Address: Makasi, Swords Road, Malahide, Co DublinPrice: €1,950,000 Agent: Sherry FitzGeraldThe term future-proofing gets thrown around a lot in property circles, usually alongside vague promises about flexible living and smart design. This four-bedroom house, Makasi, in Malahide makes a more convincing case for it than most. Built in 2016 to a design by ODKM Architects, it comes with planning permission for a separate two-bedroom bungalow on the site, which is an option that feels particularly relevant given the growing demand for multigenerational living.The owner of Makasi was gifted the site by her parents years before she built the house, and says she took her time deciding what to do with it. “I sat on it for years. Then in 2013 I got an itch to see what I could do with it. I went to the Ideal Homes Show and met ODKM, and then had another session with them at a later date and I thought, ‘I like these guys’.“I had a few ideas and there was a debate at the time whether we would try put multiple houses on the site or just the one. My son was young then and I loved the garden for him, so we said let’s just stick with one house.”The result is a contemporary home built by Clanforce that is hidden off the Swords Road behind mature trees, with only the upper floor peaking over the electric gates.The owner worked closely with the architects throughout the process and says the finished house was exactly what she had envisioned.“We worked through all sorts of iterations. I loved the idea of the L-shape and a single-storey and double storey together with the burned-larch cladding. The brief was to give us an energy-efficient house that was nice and bright, and they nailed it in spades. The lightwell in the centre of the house is really beautiful and the positioning of the windows was spot on.”Inside the 222sq m (2,390sq ft) property, light is the defining feature. The central lightwell floods the gallery-style hall while extensive internal and external glazing create a sense of openness between the different living areas.The kitchen, designed by Dean Cooper, is the main hub of the house, with generous storage and room for dining and day-to-day family life. Steps lead down to a sunken lounge where a built-in couch wraps around the wall, and corner windows frame the garden. Sliding doors open directly on to a sandstone patio, with the outdoor levels mirroring those inside.A concealed door in the kitchen hides a large utility room with separate garden access.Entrance Hallway Kitchen Also at ground-floor level is a TV room and a double bedroom currently used as a guest room and workspace, again with doors opening to the garden.A reinforced concrete staircase leads up to a library area where filtered light comes through the external cladding. There are three bedrooms on this floor, including the principal suite with a dressing area behind the bed and an en suite bathroom. A family bathroom completes the layout.Outside, the garden is mainly lawn bordered by mature trees and established hedging that give the site a strong sense of privacy. To the front there is a gravel driveway and EV charger, while a large concrete shed provides additional storage, which, according to the owner, is particularly useful given the house has no attic.The specification is high throughout, with Reynaers Aluminium sliding doors and high-performance windows, while the kitchen includes Miele, Liebherr and Siemens appliances, and the bathrooms are fitted with Villeroy and Boch sanitary ware.The house, which is for sale through Sherry FitzGerald seeking €1.95 million, has an A2 Ber, achieved through high levels of insulation, a mechanical heat recovery system and a combi boiler. [ Five homes on view this week in Dublin from €295,000Opens in new window ]When standing out in the substantial garden extending to 0.147 hectares, it is easy to see how a second property would blend in with the house if new owners decided to go ahead with the build to perhaps create a separate home for elderly parents or adult children struggling to get a home of their own.For the owner, though, the house is less about the future than the years already spent here.“This house has ticked all the boxes,” she says. “The project itself was so enjoyable, and we’ve had 10 super years here. But it’s time now to move on and I’d love someone else to have as many happy years here.”Sunken lounge Library TV room Bedroom Garden