document

ARCHITECTURE IRELAND

ARCH

ITECTURE IRELA

ND

259Roebuck Castle Student Residence - Kavanagh Tuite Architects

New

Housing and Sustainable Com

munities

Volume 5 - 2011

New Housing and Sustainable CommunitiesRoebuck Castle Student ResidenceSean Treacy HousingThe Milk MarketLessons from BarcelonaIrish Architecture Abroad

259E10 (INC VAT)

The Journal of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland

FALL ARREST SOLUTIONS

Supply only or supply and fitRoodsafe are the Market Leaders for Fall Arrest Solutions in Ireland

• N25 Cable Based Fall Arrest Systems EN 795• Vertical Rail Fall Arrest Systems EN 353• Free Standing Guardrail• Fabrication of Bespoke Access Ladders and Guardrail• PPE Supply• Testing of Fall Arrest SystemsTraining Courses• Height Safety Competent Person• Working at Height RegulationsSpecialist Division• Offshore Fall Arrest Systems – Design and Install• Lightning Protection Systems – Design and Install

Belfast Office:5 Cormac Avenue, The Gasworks, Belfast, BT7, Northern IrelandTel: 02890 44 76 39 Fax: 02890 44 76 45

CE approved toPPE directive

www.roodsafe.com

Carlow Office:Unit 4 Strawhall Business Park, Athy Road, Carlow.Tel: 059 9138042 Fax: 059 9143075 [email protected]

Offices in: Carlow - Belfast - Nottingham - Dubai - Worldwide Distribution

Solar Panel Fixing Technologywww.greenfix.com

Wallingstown, Little Island, Co. Cork, Ireland.Ph. +353 21 4705100 Fx. +353 4705198 www.ams.ieAMS Video Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE3WCo7Hqv0

Registration No. 152777

We wanted to cover every conceivable combination remarks sales director, PatO’Hara, and to achieve what we did with this window design helps to reinforce thebelief at AMS that TS 66 is one of the best performing windows available to themarket today. We were so confident in the system that we pushed the repeatedopening and closing test from 10,000 to 20,000 cycles achieving a category 3 status.The system is now part of the BM Trada quality ‘Q’ mark scheme and also meets allthe requirements of secure by design. In the past, we have tested the systemto1050pa for both air and water, which is well beyond any standard, but to achievea rating of 600Pa for air / water and 2400 Pa wind resistance on such a largewindow is a huge achievement. The safety pressure alone of 3600 Pa is a very highstandard to meet for any window system, and is the equivalent of a 166 mph gustof wind.

The system energy performance coupled with high level security, durability and costeffectiveness makes TS66 one of the market leaders not only in Ireland but in theUK as well. This proves that testing not only at independent accreditedorganisations, but also in house at Little Island in Cork, is a valuable and essentialpart of our day to day business.

TS66 Energy window system passes toughestexaminations with flying colours.

This summer AMS under took a very tough testing regime at Chilterndynamics in the UK. The TS 66 window system underwent a physicalexamination not commonly seen in our industry, and came through withtop class honours. The testing that was carried out was not unusual becauseof the performance achieved, but it was the size and design of the testsample that caught the attention of the UK based test house.

The window presented to Chiltern dynamic’s was an internally beaded1950mm wide x 2200mm high window, which consisted of a very large tophung, a very large side hung and two large fixed lights. The system wastested to BS 6375 Part 1 - weather tightness, BS 6375 Part 2 - operation andstrength and BS 7950 enhanced security performance. To make matterseven more interesting this window was fully internally beaded.

AMS FULL PAGE ADVERT_Layout 1 03/11/2011 15:29 Page 1

AlphaFlo is an alpha hemi-hydrate self-levelling floor screed. Because it has a more advanced composition than conventional screeds it reacts quickly with water which ultimately gives a considerably faster setting time. This enables following trades to proceed without delay within as little as 6-8 hours after installation. AlphaFlo is resistant to subsequent wetting and therefore will not crack or swell. It can be applied in thicknesses from 20–90mm which results in a faster drying time leading to quicker installation of various floor finishes. AlphaFlo is available as part of our dry silo solution, Silomix™ or in 25Kg bags.

Get in Touch: +353 (0)45 480620 - www.kilsaran.ie

AlphaFlofor when you need floor speed

6-8HOURS

ideas taking shape

KN_Floor Screed Arch Ad_110511.indd 1 11/05/2011 09:44:14

0|1 Architecture Ireland 259

CONTENTS

Contributors / NewsCommentPresident’s Column

RIAI NEWSArchitecture NewsArchitecture and Education News RIAI Annual Conference 2011RIAI CPD NewsUrban Agenda by Alan Mee

FEATUREIrish Architecture Abroad by Killian DohertyLessons from Barcelona: A Time of Hope and Change by Colm TóibínRearview: A Conversation with the City, Andy Devane by Peter Carroll

PROJECTSRoebuck Castle Student Residence, Dublin, Kavanagh TuiteReview by Vivienne BrophySean Treacy House, Dublin, Paul Keogh ArchitectsReview by Eddie ConroyHousing at Herberton, Dublin, Anthony Reddy AssociatesSt. Andrew’s Court, Dublin, Seán Harrington ArchitectsReview by Tony DugganThe Milk Market, Limerick, Healy Partners ArchitectsEmerging Architecture, Dublin, Ryan W. Kennihan Architects

PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGYProduct Gallery NewsDesign Blog by Aideen McCole

IN PRACTICEFarewell by Klaus UngerDo you have a BIM Strategy? by Ralph MontagueBook Reviews by Miriam Fitzpatrick and Jennifer O’Donnell10 Questions for Stefanie Borms

2|

5|

6|

9|

11|

13|

15|

17|

19|

20|

22|

26|

31|

32|

37|

38|

42|

47|

48|

54|

56|

61|

63|

65|

67|

68|

Architecture Irelandincorporating Irish Architect

The Journal of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland 9 Sandyford Office Park, Dublin 18 Telephone: 01-295 8115 Facsimile: 01-295 9350 Email: [email protected]

www.facebook.com/architectureirelandwww.twitter.com/#!/archireland

Editor Dr Sandra Andrea O’Connell

Commercial and Advertising Sales Derek Moroney

Design evolve - www.evolvedesign.ie

Printing Swift Printing Solutions

Magazine InternsMichael Hayes & Barry McKenna

Correspondents

Ulster: Ciaran Mackel BSc.Dip.Arch.Dip Project Management, MSC Design, MRIAI Munster: Alexander White Dip.Arch., MSDI, MRIAI Leinster: Brian McClean B.Arch.B.Sc.Arch, MRIAIConnaught: Malcolm O’Beirne Dip.Arch.B.Sc.Arch, MRIAI London: Sean Madigan AADip Arch, RIBA, MRIAI Angela Brady B.Sc.Arch, Dip.Arch., FRIAI, RIBA Germany/Austria/Switzerland: Rory O’Donovan B.Arch France: Vincent Ducatez, Architecte DPLG, MRIAI, M. in Arch.

Published by Nova Publishing Ltd. for the RIAI

RIAI8 Merrion Square, Dublin 2 Tel: 01-676 1703 Fax: 01-661 0948

Websites:

Architecture Ireland www.architectureireland.ie

RIAI www.riai.ie

Cover: Roebuck Student ResidencePhotography by: Paul Tierney

Winner IDI Design Award 2010

NEWS

CONTRIBUTORSVivienne Brophy (Review Roebuck Castle Student Residences) is a lecturer at the UCD School of Architecture and Director of the UCD Energy Research Group. Her book A Green Vitruvius, Principles and Practice of Sustainable Architectural Design, co-edited with J Owen Lewis, has just been republished.

Peter Carroll (Rearview) established A2 Architects with Caomhan Murphy in 2005. Peter is fifth year Studio Tutor and Course Director at SAUL. He is current Treasurer of DoCoMoMo Ireland.

Eddie Conroy (Review Sean Treacy Housing) is South Dublin County Council Architect and was Chairman of the Assessors for the 2011 RIAI Irish Architecture Awards.

Tony Duggan (Review St. Andrew’s Court) is Cork City Architect and formerly a senior architect with Dublin City Council.

Miriam Fitzpatrick (Book Review) is a full-time academic, lecturing in architecture and urban design. She previously worked internationally for, among others, Fielden Clegg Bradley architects and Grimshaws in London. She is a founding member of English Heritage’s Urban Panel, has published widely and is currently researching

public space and the emergence of an urban critique.

Alan Mee (Urban Agenda) is an architect working in urbanism, architecture and education. Projects range from urban design to domestic architecture. He is also Director of the Urban Design Masters programme at UCD.

Ralph Montague is chairman of the RIAI Practice Committee on BIM and managing partner of ArcDox, a specialist RIAI practice providing professionally managed services to enable and support the implementation of BIM on projects. www.arcdox.com

Jennifer O’Donnell (Book Review) is a fifth year student of architecture, having studied at both KTH Stockholm and UCD Dublin. Her interests include sustainability, public space and perception in architecture. She recently worked as a co-ordinator on UCD School of Architecture’s centenary year.

Colm Tóibín (Lessons from Barcelona) was born in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford and studied at UCD. His stay in Barcelona between 1975 and 1978 resulted in the books The South and Homage to

Barcelona (1990). His novel The Master won the Dublin IMPAC Prize as well as major international prizes. His new play Testament premiered at the 2011 Dublin Theatre Festival. www.colmtoibin.com

Killian Doherty (Irish Architecture Abroad) A former graduate of Queen's University Belfast and the Royal Technical College (KTH) in Stockholm, Doherty is currently working in Rwanda with Architecture for Humanity and teaches at the Architecture School in Kigali.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Alice Clancy(Emerging Architecture)

Peter Cook (Sean Treacy Housing)

Paul Tierney (Roebuck Student Residence and Herberton Housing)

Philip Lauterbach(St. Andrew’s Court)

Kieran Clancy, Greg O’Shaughnessy(The Milk Market)

The Irish Architecture Foundation presented its sixth annual Open House Dublin between 7 – 9 October of this year. The programme, themed ‘The Architecture of Change’ and curated by Dr. Sandra O’Connell, explored how design can be a catalyst for change: physically, socially and emotionally. The weekend saw almost 23,000 attendances to 130 events, including 85 buildings of architectural quality, from contemporary icons such as the Department of Finance, and The Lir, National Academy of Dramatic Art, to historic gems such as the City Assembly House, a number of homes on North Great Georges Street and the stunning Résidence de France, where over 400 people were personally welcomed to the building by the French Ambassador to Ireland.

A focus on the 20th anniversary of the Temple Bar Framework Plan saw Laura Magahy and former Group 91 architects guide almost 200 people around Dublin’s cultural quarter to discuss the collaborative nature of Group 91’s

approach to the design of the area, as well as a look at new developments with TBCT’s Lynsey NiRainaill. Other quarters in the city were also explored by foot, bike, boat and LUAS, giving visitors a different perspective on the Docklands, Mountjoy Square, the Grand Canal, the southern suburbs and the coast of Dun Laoghaire.

