RIAI Irish Architecture Awards 2008

The Irish Architecture Awards, which travel to approximately 20 venues around Ireland and to London, are intended to communicate the range, variety and quality of the Architects work in any one year. Here is a list of this year’s winning projects:

Best Accessible Project: ABK Architects for the New Civic Offices, Cork

Accessibility and the principles of universal design were evidently well considered. A diligent philosophy not to differentiate and separate all users has been employed throughout in addressing issues of external approach, reception, way finding and the overall internal environment. Bright ‘white’ finishes of most surfaces create a calm environment but may impede differentiation. This minor comment, however, is not to take away from a building that is a fine example of what is truly meant by an accessible environment.

Best Conservation / Restoration Project: Michael Collins Associates for the Chq building, Custom House Quay, Dublin 2

A well considered conservation strategy based on minimal intervention, including the replacement of a previous altered gable end to the river with a contemporary glazed screen, has conserved the intrinsic historical character of this nationally important warehouse and provided the city with an innovative landmark shopping precinct responding to the Sean O’Casey bridge over the River Liffey.

Best Educational Building: Murray O’Laoire for the CIT Cork School of Music

The long awaited Cork School of Music is a wonderful project combining the rigorous needs of a college with the functional requirements of music
recital. On a tight urban site, the landmark building by the Lee will provide inspiration for creativity and performance. Bravo!

Best House & Public Choice Award: MacGabhann Architects for Tuath na Mara, Portsalon, Portsalon, Letterkenny

This is an example of a one-off house in the countryside that sits lightly in its setting and yet has a strong presence. The house has dark elements, just as the surrounding land does, and yet respects and provides a platform for the beauty of the scenery by letting it shine through the building. Tread softly for you tread upon our Donegal.

Best House Extension: A2 Architects for One up-One Down-One Deep, 11 Carlisle Street, Dublin

This Dublin extension sensitively adds to a listed building by hiding away and yet not being small and retiring in itself. There is a strict palette of colours and materials but these shades and fabrics are in themselves expressive. Overall the extension is functional and human at the same time with elements placed in ways that enhance life, such as seating within the fabric of the home and plenty of natural light. This is a design for people and the city.

Best Housing Project: there was no winner in this category: Two projects were highly commended including: O’Briain Beary for the Lots Apartments, 16 Capel Street, Dublin 1, and Dublin City Council, City Architects Division for Memorial Court, South Circular Road, Dublin 8

Best Leisure Building: Murray O’Laoire for Tailteann Mary Immaculate College, South Circular Road, Limerick

There were 29 entries in the Best Leisure Building category, with an award to the sculptural Tailteann project at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. The Jury were somewhat disappointed in the standard of projects in this class, given the potential for interesting solutions to the varied briefs for this building type.

Best Office Development / Commercial: Bucholz McEvoy for Elm Park Office Buildings, Merrion Road, Dublin 4

The Best Office Development class attracted 26 entries of uniformly high quality, with the issue of sustainability a consistent theme. The award to Elm Park is a tribute to the new working environment, proving that green buildings need not wear woolly jumpers.

Best Public Building: ABK Architects for the New Civic Offices, Cork

There were 23 entries for Best Public Building. The projects included New Civic Offices, continuing the roll-out of new county halls of which Cork is an outstanding example. The Jury noted the bravery of Brookfield Community Centre and the restraint of St. Paul’s Community Centre, Glenageary, where the contemporary complements the old.

Best Retail Building: DePaor Architects for the Salon, 1B Emmet Place, Cork

There were 9 submissions in the Best Retail Space class, with the award given to The Salon in a much-modified town-centre building. The Jury noted the disparity in the scale of the entries, ranging from fully-blown out-of town shopping centres to meticulously-detailed fit-outs.

Best Sustainable Project: ABK Architects for the New Civic Offices, Cork

This project has achieved a balanced environmental and architectural statement through committed engagement by all stakeholders in the building design process. The client’s utilization of a ‘build design contract’ is underpinned by a focused briefing and assessment process.  The building design and execution is holistic and measured, achieving controlled energy conservation and user comfort. The confidence expressed by the client and contractor in the initial design proposals have been justified by the completed project.

Assessors’ Award: Grafton Architects for 7-9 Merrion Square & The Billets, Dublin