the experts that were invaluable and all the nitty gritty details of the planning permission process for a new home - from leveraging local politicians to re-building a bridge!

Connect with Alex:

@caldalex for family life in Wicklow

@ahouseinwicklow to follow her family’s self-build in real-time

@betweentwoears for all things horsey

About your host, Tanya Neufeld & Studio Gaita

Start with our guide to 10 mistakes to avoid for a minimalist, luxury home

Learn more about our interior design & consultancy services

Resources & Professionals:

RIAI (Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland)

RIAI - Work with an architect

RIAI Building Construction Cost Guidelines 2019

Architect: John McLaughlin Architects