Children, families and young people explored the built environment through a host of activities and events in Dublin’s key cultural venues, including Dublin City Gallery the Hugh Lane, IMMA, two branches of the National Museum of Ireland and Dublin Contemporary 2011 in Earlsfort Terrace. Children also got the opportunity to take inspiration from the four Martello Towers open for tours in Dun Laoghaire – Rathdown and design their own exciting and inventive towers in a drop-in workshop in DLR Town Hall.

The following weekend saw Open House Galway return for the third time with over 1,000

attendances to walking tours, exhibitions and lectures. A particular highlight of this year’s festival was “Ignite Architecture”, a cabaret type forum with a range of 5-minute presentations about architecture, visions for Galway and the unimaginable. To be the first to know about next year’s Open House Dublin and Open House Galway, join the Irish Architecture Foundation’s mailing list at www.architecturefoundation.ie

KCC Architectural - Automatic Door Division - Supply - Install - Service

• Sliding doors• Swing doors• Revolving doors• Folding doors

Autmatic Door Standards are changing and KCC using Geze slimline automatic door prodcuts are way ahead of the rest.

A full member of ADSA and all engineers and specifiers are fully compliant on current legislation and standanrds (BS 7036)

Automatic Door Standards are changing and KCC using Geze slimline automatic door products are to the forefront of automatic requirements.

For further information on this range of prodcuts or CPD presenations e-mail [email protected]

A R C H I T E C T U R A L

A R C H I T E C T U R A L

Hardware and Access Control

Stainless Steel Fabrications

Facades, Partitions & Doors

Automatic Doors

Ph: 01 4567421

www.kccarchitectural.com

Open House Dublin and Galway Report by Aideen McCole

With Tegral, it’s like nature putting a roof over your head.Light, Strong, Natural. That’s Tegral Fibrecement Slates.Light as a shell. Durable as stone. Strong as concrete.

Tegral Fibrecement Slates also have a low carbon footprint because the raw materials are extracted locally with cement from regional quarries and cellulose from sustainable forests.

The low energy production process is clean and simple and production waste is recycled.

Tegral Fibrecement Slates provide excellent solutions to make existing and new buildings more energy efficient today and tomorrow.

Find out more at www.tegral.com

Tegral. Be Proud of What You Build.

Tegral Building Products Ltd. Athy, Co Kildare. Tel: 00 353 (59) 863 1316 email: [email protected]

15699 Tegral Turtle 210x300mm.pdf 02/11/2011 12:15:53

Photo: Alice Clancy

With Tegral, it’s like nature putting a roof over your head.Light, Strong, Natural. That’s Tegral Fibrecement Slates.Light as a shell. Durable as stone. Strong as concrete.

Tegral Fibrecement Slates also have a low carbon footprint because the raw materials are extracted locally with cement from regional quarries and cellulose from sustainable forests.

The low energy production process is clean and simple and production waste is recycled.

Tegral Fibrecement Slates provide excellent solutions to make existing and new buildings more energy efficient today and tomorrow.

Find out more at www.tegral.com

Tegral. Be Proud of What You Build.

Tegral Building Products Ltd. Athy, Co Kildare. Tel: 00 353 (59) 863 1316 email: [email protected]

15699 Tegral Turtle 210x300mm.pdf 02/11/2011 12:15:53

Perfect for new build or refurbishment,Icopal Universal® single layer roofingmembrane is 100%...

As a fully recyclable product, Universal can contribute towards the environmental performance

and sustainability of any building. Available as standard, self-adhesive or anti-root versions,

Universal provides a flexible, strong and completely safe to install single layer roofing system

without the need for bitumen boilers or roofing torches. Universal can be mechanically

fixed or fully bonded and is suitable for new and refurbishment applications. Find out more

information at www.icopal.co.uk.

Sustainable Safe to use Reliable Flexible and light Strong

For more information, scan the QR Code.


COMMENT

The 2011 joint RIAI and Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government Housing Conference, held in September in Dublin Castle, heard compelling statistics from economist Marian Finnegan. Not only did Ireland have the worst property crash of all EU countries in post-war Europe, but the market was full of badly planned housing in poorly served locations. On the positive side, the Sherry Fitzgerald economist predicted that demand for housing would return due to Ireland’s consistently growing population, expected to reach 5.1million in 2026. Between 2012-2016 alone the housing demand is expected to rise to 26,000. The conference therefore discussed how to achieve quality in housing, arguing for an educated client and an unclogged planning system that would refuse applications on the basis of poor quality. It concluded that qualitative criteria were far more important than space standards and heard that NAMA would soon start releasing properties to address housing shortage. In light of recent developments, the conference proved to be highly auspicious and the RIAI has issued a call on its website for a defined statutory inspection system by competent professionals and a National Building Inspectorate that will deliver a stronger enforcement of building regulations.

The projects featured in this issue have all set out to raise the bar in quality housing. The striking student residences at Roebuck Caste, UCD – winner of the RIAI’s ‘Best Sustainable’ 2011 Architecture Award – are the first designed in Ireland to the Passivehaus standard and are providing a staggering reduction in energy demand. For reviewer Vivienne Brophy they are a far cry from the dark and damp student ‘flat’ of the seventies. The Sean Treacy housing scheme by PKA Architects in Dublin’s north inner city was designed in close consultation with the existing community and Dublin City Council – and the well thought-out scheme has already scooped the top award in this year’s Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) Community Housing Awards. Excellence in quality housing is also evident in the St. Andrew’s Court Housing a project by Seán Harrington Architects and winner of an RIAI architecture competition – and in the Herberton regeneration scheme by Antony Reddy Associates and Metropolitan Workshop. All schemes forcibly demonstrate how long-term sustainable housing can be achieved through a commitment to quality design.

Long-term sustainability is clearly evident in one Limerick city’s oldest markets, the Milk Market, which has found a new lease of life through an innovative tensile covering, designed by Healy Partner Architects. The scheme won this year’s coveted RIAI ‘Public Choice Award’ with over 10,000 votes registered. Juxtaposed with the larger scale, we feature a small residential project by Ryan W Kennihan Architects, winner of this year’s RIAI Award for ‘Best

Emerging Practice’. Inaugurated by Architecture Ireland, the award supports an emerging practice that demonstrates innovation, strong new ideas and a rigour in thinking. In topical news, we are delighted to publish a reflection by the eminent novelist Colm Tóibín on Barcelona and the legacy of former President of Catalonia, Pasqual Maragall, who was honoured with an RIAI Honorary Membership in October.

Returning to our theme of Sustainable Housing – the ability of quality housing to touch all our lives was powerfully demonstrated during the annual Open House Dublin architecture weekend. The architecture spotlight this year was on the legendary Dublin Corporation Housing Architect, Herbert George Simms who designed some 17,000 housing units between 1932 and 1948, renowned for their modernist detailing. RTE Radio One’s Arts Tonight programme explored Simms’ legacy on 26 September, while the following day, RTE broadcaster Joe Duffy took on the case to track down a photograph of the architect, who had remained somewhat elusive; his achievements overshadowed by his tragic suicide in 1948. A relative, Nicolas Williams, heard the programme and contacted the Joe Duffy show and Open House Dublin. The family of the late Herbert Simms was represented at the SIMMSposium in the Woodquay Venue, DCC on 7 October by Nicholas Williams and his sister-in-law, Paula Williams, daughter of Simms’ widow Aileen Clarke, who had remarried after his death. The family brought with them photograph albums belonging to Simms, showing his extensive travels in Europe including to Vienna’s revolutionary Karl Marx Hof scheme. Here was the compelling evidence – so long suspected by Simms experts including Eddie Conroy and David O’Connor – that he had been directly influenced by European ideas in housing. The wonderful photographs are currently being scanned by the Irish Architectural Archive to be available to researchers, while Simms housing schemes were given a renewed focus through Open House Dublin tours and the SIMMSposium in DCC, which was attended by over 200 people.

Architecture IrelandEditorial Board 2011:Paul Keogh, PresidentJohn Graby, DirectorDermot BoydPeter CarrollMiriam DunnAnn McNichollKathryn MeghenGary MongeyRuth O’HerlihyJason O’ShaughnessyGráinne ShaffreyLiam Tuite

Architecture IrelandThe contents of this journal are copyright. The views expressed are not necessarily those held by the RIAI nor the publishers, and neither the RIAI nor the publishers are responsible for these opinions or statements. Publication in Architecture Ireland is a record of RIAI members work and it is a condition of acceptance of RIAI members submitted material that copyright clearance has been obtained. Neither the RIAI nor the publishers accept responsibility for copyright clearance.

The editorial team will give careful consideration to material submitted, articles, drawings, photographs, etc, but does not undertake responsibility for damage of their safe return. The editorial

team reserves the right to edit,abridge or alter articles or letters for publication.

Architecture Ireland is published six times a year and is distributed to all members of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, In Ireland and overseas. It is available to others at an annual subscription rate of e75 including VAT and postage in Ireland, e100 in Europe and elsewhere, surface mail included. Individual copies e10 including VAT.

Enquiries to 01-295 8115

All advertising and editorial queries should be addressed to the publishers.

ISSN 1649 - 5152 © Nova Publishing Ltd.

by Dr Sandra O’Connell

Perfect for new build or refurbishment,Icopal Universal® single layer roofingmembrane is 100%...

As a fully recyclable product, Universal can contribute towards the environmental performance

and sustainability of any building. Available as standard, self-adhesive or anti-root versions,

Universal provides a flexible, strong and completely safe to install single layer roofing system

without the need for bitumen boilers or roofing torches. Universal can be mechanically

fixed or fully bonded and is suitable for new and refurbishment applications. Find out more

information at www.icopal.co.uk.

Sustainable Safe to use Reliable Flexible and light Strong

For more information, scan the QR Code.

www.kingspaninsulation.ieTel. +353 (0) 42 979 5000

Knowledge is PowerKnowledge is Power

Which is why at Kingspan, we put all our knowledge into everything we do.

With our extensive experience ininsulation, you can rest assured that when it comes to saving energy, Kingspan have the Knowhow.


PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

by Paul Keogh

“Contemplating the vast literature on town planning that crams shelf after shelf of the library of the RIBA, with official publications and books by experts and enthusiasts, anyone who has travelled around the towns of England can be excused for asking himself ‘what on earth went wrong?” So opens the epilogue to The English Town, Mark Girouard’s splendid celebration of all that is great – both socially and architecturally – in English urban history.

As we survey the legacy of Ireland’s ‘Celtic Tiger’ years, we might also ask what went wrong and why, especially given the many fine and well-intentioned policy documents seeking to deliver sustainable urban development: the Residential Density Guidelines (1999), the National Spatial Strategy (2002), Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities (2007), Quality Housing for Sustainable Communities (2008) and Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (2009) - all expressed commitments to promote consolidation and halt the decline of urban populations, and “support the development of sustainable, integrated development within our cities, towns and villages”.

