A story rooted in place: The Daintree and the Bloom lore
Two decades ago, Dublin welcomed a bold experiment in sustainable urban living: a timber-framed, low-emission residential complex on Camden Street. The Daintree, a cluster of eight apartments designed for light, air and energy efficiency, became one of the city’s early milestones in green architecture. Today, Apartment 4 — a compact 623 square-foot haven — is up for sale at €495,000, guided by Felicity Fox. Yet the appeal goes beyond square footage and price tag. It’s a dwelling that carries a sense of place and a thread of literary curiosity tied to James Joyce’s Leopold Bloom and a family lore that has threaded itself into the city’s memory.
For Tana Kaplan Gray, a Seattle-born mother of two who bought the place with her husband after meeting in Trinity College, the eco-friendly features were a strong draw — but the location sealed the moment. A grandmother who grew up nearby on Clanbrassil Street and who studied medicine at Trinity decades earlier offered the living bridge to Dublin’s past, a circle closing around a home that felt both contemporary and deeply grounded in its neighborhood.
Architecture and sustainability: the green DNA of The Daintree
The building’s timber structure, lime-rendered walls and copper accents were ahead of Dublin’s housing curve. Insulation uses sheep’s wool, reducing energy loss while staying breathable. Solar thermal panels heat water, and a geothermal heating system — among the first large-scale heat pumps in the city — drives warmth with a borehole reaching 500 meters beneath the ground. The result is a low energy A3 rating that made on-demand hot water and comfortable year-round living a practical daily reality rather than a futuristic ideal.
Architects Brian O’Brien and Mike Haslam of Solearth Architecture led the project in 2004, commissioned by Paul Barnes, then-owner of Daintree Paper. Their brief was to create a tranquil space for work and life — a place that could “smell like baking bread,” in the words of the designers. The homes were conceived to maximize light and height, with large south-facing windows, a balcony and an interior finish that felt both airy and intimate. Reclaimed floorboards and a simple, modern palette of white and cream walls gave Apartment 4 a calm, timeless feel that has aged well.
Inside the home: space, light and everyday comfort
Inside, the apartment is efficiently laid out for urban living. The main bedroom features a walk-in wardrobe, while the second bedroom serves as a guest room or home office. The open-plan kitchen and living area uses natural materials — timber floors, granite countertops and a pared-back white kitchen — to produce an uncluttered, easy-to-maintain space. Kaplan Gray recalls the sense of openness when she first moved in: “It was airy, light-filled, and also quietly cozy in winter.”
Courtyard calm and city life: an urban oasis
Below the residences sits an award-winning courtyard designed by Robert Heslip, enclosed by bamboo walls and offering a tranquil counterpoint to the bustling city. A nearby café, the Cake Café, became a neighborhood staple, providing a social pulse that echoed the building’s original aim: a peaceful home in the center of Dublin. Kaplan Gray describes it as a place where community, rather than just residents, thrived — a rarity in the heart of a busy city.
The sale today: a piece of living history
Kaplan Gray and her husband decided to move on, not out of dissatisfaction but to widen their family footprint elsewhere. “We loved the place and were hesitant to let it go,” she says, “but we’re ready to let it go now.” For buyers who want a home with character, a proven sustainability record and a central location, the apartment offers a rare blend. Walkable to Grafton Street and Stephen’s Green, it sits in a neighborhood that celebrates both heritage and modern living, with amenities literally on the doorstep.
Why this home still matters
Two decades on, The Daintree stands as a model for how urban housing can combine environmental responsibility with everyday comfort. It showed that timber, natural materials and smart energy systems could coexist with the needs of modern city life. For residents, it offered a sense of belonging — a place where the rhythm of city living could be balanced by quiet, sunlit interiors and an enclosed garden. The Leopold Bloom connection adds a literary texture to the narrative, lending Dublin a deeper sense of personal and cultural history that few properties can claim.
As the Dublin housing scene continues to evolve, these wooden eco apartments are a reminder that sustainable design can age gracefully and continue to bloom for new generations of urban dwellers.