Yet, the vast bulk of housing construction over the last decade has been in suburban estates and one-off rural housing, with a conspicuous shortage of development that “avoids urban sprawl, achieves high standards of design quality and promotes more compact – and public transport friendly – urban areas, and therefore maximises people’s quality of life and the sustainability of future development”.

According to Girouard, the decline of the inhabited town can be traced through two centuries of “Rural Romanticism” as articulated in Enlightenment philosophy, the theories of the Garden City movement and the Town and Country Planning Association, and epitomised by the “borough engineer jumping into his car at the end of the day and driving off from the town which he is destroying to his house in a nearby village”. The reasons are threefold.

First, from the foundations of ‘Town Planning’ as a discipline at the end of the nineteenth century, its principles were based on the anti-urban values of the Garden City movement which favoured the development of new towns or extensions to existing ones – but radically different from them – and ultimately resulting in “today’s familiar landscape of dual carriageways linking roundabouts, with feeder roads on either side leading to acres and acres of little houses, semi-detached or in rows, in a geometry that is immediately recognisable on any town plan”.

Second, the rise of the shopping centre and the supermarket, serviced by the same road construction and fuelled by affordable

car ownership, put pressure on towns and cities to provide for their development; first, for fear of ‘loosing out’, but ultimately contributing to their own decline on account of the dereliction and destruction required to facilitate their construction, and later due to their peripheral locations in direct competition with existing town and city-centre shopping.

Finally, these tendencies were exaggerated by a value system which upheld the country as a better place to live than the town, resulting in the middle classes abandoning urban living for the suburbs, leaving town and city centres to the poor and the disadvantaged, and the golf club replacing the town hall as the focus of political life. As Girouard concludes “a town without a prosperous and powerful middle class is a town in trouble”.

These issues continue to dominate the debate on the decline of towns and cities, in Ireland no less than England, and they set the agenda for the workshop I attended during last month’s National Housing Conference: Is an antipathy to urban living not an indelible part of the Irish DNA? Is the one-off rural house not also a sustainable option? Is the weekly supermarket shop not a logical response to today’s hurried lifestyles? Is the private car not the most convenient means to getting about? Is a house with its own garden not the ‘natural’ aspiration of the middle class family?

Whatever the validity of these questions, historic towns and city centres are at a crossroads, if not a crisis, as never before, and the arguments in favour of compact urban neighbourhoods – social, economic and environment – need to be championed at every opportunity; particularly in the context of recent talk that the collapse of property prices and the proliferation of so-called ‘ghost estates’ will allow the market to revert to the default typology favoured by the industry – the low density suburb and the one-off rural house – and thought to be preference of the middle classes.

But, how can we know when the market hasn’t to date provided the choice, and the quality, of homes in urban locations that people might aspire to? Would people not trade the burden of two cars, and their often uncared-for gardens, for the convenience of living in compact mixed-use communities, in well-designed low-energy houses and apartments, with attractive streets and landscaped open spaces, in reach of high-quality amenities and services – and all accessed by foot, bicycle or public transport?

Paul Keogh, November 2011, RIAI President.

www.kingspaninsulation.ieTel. +353 (0) 42 979 5000

Knowledge is PowerKnowledge is Power

Which is why at Kingspan, we put all our knowledge into everything we do.

With our extensive experience ininsulation, you can rest assured that when it comes to saving energy, Kingspan have the Knowhow.

kingspanbenchmark.comtwitter.com/benchmarkTM

Evolution, the latest development in insulated panel technology from

Benchmark. A stylish, sleek, laser flat panel with a unique range of

design features that allow maximum design flexibility in the creation

of a truly bespoke system. These new features will enable you to

create an illusion of varying panel widths, allow you to alter the joint

reveal and offers a wider range of vertical joint details. With the

development of the Evolution range, insulated panels have now

evolved to provide the aesthetics and architectural detailing required

today but without the complexity. Would you like to go into detail?

EVOLUTION

THE NEXT DETAIL

New RIAI Honorary Fellowships and Memberships(1)The former President of Catalonia, Pasqual Maragall, was honoured with the award of RIAI Honorary Membership in Dublin on 12 October 2011. To mark his Honorary Membership and the 20th anniversary of Dublin as European City of Culture, the RIAI and Dublin City Council held a joint Symposium on 13 October in Liberty Hall. At the RIAI Annual Conference held on 23 and 24 October in VISUAL, Carlow, Minister for Education and Ruiari Quinn conferred, on behalf of the RIAI, Honorary Fellowships on the Pritzker Prize-winning Spanish architect Rafael Moneo, renowned architectural critic Kenneth Frampton, and on the distinguished architect and writer Edward Jones, Director in the London practice of Dixon Jones.

RIAI Speaks Out on the Future of Building RegulationsThe RIAI has issued a call for a defined statutory inspection system by competent professionals and a National Building Inspectorate to deliver stronger enforcement of building regulations. RIAI Director, John Graby, has emphasised this message in recent media interviews, most notably RTE TV News on 18 October (6 and 9pm ) and on Radio One, Drive Time. The full RIAI Statement is on the Website. www.riai.ie

Dublin’s New West Side Strategy (2)The Italian architect and urban designer, Dr Nicola Russi, has undertaken a research residence at the RIAI between August and October 2011 as part of the EFAP ‘Converging Territories’ project. Dr. Russi is presenting his findings on 6 December in the RIAI in a lunchtime lecture (for details see RIAI website). Russi, who runs an architecture studio in Milan and teaches urban design at Politecnico di Milano, looked at areas in Dublin that were less developed during the so-called Celtic Tiger years, proposing a series of interventions on the ‘West Side’ of the city centre, from Grangegorman to the Liberties. Russi’s research project sets out to formulate strategies that take into account the positive characteristics of Dublin, the existing urban context and the current economic situation.

The Italian architect has identified several positives such as Dublin’s low-rise character, which “frames rather than hides the sky”; the “spontaneity” of urban context and street life; and the use of open space as “generators”, as in the case of Dublin’s Georgian Squares. He addresses a series of urban design questions: How to transform decaying neighborhoods into new local centralities and attractive districts? How to insert new projects in consolidated urban structures? How to develop projects that require relatively small investments? How to persuade families to live in the city centre? Russi proposes a new system of public spaces in the west side of Dublin as the main structure of small housing densification projects. Converging Territories is an EU-pilot project for architects’ mobility in Europe with a view to promoting cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue.

www.laboratoriopermanente.com, www.convergingterritories.eu/home

PIVOT Dublin – What’s NextAlthough Cape Town has been crowned World Design Capital 2014 at the ICSID conference in Taipei on 26 October, plans are underway in Dublin to harness the tremendous energy and design resource that has gone into the bid-making process. There is considerable enthusiasm and demand among the PIVOT Dublin team and many of its partners to continue to develop PIVOT as a platform for Dublin design, nationally and internationally. Collaborations are already planned with CapeTown, leading to 2014. The Pivot Dublin website has already been established as an international showcase and contact point for Irish design and this will be further developed. Arising out of the bid, Dublin will also be showcasing its design skills at the WDC ‘Everyday Discoveries’ International Design House Exhibition in Helsinki in September 2012 as well as hosting a milestone Dublin design event in 2013. “We are convinced”, says Ali Grehan, “that through the PIVOT Dublin strategy, we will explore new design ideas which address local needs, yet have global relevance. Our designers’ unique approach,

their talent and creativity, their connectivity and their collaborative ways of working will ensure that the message ‘design is the difference that makes the difference’ will be communicated”. Pivot Dublin was highly regarded by ICSID, beating bids from 53 cities around the world. Dr. Mark Breitenberg, President of ICSID, said that Dublin’s bid was compelling and the decision for the Selection Committee was not easy given the high calibre of the bids that were considered amongst the final candidates. For John Tierney, Dublin City Manager, Dublin has joined “a prestigious network of international cities that work together to share innovative design programmes and strategies”.www.pivotdublin.com

RIAI Architects Deliver Over 300 Free Public Consultations - Ideal Homes Show, Dublin, 28-30 October (3)RIAI Architects encountered a phenomenal demand for public consultations at this year’s Autumn Ideal Homes Show. The event, which took place in the RDS over the bankholiday weekend of 28-31October, featured an RIAI Extension Advice Centre. Home owners availed in hundreds of the opportunity to meet an RIAI Registered Architect and have a free and informal chat about their extension or renovation plans. The feedback from the participating 48 architects, who gave their time for free, as well as from the organisers and the public has been encouraging. Nine RIAI staff were also on hand over the weekend to look after the smooth running of the consultations.

RIAI Conservation Architect Grade I and IIRIAI Members and Fellows on the Register for Architects who wish to apply for accreditation as RIAI Conservation Architect Grade I or Grade II are invited to submit applications for consideration by the Conservation Accreditation Board.The deadline for submission of applications and all supporting documentation is: 12 Noon on Tuesday 21 February 2012. For information on application forms and guidelines see www.riai.ie

02


ARCHITECTURE NEWS

01 02 03

kingspanbenchmark.comtwitter.com/benchmarkTM

Evolution, the latest development in insulated panel technology from

Benchmark. A stylish, sleek, laser flat panel with a unique range of

design features that allow maximum design flexibility in the creation

of a truly bespoke system. These new features will enable you to

create an illusion of varying panel widths, allow you to alter the joint

reveal and offers a wider range of vertical joint details. With the

development of the Evolution range, insulated panels have now

evolved to provide the aesthetics and architectural detailing required

today but without the complexity. Would you like to go into detail?

EVOLUTION

THE NEXT DETAIL

Engineer of your creative visionArmstrong’s Atelier team of multi-talented, versatile experts experienced in pioneering ceiling and wall solutions is committed to providing intelligent, effi cient, cost-effective tailored solutions to meet revolutionary, state-of-the art interior project designs.

Discover the newly-launched Armstrong Atelier team, as well as a dynamic new Atelier website.

www.armstrong-atelier.eu

To decode this fl ashcode,you need to downloadMOBILETAG applicationon your smartphone app store.

Dubai Airport, UAE Founders Federal Credit Union, US

AP_AS_190x280_UK_FU.indd 1 17/08/11 15:52

ARCHITECTURE IN EDUCATION NEWS The latest news from Ireland’s Schools of Architecture

UCD Architecture Centenary (1/2)(Report by Lisa Cassidy, Photos by Alice Clancy)UCD School of Architecture launched a year of Centenary celebrations on 16 September 2011, with hundreds of graduates attending the event at Richview, opened by UCD President Hugh Brady and Ruairi Quinn TD, Minister for Education and Skills (B.Arch, 1969). Intended to launch the School’s new website and the programme of forthcoming events, the evening featured an exhibition of archive photographs in the Memorial Hall and the Centenary Ceiling installation in the Red Room. The ceiling comprises 2047 individual coloured panels, each one laser-cut with the name of a B.Arch graduate, which form a floating carpet of names as a lasting record of the first hundred years in the life of the School. The installation was conceived and made over the course of the summer by a group of students now in their final year, with the colour pattern and typesetting by graphic designers Conor & David and the ceiling materials provided by Forbo Ireland.

The School of Architecture took in its first student in 1911 under Professor W.A. Scott, following the establishment of the chair under Sir Thomas Drew in 1909, and developed a regular programme of education by the end of the 1920s. The School was based in Earlsfort Terrace until 1980, when it relocated to the former Masonic Boys’ School in Richview, Clonskeagh.

Over the course of the Centenary year, the School will host other social events and lectures, as well as launching a radio documentary presenting the School’s history through interviews with graduates. The first in a series of ‘portrait’ events was held in September, with an exhibition and opening talk on the work of Andy Devane, while the current event is a spotlight on Robin Walker. For information about upcoming events, to sign up for email notifications and to pledge to support the programme, see www.ucdarchitecture.ie or find us on Facebook.

ccae cork school of architecture (3)(Report by Jason O’Shaughnessy)Over the six years since the formation of CCAE, Cork School of Architecture, the courses have maintained a position that asserts the practice of design as a mechanism for thinking through those practical and theoretical concerns of architecture itself. Wider cultural, social, environmental and technical acts have been implicated through this process, as the School has used its base in the centre of Cork to formulate a broad range of connections with architecture and its urban cognates as well as a community of cultural and arts institutions. The School has used its position in this community to engage debate about the role of architecture within this setting, but our students have also been at times very resourceful in taking their own attitudes into the city with a number of thoughtful and sometimes provocative projects and installations. This has seen them

being involved at the beginning of this year in National ‘Culture Night’, with constructions for charity fund-raising events, and with Maud Cotter’s project ‘Every Way-Out’ which was set in Cork’s Docklands, where students of architecture, art, and media and communication studies developed a range of ideas that were relevant to students facing the challenges of the future.

Meanwhile, the School has commenced with its Master of Architecture Course, a 12-month Taught Masters degree, which is the first Post-Graduate course in Ireland to offer such an award. This year, our students travelled to Istanbul where their thesis projects will engage with the overall course theme of ‘The City’, as they consider the conditions, complexity and scale of the only major world city to span two continents and Europe’s own mega-city. Surprising then, that it is also a Second-City?

In a time where the contemporary practice of architecture poses significant demands, it becomes meaningful to reflect on the pedagogy of the places that consider the creative acts of design in architecture. The iteration of these acts continue to develop in the School through the exploratory nature of the ongoing Research activities of its staff, the potential demonstrated in the exhibitions of its students, and the interfaces elaborated through the wider cultural community in which it is set. www.ucc.ie/en/architecture


Door ControlsGlass Fittings

and AccessoriesAutomatic Movable Walls Service

SHOW ME – tHE ULtIMAtE IN SWING DOOR tECHNOLOGYThe ED 100 Low Energy swing door operator – engineered to provide easy and safe access for all users.

The slimline ED100 unit offers a range of operating modes which enable the door to be opened under power when required and used as a conventional manual swing door at all other times.

Tel 01 2958280Email [email protected]

Let us show you solutions for education at

www.DORMA-SHOW.com

01 02 03

Engineer of your creative visionArmstrong’s Atelier team of multi-talented, versatile experts experienced in pioneering ceiling and wall solutions is committed to providing intelligent, effi cient, cost-effective tailored solutions to meet revolutionary, state-of-the art interior project designs.

Discover the newly-launched Armstrong Atelier team, as well as a dynamic new Atelier website.

www.armstrong-atelier.eu

To decode this fl ashcode,you need to downloadMOBILETAG applicationon your smartphone app store.

Dubai Airport, UAE Founders Federal Credit Union, US

AP_AS_190x280_UK_FU.indd 1 17/08/11 15:52

Power Home Products LtdUnit M, Aerodrome Business Park, Rathcoole, Co Dublin01-2571300 Phone | 01-2570202 [email protected] | www.powerhomeproducts.com

Flex – the NewPanel Glide GenerationCorners are passé with the new curved Panel Glide System Flex

from Silent Gliss. Innovative technology allows the panels to glide in

curves in front of windows and walls, totally silently and in virtually

any radius. So even when used as a visual room divider and design

element, there’s no limit to your creativity. www.silentgliss.co.uk

Curved Panel Glide System Silent Gliss 2730 Flex

By Sandra O’Connell


RIAI ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2011Riding out the Storm – Survival, Renewal, RecoveryVISUAL, Carlow, 23 and 24 October

With a focus on Survival, Renewal and Recovery, the 2011 RIAI Annual Conference, held at VISUAL, Carlow, looked decidedly at the future of Irish architecture, as emphasised by RIAI Paul Keogh in his opening address. Yet it soon emerged that valuable lessons for the future can be found in the past, with many of the speakers – in particular the three new RIAI Honorary Fellows, Kenneth Frampton, Edward Jones and Rafael Moneo – drawing on enduring theories and values in architecture.

Kenneth Frampton’s opening lecture – a free event on Sunday, 23 October – saw the distinguished architecture critic revisit and reappraise his theory of Critical Regionalism, first published in the 1983 collection The Anti-Aesthetic. Essays on Postmodern Culture. Critical Regionalism draws on the writings of French philosopher Paul Ricoeur and his search for the “ethical and mythical nucleus of mankind”. Frampton illuminated this central theme by taking delegates on a tour-de-force of an architecture that finds value in place, culture, topography and geographical context. More recent examples included Álvaro Siza’s homage to the art of Brazilian in-situ concrete with his Iberê Camargo Foundation in Porto Alegre and Anna Heringer’s evocative school in Rudrapur, Bangladesh – winner of an Aga Khan Architecture Award – which reintroduces local building materials.

In an age of globalisation and iconography “where site and materials are tertiary”, Frampton’s lecture managed to “re-ground architecture” and strike a chord with delegates and respondents. With Frampton perceptively setting the scene, the focus returned to the ‘core values of architecture’ throughout the actual conference day on 24 October, which was formally opened by Jimmy Deenihan, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht. Minister Deenihan stressed his support for the profession through the current Government Policy on Architecture, 2009-2015, saying he would “personally give a lot of attention to the built environment and push architecture policy as much as possible”. The Minister said he considered Ireland’s EU Presidency in 2013 a “great opportunity to showcase what’s best in Irish architecture and culture and promote the depth of talent we have”. Martin Colreavey, Chief Architectural Advisor to Minister Deenihan’s department, took delegates through some of the high points of the GPA, which has

seen 20 out of the 45 recommended actions implemented since the policy came into force in 2009.

Edward Jones, a Director in the London practice of Dixon Jones, discussed his long-standing relationship with Irish architecture and architects, in particular the days of the ‘Flying Circus’ when teaching staff from London and Glasgow ran the design studios at UCD’s School of Architecture. Jones’ own relationship with Irish architecture began in 1964, when he competed in, what he described, the “well-intentioned but misguided competition to move UCD from central Dublin to suburban Belfield”. In an admirable historic sweep, Jones took his lecture from the days of the ‘Flying Circus’ to the international success of Irish architecture today: “Competitions are being won by Irish architects in Milan, London and Toulouse; studios are being run by Irish architects in Princeton, Yale, and Mendrisio; exhibitions on Irish architecture are being installed in Venice and Toronto. Their pedigree is impeccable and in distant parts they whisper in trepidation that ‘the Irish are coming’!”

Elegantly connecting the conference with the core values of architecture, the distinguished Spanish architect Rafael Moneo compellingly demonstrated today’s relevance of the principles of construction and space in architecture, at a time when there is an overreliance on iconography. The Pritzker Prize-winning architect described his work and thought-process through two recent projects – the Northwest Science Building at Columbia University, New York city and the new Church for San Sebastian. While cladding interacts with structure in the tectonic Northwest Science Building, Moneo’s church remains a spiritual and introvert space. “Religion is mystery”, said Moneo and referred to his ‘Cathedral of our Lady’ in Los Angeles as the “hardest job” of his career. An innovative aspect of his new ecclesiastical project in San Sebastian is the integration of a supermarket at lower level, whose rent pays for the construction of the church. On a personal note, Moneo remembered his “good friend”, the late Kevin Kiernan, and spoke of his lasting connection with Irish architecture, particularly through Peter Carroll of A2 Architects.

Spatial planner, Conor Skehan also reminded the conference in his presentation of core

values, arguing that architects needed to value their “unique specialisation – the specialisation of beauty”. Quoting compelling statistics from a recent Masters Thesis by architect and academic Orna Hanly – only 25% of the profession currently value their skill as “artist and creator” – Skehan concluded that architects have a unique role to play in society as creators of beauty and as the integrator of different skills. The contribution of the profession within economic recovery was further discussed by economist and journalist Marc Coleman and by Kingsley Aikens, Director of the Ireland Fund. The ensuing discussion focused largely on the need for the profession to value itself and address the issue of low fee bidding. The conference concluded on an uplifting note with Minister for Education and Skills, Ruiari Quinn, TD, announcing the welcome news of an architectural design competition for new Post Primary Schools to be launched later this year. When pressed about the need for urgent reform of the procurement system, which is considered a major road block, Minister Quinn responded: “We will change the procurement system”, adding that the profession’s assistance was required to bring about change.

Northwest Science Building, Columbia University, Rafael Moneo Architects, (Photo: Michael Moran)

Power Home Products LtdUnit M, Aerodrome Business Park, Rathcoole, Co Dublin01-2571300 Phone | 01-2570202 [email protected] | www.powerhomeproducts.com

Flex – the NewPanel Glide GenerationCorners are passé with the new curved Panel Glide System Flex

from Silent Gliss. Innovative technology allows the panels to glide in

curves in front of windows and walls, totally silently and in virtually

any radius. So even when used as a visual room divider and design

element, there’s no limit to your creativity. www.silentgliss.co.uk

Curved Panel Glide System Silent Gliss 2730 Flex

Graphisoft’s START BIM SuiteGraphisoft START BIM Suite includes ArchiCAD SE, unbeatable self learning guide, award winning energy modelling, MEP services design, real time visualisation, integration with NBS specifications, and lots more ...

Great 3D images and real time movies visualisations

Quick and easy design evaluation and revision

Integrated sustainable assessment

Automatic design and documentation co-ordination

Flexible design development

Proven up to 40% more productive than 2D CAD

Copyright © Graphisoft UK Ltd 2011. All rights reserved world-wide.

All other company and product names may be tradenames or trademarks of their respective owners.

Have you heard that you can get BIM for €

“ The most significant thing to happen to the AEC CAD market since...” Martyn Day, Journalist

+VAT for PC and Mac Users

1,175

POWERED BY THE NEW ARCHICAD SE

To find out WHEN and WHY read the full article at www.startbimsuite.com/offer

To find out more call (01) 8721766 or email [email protected]

1,175C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

GSO AI Advert 210x300 Start Edition.pdf 4/4/11 15:20:58

The CPD cycle 2011-2012 started on 1 October 2011 and this cycle will see the introduction of a number of new CPD courses under the RIAI Skillnet. New RIAI Skillnet funded courses introduced in November/December 2011 include:

• RIAI Skillnet CPD Road Show: Part L 2011 • RIAI Skillnet Building Fabric Design for PART L CPD – Compliant & Best Practice Dwellings

RIAI CPD PROGRAMMES NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011Log into to RIAI CPD Engage http://cpd.riai.ie or the events section of the RIAI website at www.riai.ie/cpd to plan your CPD activities, access booking forms or pricing details.

RIAI Skillnet CPD Road Show: Part L 2011The revised Part L 2011 of the Building Regulations, including the transitional arrangements comes into force on the 1st December 2011 for the design of new domestic dwellings. Part L (Dwellings) 2011.

Transitional Arrangements:In general the new TGD L will come into effect for works commencing from 1 December 2011. However, the 2008 TGD L may continue to be used in respect of projects where planning permission has been lodged on or before 30 November 2011 and substantial work has been completed by 30 November 2013.

The Revised Part L (Dwellings) Building Regulation and accompanying TGD have recently been published by the Department of the Environment and are available from the DECLG website:

The following guidance note is intended to highlight the main revisions and their implications in practice.

The format of the Part L remains the same as the 2008 Part L. The amendments involve an increase in the carbon and efficiency standards required. Where the 2008 TGD required new dwellings to demonstrate an improvement in energy efficiency of 40% over 2005 standards, the 2011 TGD requires an improvement of 60%. It is proposed that these standards will be increased again in 2013 in a move towards a ‘zero-carbon’ standard for domestic construction.

The RIAI has arranged RIAI Skillnet CPD on the New Part L with dates, costs and location below:

+ Self-defined points for pre- and post-learning

Dates: Dublin on Thursday 24 November 2011 - (9.15am-1.30pm)Galway on Tuesday 29 November 2011 - (1pm-5.15pm)Cork on Thursday 1 December 2011 - (1pm-5.15pm)

Tutors: Members of the RIAI Sustainability Taskforce

Cost: RIAI practices e95 (price includes RIAI Skillnet funding as applicable)RIAI member* e105 (price includes RIAI Skillnet funding as applicable)Non-RIAI member e160

RIAI PSDP Accreditation *Funding available28+29 November 2011Location: RIAI, Dublin

RIAI Skillnet Building Fabric Design for PART L CPD – Compliant & Best Practice Dwellings + Self-defined points for pre- and post-learning 12 + 13 December 2011, RIAI DublinRIAI Skillnet funding available

RIAI BIM Training Offer

Dates vary per provider until the end of December 2011, 2 or 3-day BIM training course (depending on the software)Location: Nationwidee300/person which represents a saving of between 50% and 66% on the standard training cost

New CPD in 2012New courses to be launched in 2012 will include: RIAI Good Practice Guide Quality Assurance System Training; RIAI Sustainable Fundamentals Reviewed CPD; RIAI/SEAI Designing for Renewables CPD.

Further details of all courses are available on the CPD Event page of the RIAI website www.riai.ie/cpd/events.

RIAI CPD LOTTERYInterested members should submit the relevant application form, available from the RIAI website, together with proof of circumstances to [email protected] or fax to 01 6610948.

For further information contact:Teresa Harte, RIAI, 8 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. Tel (01) 676 1703 Fax (01) 661 0948 e-mail: [email protected]

The Ethics of AestheticsYour new complimentary Architecture Ireland CPD Planner for the CPD Cycle 2011/2012 is included with this issue. Should you with to obtain additional copies of the CPD Planner, please send a stamped and self-addressed A4 envelope to Nova Publishing, 8 Sandyford Office Park, Sandyford, Dublin 18.


RIAI NEWS & RIAI CPD PROGRAMMES

The RIAI welcomes suggestions and comments from members on CPD. Contact Sandra Campbell [email protected]

20

10

Dates vary per provider until the end of 18

Dates vary per provider until the end of 24to

4

CONTINUOUS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

LINOLEUM:an assessment of performance, environmentalcredentials and life cycle costs Tel: 01 289 8898 • www.forbo-flooring.ie

• Develops linoleum productknowledge

• Increases awareness of productproperties and performancecharacteristics

• Increases awareness of colour anddesign potential

• Develops understanding of suitableapplications

06965_06345_Calendar Advert_Forbo Calendar Ad 22/06/2011 18:15 Page 1

Graphisoft’s START BIM SuiteGraphisoft START BIM Suite includes ArchiCAD SE, unbeatable self learning guide, award winning energy modelling, MEP services design, real time visualisation, integration with NBS specifications, and lots more ...

Great 3D images and real time movies visualisations

Quick and easy design evaluation and revision

Integrated sustainable assessment

Automatic design and documentation co-ordination

Flexible design development

Proven up to 40% more productive than 2D CAD

Copyright © Graphisoft UK Ltd 2011. All rights reserved world-wide.

All other company and product names may be tradenames or trademarks of their respective owners.

Have you heard that you can get BIM for €

“ The most significant thing to happen to the AEC CAD market since...” Martyn Day, Journalist

+VAT for PC and Mac Users

1,175

POWERED BY THE NEW ARCHICAD SE

To find out WHEN and WHY read the full article at www.startbimsuite.com/offer

To find out more call (01) 8721766 or email [email protected]

1,175C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

GSO AI Advert 210x300 Start Edition.pdf 4/4/11 15:20:58

linoleum vinyl carpet tiles flotex entrance systems

creating better environments www.forbo-flooring.ie

Your thoughts. Our knowhow.

Marmoleum - offering durability and flexibility, the cornerstones of the active classroom.

For more information visitwww.forbo-flooring.ie or contact us on (01) 289 8898.

We’re thinking

durability

You’re thinking

active children

06892 Your Thoughts Education_06892 Arch Ireland 10/08/2011 14:43 Page 1


“It is my job to create universes…I have a secret love of chaos. There should be more of it. Do not believe – and I am dead serious when I say this – do not assume that order and stability are always good, in a society or in a universe”.

No, not Rem himself, but the opening quotation chosen by him for the current retrospective exhibition at the Barbican, on the truly staggering output of OMA. In breadth and extent, as well as quality and overall geographical reach, there’s really nothing to touch this global spatial production machine, which originated in Holland.

One comes away quite shellshocked and overwhelmed, and if there’s any brain space left to review the prodigious heap of other OMA publications, books and graphical documents in the reception area, there must be an impression of a Spatial Superman forming, with a race of avid followers towing along behind, testing, thinking, sweating, making, making, making.

Then professional jealousy creeps in, as it would have to do, for any other designer visitor. Who could not be jealous of an operation which has re-invented the Map (and flag) of Europe, written key texts on urbanism and architecture, designed so many buildings of global significance, and still has a big order book of things to deliver and work on ?

But is it all a just spatial practice ?

On reflection, this is the key question which arises. When anything is possible, and clients and budgets invite the most

preposterous of formal gymnastics and shape throwing, is there a need for a moral or ethical self-control button?

The entry statement seems to suggest that there’s a justification being offered for what we are about to see, as if he knows how bold he has been. The problem is not just him, but also the armies of keen followers (and countries, and cultures, and clients) who are being set a poor example of vomiting creativity without a moral core.

Much much closer to home and us, (though not totally disconnected) the RIAI Annual Conference 2011, in Carlow, was dominated by issues of ethical relevance. The Minister for Education describing the ethical aspects of locating schools on outskirts of towns, thereby sentencing generations of children to car-based transport, the social segregation from the street, and ultimately, unsustainable ways to be. (Is it possible to do ethical mapping of our spatially chaotic condition ?) Kenneth Frampton seemed to be updating critical regionalism with an ethical turn, locally inspired and modest architecture, with resonance in cultural terms. Conor Skehan exploded a few verbal devices as usual, predicting impending radical change in the very definition of the professional, and suggesting the Institute needs to re-examine itself and its position as regards broader types of architectural practice and membership.

The contractual and working conditions of young graduates were described by delegates and students as leaving lots to be desired, and the RIAI Director reminded the audience that the Institute and other authorities cannot act unless someone puts a head above the parapet to report

those who may be acting unlawfully and unethically.

The question developing of course was: What would a future more ethical model for the practice and culture of design in Ireland look like? With our recent absences of monitoring of regulation, our neo-liberal models for urban form, which are unsustainable, spatially unjust, and economically self defeating, what have we learned ?

What would design output of an ethical cultural shift be? Less construction? Is it possible our current obsession with training ‘projective design’ architects towards more inclusion for the assessment / evaluative architects, those trained to make analysis and quality judgements, on whether something should be protected, adapted, demolished or extended without also having to produce more superfluous space?

Imagine if our culture and designed environment became associated with ethical practices, in the processes as well as the output ? Maybe an island where positive cultural change can happen quickly could appear, as we re-invent ourselves with new priorities, linking theory on fairness and spatial justice to how we work, how we look, how we appear, and how we think.

Urban Agenda now has an accompanying website, www.urbanagenda.ie, and can be followed on Twitter, at urbagenda

URBAN AGENDA

THE ETHICS OF AESTHETICS by Alan Mee

Fergal McCarthy, No Man’s Land Installation, Photo by Alan Mee


creating better environments www.forbo-flooring.ie

Your thoughts. Our knowhow.

Marmoleum - offering durability and flexibility, the cornerstones of the active classroom.

For more information visitwww.forbo-flooring.ie or contact us on (01) 289 8898.

We’re thinking

durability

You’re thinking

active children

06892 Your Thoughts Education_06892 Arch Ireland 10/08/2011 14:43 Page 1

Colorcoat, Colorcoat Connection, Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra and Confidex are registered trademarks of Tata Steel formerly Corus.

Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra®It’s not just the quality of our products that gets the seal of approval; it’s the investment we make now for the future that gives you an unrivalled package of service and guarantees.

Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® does not require inspections or maintenance to be covered

by our unique Confidex® Guarantee of up to 40 years. With Confidex®, the guarantee is direct with building owner and fully transferable, taking the risk out of your specification. The next time you specify pre-finished steel, choose Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® and remember, Confidex®guarantees we’ll still be here in 40 years.

Colorcoat Connection® helpline:T: +44 (0) 1244 892434 www.colorcoat-online.com/ultra

RESPONSIBLY SOURCED & BUILT TO LAST

WHAT RISK? WE’LL STILL

BE HERE WHENIT MATTERS.

TATA Architecture Ireland

‘The reality I have known no longer exists’ laments the narrator at the loss of the Paris of his youth. This extract from Marcel Proust’s A la recherché du temps perdu is referred to in Alexander Tzonis and Liane Lefaivre’s seminal essay ‘Why Critical Regionalism today?’ in an attempt to poetically capture the concept of the loss of a place and its identity. A loss synonymous with modern architecture, particularly in relation to contemporary global development, they argue for a ‘Regionalist Architecture’, an architecture of place making which preserves the fibres of ‘collective social structures and the collective representations’ that are etched within community and place; things that cannot be recaptured if lost.

Kigali is undergoing a radical transformation in implementing its 2020 vision for the city, and in doing so is experiencing a rapid disintegration of identity and culture. Traces of Rwanda’s rich vernacular, which utilise local materials (such as earthwork construction and roof thatch), have been vehemently outlawed, with generic, mono-functional high rise buildings, constructed of concrete, clad with a ubiquitous curtain walling opted for as the preferred aesthetic choice for a modern Rwanda. These incongruous visual/architectural doctrines bear no contextual relevance to the semi-pastoral setting of Kigali, yet are being ruthlessly implemented and constructed, in most cases by Chinese contractors. The traditional methods of construction, which are almost forbidden, mean that within a country that is landlocked the building industry has become heavily dependent upon importing materials, carrying with it escalating material costs and increased embodied energy; this is the dichotomy that defines architectural progress in Rwanda.

Therefore it has never been timelier for the South African architect, and teacher Peter Rich whose very work draws heavily from

contexts to re-visit Rwanda to conduct a workshop and a lecture on his work with the Kigali Institute of Technology (KIST), also in conjunction with the University of Arkansas School of Architecture. Peter Rich’s work has established an architecture that is uniquely African. Influenced directly by an understanding of spatial hierarchies and aesthetic qualities of African tribal settlements, he works directly within the community, sustaining the cultures and traditions re-emerging in his buildings. His methods are not only due to his empathy for marginalised communities, but are methods which are a forceful architectural response to the new problems posed by contemporary global development, where a disintegration of identity, culture and community is characterized by homogeneity of place.

During his visit, Peter was drawn to a place with a particular convivial spirit as the subject for his workshop; the community of Kimisagara, in the centre of Kigali. Kimisagara is the most densely populated, disadvantaged area in central Kigali with few opportunities for young people and with alarming school dropout rates. It was in Kimisagara, in the unfinished ‘Football For Hope Centre’ for Esperance, that Peter chose as the venue to give his lecture about his work to the students of KIST, Arkansas and the community of Kimisagara.

Peter Rich’s work cross fertilises modern architectural practice with the traditions of local identities, and doing so, it underpins and preserves their ability to withstand the cultural attrition of globalisation; it is these lessons which the Rwandan 2020 urban vision needs to draw from. The current trajectory of the 2020 Masterplan, with its imported generic architecture, bears little relevance to the day-to -day living patterns and socio-economic abilities of the majority of the population (87 per cent of Rwandans live in rural areas and rely on

subsistence farming), yet continues to be the near-sighted architectural dogma of Rwanda. So much so that it has attained a sacrosanct status where criticism is frowned upon; to question the authorities’ methods of implementing its modernisation strategy means to question Rwanda’s ability to be ‘modern’. Criticism is often misconstrued as an obstacle to distancing itself from its dark political history.

But it is not a question of whether Rwanda can be modern, but how it achieves modernity by a more inclusive and sustainable means achieved through meaningful discourse founded within critical thinking. In a landlocked country, with little resources and a burgeoning population with a density of almost 420 people per km2 (compared with that of South Africa with a density of just 41.4/ km2), land scarcity is an unsustainable problem. Strategies of densification without re-locating the rural population into its few urban centres do appear to form a part of any national agenda for development.

Cognisant of such matters relating to Kigali’s re-invention, the Department of Architecture at KIST attempts to relay to the Rwandan students, the importance of preserving cultural identity as a component of one’s social responsibility as an architect, particularly through open lectures such as the one by Peter Rich. Composed of Architects from MASS Design Group, lat 45N Architects, General Architectural Collaborative, Sharon Davis Design Studio and Architecture for Humanity, all of whom are building their own respective projects across Rwanda, it is their collective pursuit that the diverse traditions and identities of the rich Rwandese culture do not become a memory.

www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/esperance


IRISH ARCHITECTURE ABROADLessons in Place Making - By Killian DohertyA graduate of Queen’s University Belfast and the Royal Technical College (KTH) in Stockholm (Masters), Killian Doherty currently works in Rwanda with Architecture for Humanity, for example on the design for a community sports facility for a local football team working in the field of conflict resolution in post-genocide Rwanda. Other projects include low-cost primary schools for children in refugee camps, as well as designs for mobile milk kiosks to distribute pasteurised milk across the country. His article discusses a lecture by South African architect Peter Rich – ‘In Search of a Rwandese Regionalism’ – delivered at the Kigali Institute of Technology (KIST) in 2011. A studio tutor and lecturer at the local architecture school, Doherty also writes about the importance of a regionalist approach to Rwandan’s re-development, and discusses the challenges and perils in trying to dismantle perceived attitudes towards modernity in a post-colonial state.

1. Football for Hope Centre, Killian Doherty2. Peter Rich Lecture - Courtesy of Nerea Amorous Elorduy and Killian Doherty

01 02

Colorcoat, Colorcoat Connection, Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra and Confidex are registered trademarks of Tata Steel formerly Corus.

Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra®It’s not just the quality of our products that gets the seal of approval; it’s the investment we make now for the future that gives you an unrivalled package of service and guarantees.

Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® does not require inspections or maintenance to be covered

by our unique Confidex® Guarantee of up to 40 years. With Confidex®, the guarantee is direct with building owner and fully transferable, taking the risk out of your specification. The next time you specify pre-finished steel, choose Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra® and remember, Confidex®guarantees we’ll still be here in 40 years.

Colorcoat Connection® helpline:T: +44 (0) 1244 892434 www.colorcoat-online.com/ultra

RESPONSIBLY SOURCED & BUILT TO LAST

WHAT RISK? WE’LL STILL

BE HERE WHENIT MATTERS.

TATA Architecture Ireland

-On te’n vas, Barcelona, esperit catalàque has vençut la carena i has saltat ja la tanca i te’n vas dret enfora amb tes cases disperses, lo mateix que embriagada de tan gran llibertat?

-Vaig allà el Pirineu amb ses neus somrosades, i al davant Catalunya tota estesa als seus peus, i me’n vaig... És l’amor qui m’empeny cap enfora, i me’n vaig delirant amb els braços oberts.

These are verses from “Oda Nova a Barcelona” (“New Ode to Barcelona”) by the great Catalan poet Joan Maragall, the grand-father of Pasqual Maragall, who was recently honoured in Dublin. In the poem Joan Maragall writes of the city’s “intoxicated freedom” and of leaving the city “with open arms”. In the work of Pascall Maragall, the city of Barcelona was recreated so that those open arms came to embrace modernity and good governance in a way which is exemplary. The freedom which he and his generation came to embody is something that has inspired citizens, city planners and politicians all over the world.

After the death of Franco in 1975, when it was clear that there would be a new constitution and free elections in Spain, a number of young, intelligent, left-leaning and ambitious would-be politicians in Catalonia were faced

with a dilemma. How could they combine their allegiance to Catalan culture and Catalan tradition with their socialism? How could they combine their own nationalism, or patriotism, with progress and openness and a way of looking outwards which was also an essential element in their political vision? Thus a decision was made that the Catalan Socialist Party would ally with PSOE, the Spanish Socialist Party. The idea would be to have maximum influence at the centre of power, which was Madrid, without losing influence or respect in Barcelona and in Catalonia.

Implementing this alliance required ingenuity and political skill. It was not done as a political stroke, but as a serious act of pragmatism. The Catalan politicians in question had much in common with their Spain counterparts – they were pro-European, they were socialist, they wanted a secular and modern Spain. Many of them had also lived and studied abroad and they wanted to use their skills to formulate policy on the basis of best practice elsewhere. They were articulate, and the vision they had for a Catalonia open to the outside world but also anxious to protect its language and its culture, was shared by a large section of the population. One of the strengths they could work from was that among the many things which made

Catalans proud was the city of Barcelona. Unlike other forms of nationalism in Europe, Catalan nationalism was not based on a love of the rural or the wholly traditional. It prided itself on its modernity and it took special pride in its capital city Barcelona in all its splendid diversity and untidy beauty, in all its seething energy and the range of its architecture. While Catalans also loved other places, such as the Canigo or Montseny, or the villages of the Pyrenees, or certain hidden parts of the Costa Brava, they also loved the city and treasured it as a central part of the Catalan heritage.

Thus the great achievement of Pasqual Maragall, as Mayor of Barcelona between 1982 and 1997, was to embody that spirit of pride which Catalans felt about their capital city, and use all of the skills he had learned as an economist and expert on cities to harness that pride and go into action as both planner and politician, as both visionary and pragmatist. It is hard to think of another example in post-war Europe, or indeed in the Americas, where the leader of a city succeeded in representing a sort of idealism in how a modern city should be improved and managed, and represented as well all aspects of the city’s life, including those who had been oppressed by bad planning or by poverty or by mad urban sprawl. It mattered that he was a socialist. It mattered that he had a mandate. It mattered that it was a time

LESSONS FROM BARCELONAA TIME OF HOPE AND CHANGEBy Colm Tóibín

The former President of Catalonia, Pasqual Maragall, was honoured with the award of RIAI Honorary Membership in Dublin on 12 October 2011. To mark his Honorary Membership and the 20th anniversary of Dublin as European City of Culture, the RIAI and Dublin City Council held a joint Symposium on 13 October in Liberty Hall. Speaking at ‘Design + Cities’ – Lessons from Barcelona’, were Irish-Scots architect David Mackay, a partner in Martorell Bohigas Mackay, Barcelona, masterplanners of the Olympic Village; Dublin City Planner Dick Gleeson; Dublin City Architect Ali Grehan, architect Alan Mee, Manuel Diez Garrido and the renowned writer Colm Tóibín, author of Homage to Barcelona.

01 02 03

of hope and change. It mattered that he had colleagues and associates who cared as much as he did about building a new and more open society and a better city. It mattered that all of them understood the maxim both simple and complex that how we live in cities is how we live, that urban planning is not a side issue in governance, that urban planning, in fact, matters more than anything else. If you get the city right, then many other things fall into place, as they did fall into place in Barcelona under Pasqual Maragall’s watch.

What mattered maybe more than anything else in these crucial years in the life of Barcelona was the man himself, his gravelly voice, his personality, his way of combining action of the most detailed sort with an overall vision in which people came to trust and believe. As a politician, he made compromises and pacts which required courage and real intelligence. One of them was to make an alliance with a man who had held office under Franco and was now a figure of immense influence within the Olympic movement. It would have been easy to announce that, as a good socialist, he could not work with such people, but it would have made no sense. In those years when he was re-making Barcelona, the citizens came to trust Pasqual Maragall for his good sense, among many other qualities. The past for them, as for him, was finished and was not to be used to poison the new society they wanted to make. Also, Maragall understood, as a good Catalan should, that to be Catalan is not a matter of blood, or family, or even birth. Maragall’s patriotism is open, not only to Europe and to Spain, but also to the notion that many people who live and work in Catalonia have no roots there, but that they can be Catalans too. Indeed, it is essential that they are. Maragall sees his own Catalan identity as something which includes rather than excludes, and there were moments when this took real bravery, and when it mattered,

when it made a difference within both his own party and within Catalan society.

I remember during his time in office when Felipe Gonzales, the Prime Minister of Spain, came to Barcelona. In those years these political leaders offered a new style in politics. They did not arrive on the stage laden down with pomposity. They had a glamour about them as well as a seriousness. They were informal about everything except policy and implementing policy. They supported social equality, women’s rights, gay rights. They brought the modern world to a place which had been maimed by forty years of dictatorship.

Gonzales talked about how puzzled he was by Barcelona’s relationship to the sea. It feels as though you hate the sea, he said, because the city then, although on the sea, had turned its back from it. The beach was a byword for danger and dirt and vile pollution. Nobody walked by the sea because there was nowhere to walk. This was merely one of the gifts which Pasqual Maragall gave to the people who elected him. He opened the city to the sea.

For anyone who visits Barcelona now, and anyone who lives there, the way in which the beach has been cleaned and the walk along the beach by Barceloneta has been made – the whole sense of life and openness – is a tribute to inspired urban planning. It is like that too for anyone who wants to drive in our out of the city, or ride a bicycle in the city, or use public transport in the city, or walk and stroll in the city – a sort of clarity and ease has been created which meant that ingenious planning was involved. But more than anything else, in each district and in each community, the city hall of Barcelona became interested in facilitating the idea of shared space, the idea of beauty and public spirit. A trust developed

between the citizen and the mayor’s office which created a spirit which was open and democratic. This was something that visitors could sense, but that only those who lived in the city could fully experience. Maragall also understood the importance of culture in the city, and the need to emphasise that festivals such as the Grec and the Merce, as well as all the theatres and music events and exhibitions were for the citizens of Barcelona to enjoy; if tourists wanted to enjoy them too that was fine, but they were for the people who lived in the city first.

We are paying tribute then to one of the leaders of an heroic generation of public figures in Barcelona who knew how to dream, who knew how to build trust, who knew how to put plans into effect, who knew who to keep trust. We are paying tribute to a politician of considerable skill and a personality who managed, despite his many years in power, to exude a charm which was easy, almost ordinary, and a sense of mission, who built a society by reconfiguring a city. Pasqual Maragall’s grandfather composed the odes to Barcelona, became one of the inspirational figures in Catalan culture. His grandson also wrote his odes to the city, in the way he planned its transformation, and he too in turn has become an exemplary Catalan and an exemplary European, and an exemplary politician and an inspiration to the world.


1. Pasqual Maragall, former President of Catalonia and Mayor of Barcelona2/6. Photographs of Barcelona by Paul Keogh

04 05 06

In architecture the question of how one starts a career is absolutely central. Not by chance, architects have found in their formative works the basis for long-term interests, agendas and even obsessions. More interestingly, these beginnings often represent a kind of compressed architectural portfolio of an architect’s career, marking key discoveries, breaks or shifts in how they think, work and learn architecture.

In the context of Limerick city’s regeneration, this exhibition by Second Year students at the School of Architecture University of Limerick (SAUL) on the construction of St. Mary‘s Girls Primary School, King’s Island is a timely opportunity to re-situate the crucial role of a formative architectural project but also to challenge the need for widespread regeneration through demolition and rebuilding by seeking value and recognising quality in Limerick city’s existing fabric.

This school, completed in 1951 by Andy Devane of Robinson Keeffe Devane, is not so much a building but rather city fabric. It is unique in its considered response to its

urban context, an attribute that is absent in much of Devane’s future suburban disencumbered work. What the school does attest to at this formative stage in Devane’s career is his remarkable agility and skill in dealing with tight-knit urban contexts.

The school resonates and converses at every level with its context: engaging with the city’s medieval wall; reinforcing an old lane that runs through the school; terminating a street with its entrance and modelled plant room chimney; addressing the space of Peter’s Cell; attaching itself to existing stone buildings that form parts of the school; re-instating streets and spaces both within the school and beyond its limits. Coupled with this, the school is as much a conversation with the built American work of the architect’s former master, Frank Lloyd Wright, under whom Devane studied at Taliesen West from 1946. This school represents one of the first design commissions Devane received on returning to practice in Ireland in 1948.

The economy of construction evident in the school fabric has great richness. The

fair-faced unpainted blockwork throughout has a density and life of its own and almost sparkles when lit by sunshine. Every mortar joint in the stack-bonded blockwork has been meticulously weathered to throw any rain away from the block below. Over-sailing eaves and canopies are elegantly articulated to the thinnest of concrete projections. Internally, bright colours accentuate windows, doors and roof-lights, while generous use of terrazzo is employed on stairs and toilet plazas served by central drinking fountains. Natural light and ventilation are made available throughout. Equally simple details like shore-holes on the perimeter of the playground are humorously transformed into seats for resting children.

This is a school that continues to stand the test of time. Like an integral part of a city’s fabric, you do not notice it. Its architecture is silent. Yet it delights on so many levels in its lively conversation with Limerick city and beyond.

REARVIEW: A CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY ANDY DEVANE AND ST. MARY’S GIRLS PRIMARY SCHOOLKing’s Island, Limerick City 1951 By Peter Carroll

01 02

1. Site Plan2. Axonometric3. Model made by students at SAUL4. The economy of construction has a great richness, as in this classroom block5. The multi-purpose assembly hall

03

04 05


JJ Rhatigan & Company Setting Standards in the Construction industry for over half a century. Value through innovation is much Leisure, Healthcare, Education, Industrial, Our full portfolio of projects more than a slogan to us. It’s the way Residential, Municipal, Fit Out, Heritage can be viewed at we do business everyday. It is the ability and Design & Build. We carry the experience www.jjrhatigan.ie. For to see a better way and ask the right of hundreds of challenging projects and further information contact questions, to analyse the design of a sharply-honed technical skills. This is the [email protected] buiding and develop creative technical exceptional value we bring to every project Project images above include solutions that alllow us to build better. which distinguishes us in our field. Our pledge (L to R) Heuston South Quarter, Over the past fifty nine years the to our clients is to provide these services to Tierney Building at UL and company has successfully progressed the highest levels of integrity, safety and quality. UCD Roebuck Hall Residence. into a number of diverse sectors which include; Commerical & Retail, Hotel &

J Head Office: Wolfe Tone House Father Griffin Road Galway. T: 091 580800 F: 091 580899 Dublin Office:Le Pole House Ship Street Great Dublin 8 T: 01 4786900 F: 01 4786901 Sligo Office: Baymount House Ballincar Sligo T: 071 9147100 F: 071 9147599

Architects featured in this issueKavanagh Tuite(Roebuck Castle Student Residence)Kavanagh Tuite Architects is a successful and established practice based in Dublin, with a deserved reputation based on its quality of architecture, innovation and client service. Great pride is taken in adaptability throughout the design and construction process, working with varied clients ranging from individuals to large businesses and state bodies. Our philosophy is to strive for excellence in producing buildings which meet our clients’ expectations of quality and function using the most appropriate materials and construction methods. Our buildings will always give enjoyment to their users but will also be economic and responsible to society. www.kavanaghtuite.ie

Paul Keogh Architects (Sean Treacy House)Paul Keogh Architects were established in 1984 by Paul Keogh. The practice has wide experience in urban design, public building and residential projects. PKA’s core value is a commitment to quality and design in architecture – to deliver attractive and sustainable built environments, to enrich our distinctive culture and heritage and to improve quality of life now and in the future.The practice is led by Paul Keogh and Rachael Chidlow, also founder members of Group 91 Architects. Paul Keogh was born in Dublin and studied architecture at University College Dublin and obtained a Masters in Environmental Design at the Royal College of Art, London. Rachael was born in Shrewsbury. She studied at Manchester University and obtained a Masters in Environmental Design at the Royal College of Art, London. In 1998 Patrick Gilsenan joined the practice and has worked on key projects that have won numerous awards.

Anthony Reddy Associates(Housing at Herberton)Reddy Architecture is a leading architectural practice with offices in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Poland and Romania. Over the past three decades the practice has been responsible for an exceptionally wide range of work from urban masterplans, urban regeneration plans, civic and cultural buildings, offices and workplaces, hospitals and schools, retail and private houses. The practice has received many awards and has won many architectural and PPP competitions. The practice chairman, Tony Reddy, is a founder of the Urban Forum and a founder Director of the Academy of Urbanism. Among the practices key projects are the Eircom Building, Temple Bar West End, Mercy Hospital and Cork University Hospital, Custom House Square (IFSC) and Heuston South Quarter.www.reddyarchitecture.com

Seán Harrington Architects(St.Andrew’s Court)All the work of the practice is underpinned by the fundamentals of environmental, social and economic sustainability. With their clients, they embrace all these issues in the design process, synthesising them into composed form to create places and homes that are both humane and environmentally sensitive, touching the earth lightly. Seán Harrington Architects have extensive experience in a wide range of fields; from masterplanning, urban regeneration, community consultation, the design of places, cities, towns and neighbourhoods, streets and squares, to individual homes. www.sha.ie

Healy Partners Architects(The Milk Market)Healy Partners Architects is based in Limerick City and was established in 1989.

The practice has won numerous local and national architecture awards including five Irish Architecture Awards. It has developed considerable expertise in a wide range of building types including residential, offices, office interiors and fit out, retail, education, healthcare, leisure and tourism, religious and commercial projects for a diverse range of clients, both public and private. The practice also offers Project Management, BER and PSDP (Health & Safety) services. Its location in Limerick, along the western seaboard of Ireland, ensures that projects are of varying scale and complexity, with dramatically different contexts from building within the control of an established urban environment to the remoteness and exposure of the Burren. www.healypartners.com

Ryan W. Kennihan Architects(Emerging Architecture)Ryan W. Kennihan studied architecture at Cornell University. Originally from Chicago, he relocated to Dublin in 2002 initially working for Boyd Cody Architects before establishing his own practice in 2007. He has taught architecture at University College Dublin and the Dublin School of Architecture at DIT where he is currently a lecturer. The practice is primarily concerned with the creation of a careful and timeless architecture. The work explores the expressive potential of explicitly tectonic spaces where structure, making and place are central, avoiding the contemporary trend towards novel form. Work extends across a wide range of scales and yet every project is undertaken with the same meticulous concern for detail. The practice is engaged in many facets of architectural culture, teaching in Ireland and abroad, with research projects collaborating with academia and industry. www.ryanwkennihanarchitects.com

PROJECTS Roebuck Castle Student Residence, Dublin, Kavanagh TuiteSean Treacy House, Dublin, Paul Keogh ArchitectsHousing at Herberton, Dublin, Anthony Reddy AssociatesSt. Andrew’s Court, Dublin, Seán Harrington ArchitectsThe Milk Market, Limerick, Healy Partners ArchitectsEmerging Architecture, Dublin, Ryan W. Kennihan Architects


ARCHITECTS - Kavanagh Tuite

CLIENT - University College Dublin

PROJECT MANAGER - KSN Project Management

QUANTITY SURVEYORS - Kane Crowe Kavanagh

CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS - Hanley Pepper

SERVICES ENGINEER - Delap + Waller

LANDSCAPE CONSULTANT- Mitchell & Associates

HEALTH & SAFETY CONSULTANT - Integrated Risk Solutions

MAIN CONTRACTOR - J. J. Rhatigan & Company

PHOTOGRAPHY - Paul Tierney

REPORT Report by Kavanagh Tuite

A university campus is developed over many years. It is only in recent years that the Belfield campus has included all the essential educational activities of University College Dublin, which provides a learning environment for over 20,000 students and academics. Today the university exists in coherently planned and landscaped surroundings, and one of the most sustainable elements of future planned development is to increase the numbers living on campus. The first residences date from the early 1980s and there are now some thousands of students residing there.

The Roebuck Castle precinct has its own strong sense of place, deriving from the Castle and the elevated ground to the south. UCD intends to build on this sense of place by creating a living student village centred on the Castle. The Castle which was surrounded by its previous owners with a clutter of high and low-rise buildings in the 1950s and 1960s, will be restored and de-cluttered as part of future phases of the project. Roebuck Castle Residence is the second phase in the development of the student village.

The first phase, Roebuck Hall, was completed by Kavanagh Tuite in 2006 and the entire project is planned to eventually provide residential accommodation for up to 900 students. The village master plan is conceived as “buildings in the park”, with blocks varying in height in response to their location and orientation. The taller five to eight story high buildings are oriented perpendicular to the proposed motorway to minimise its future impacts. A long, low three and four-storey building curves between the taller buildings and the Castle, mediating the scale. The project is conceived around the quality of the park spaces between the buildings and the more formal court, formed by the curved block and the Castle.

Roebuck Castle Residence accommodates 135 students and is located adjacent to Roebuck Hall. At ground floor level it has a residents’ restaurant, laundry, gym, internet and copy room. The building provides a hall-of-residence style accommodation in a compact six floor plan, with study-bedrooms, kitchenettes, study and living rooms on either side of

a double loaded corridor. The corridor is enlivened and day-lit directly and indirectly by windows, with expansive views at each end, and by the glazed corridor walls of the kitchenettes, common study and living rooms.

While adjacent buildings gave a design context, the high level of building envelope performance required detailed analysis of the façade design (see Passive House Student Residences: A Roadmap to Green Building Design in Architecture Ireland issue 246). It was not feasible to continue the brick-faced, envelope design of the adjacent Roebuck Hall building, as it was economically unfeasible to support a six-storey brick-clad façade through the thickness of insulation required to achieve the ambitious thermal performance.

Different options were analysed, including heavy-weight precast systems and prefabricated GRC panels, concluding with a lightweight insulated framed wall panel. This process of design, through exploration of practical available options to achieve a new and different standard

ROEBUCK CASTLE STUDENT RESIDENCE


Site Plan 1 Roebuck Hall 2 Existing Buildings 3 Future Development 4 Proposed Motorway

Project size - 4,360 m2

Value - e 7.3m

Location - UCD, Dublin

BER - A3

1

2

2

2

2

2

2

3

3

3

33

3

3

2011 Irish Architecture Award‘Best Sustainable Project’

of building construction and performance, informed the form and finish of the whole project.

The lightweight wall solution determined a rain-screen facing system. A HPL (high pressure laminate) panel and patent fixing system was chosen to give a suitable tactile appearance relative to metal panels, while being more economic than terracotta systems. The cladding has a limited number of earthy colours, relating to adjacent buildings and the natural context, helping to give the building an understandable and human scale. The secondary stairs at north and south ends of the building are expressed, articulating

the relatively simple compact building form. The roof-top plant room, housing the central plant (HR ventilation, water storage tanks and other plant) is expressed as a vertical extension of the central lift and stair core, again articulating the built form.

At ground level, the main entrance and café are located on either side of a walkway that runs through the building, which will provide a pedestrian route from the existing Roebuck Hall to the future stages of the Roebuck Castle student village. Groundworks design incorporate massive concrete benches turning into low retaining structures created to be, on the one hand, landscaping elements

suitable for a public location, and, on the other, to give a strong, three-dimensional and delightful framework to the built and natural environment. The building is universally accessible and particular rooms are adapted/enhanced for disabled users.

The project makes extensive use of renewable or recyclable materials such as acetic-acid modified timber (Accoya), recycled bamboo particle board (Kireiboard), water-based paint, recyclable floor finishes and GGBS (ground granulated blast furnace slag) cement.

Ground floor plan 1 Study/Bedroom 2 Kitchenette 3 Living Room 4 Group Room 5 Stairs 6 Lift 7 Lift Lobby 8 WC 9 Entrance Lobby 10 Cafe 11 Laundry 12 Group Room 13 Print & Copy room 14 Plant 15 External Covered Area

Typical floor plan 1 Study/Bedroom 2 Kitchenette 3 Living Room 4 Group Room 5 Stairs 6 Lift 7 Lift Lobby 8 WC

Section

78

3

6

62 21 1 1 1 1

1 111111

11111

1

5

5

5

4

4

1 1 1 1 1 1 3

3

2

2 6

6

5

7 8

8

8

9

9

9

9

10 10 10

11

11

14

14

1312

1215

15

1

1111

1 1 1 1 1 1 1

1

3

4

5 5

1 1 1

03

05

06

04


1. The Roebuck Castle Residence sets new standards in student accommodation2. The six-storey building is part of a wider master plan for a new student village3/4. The lightweight colourful panel system gives character to this scheme5. The student restaurant on the ground floor 6. The facade has a warm and tactile appearance

02

LIVING A BRIGHT STUDENT LIFEReview by Vivienne Brophy

Remember the dark and cold basements of the student flat of the 1970s, where damp, wrinkly tracing paper was a serious hindrance to architectural perfection? It was with much greater expectation that I visited the new student ‘residences’ at Roebuck Castle, UCD, designed to the Passivhaus Standard by Kavanagh Tuite Architects and awarded the RIAI’s ‘Best Sustainable Project’ Award this year. The building advances the development of high performance architecture in Ireland and represents a significant achievement of design, construction and technical integration in its delivery.

Walking towards the south-east of the UCD campus, the new student residence is easily recognisable by its colourful external cladding and very elegant timber panelling. The six-storey building has a compact, linear-form and forms a small square with the existing Roebuck Hall student residences. A café, laundry and fitness centre are located on the ground floor. The five upper floors, with two wings, comprise ten or twelve study rooms with a communal living room, kitchen and study room in a repetitive layout.

On entering the student residence, one is struck by the pleasant ambience of the building. The bright and colourful café provides a convivial atmosphere for the residents, who are having their breakfast and dinner there each day. Direct and ‘borrowed’ daylight and colourful finishes enhance the central corridor, which provides access to the communal areas and individual student rooms. The communal study and living rooms are cosy and the kitchens are light, airy and well fitted out. While compact and functional, the individual bedrooms with study and en-suite bathroom create a calm and quiet environment for study and rest. The building provides a comfortable natural environment that must surely be beneficial to the welfare of students living and studying here.

In technical terms, the energy efficiency of the building, predicted by the PHPP (Passive House Planning Package) methodology, indicates values of specific space heating demand of 12kWh/(m2a) and a primary energy demand of 114 kW/(m2a) for the building, both well within the Passivhaus requirement for certification. A pressurisation test resulted in 0.6 h-1. These values represent a reduction of about 80% compared with the 2007 Building Regulation standards, which apply to the building. In order to achieve the Passivhaus standard, the building form, envelope and services have been optimised. The building skin

was carefully specified, detailed and tested to achieve the required U-values and air-tight construction. High performance components, such as the high pressure laminate cladding panel and triple glazing, contribute to a palette of materials and finishes that are low energy, many with low-embodied energy and recyclable. The building is mechanically ventilated with heat recovery, enhanced by further preheating of the incoming ventilation through the hot water radiator zone (heated by spare capacity of the existing condensing-gas boiler of Phase 1). It is predicted that about one third of the hot water demand is provided by solar collectors mounted on the roof, the remaining supplied from the gas boiler. High efficiency lighting is used in all areas with occupant and daylight sensors in common areas.

However, while design predictions and post construction assessment are beneficial to a successful delivery process, it is essential to monitor actual building performance to quantify if it has met its design targets, to highlight possible improvement measures and to provide feedback for future projects. It is also necessary to undertake post occupancy evaluation to assess how well the building matches users’ needs, to fine-tune systems or their management and to establish maintenance policies.

On Kavanagh Tuite Architects’ initiation, the UCD Energy Research Group, funded by SEAI, has commenced a two-year programme of monitoring and post occupancy evaluation of the building. A weather station has been erected on the roof of the building, which provides climatic data on solar radiation, wind speed and direction, temperature, humidity and precipitation. Monitoring equipment, installed during the construction stage, collects data (at varying intervals) from 16 selected locations in the building, on indoor temperature, humidity and CO2; energy required to provide space heating and domestic hot water; heat flows from MHRV and solar collectors; electrical use and lighting loads. The data is transferred through a web-based system to the Building Environmental Lab in Richview, where it is analysed (initial data is providing very positive returns) and supported by occupant evaluation and feedback. Analysis of the data will inform UCD Services of actual savings from individual systems and provide data for further research in the application of the Passivhaus Standard in Ireland.

Above all, it will continue to ensure that the students are residing in a comfortable and healthy environment – a far cry from the student flats of the past.


The building provides a comfortable natural environment that must surely be beneficial to the welfare of students living and studying here

7. The residence is easily recognisable in the campus context

E M

P R E

S S

P L AC

E

N

ARCHITECTS - Paul Keogh ArchitectsPaul Keogh, Rachael Chidlow, Patrick Gilsenan (project architect), Kevin Nolan, Brighdin Ni Mhaille

CLIENT - Dublin City Council

QUANTITY SUVEYORS - O’Reilly Hyland Tierney & Associates

CIVIL & STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS - Moylan Consulting Engineers

SERVICES ENGINEERS - White Young Green

MAIN CONTRACTOR - Mc Cabe Builders

PHOTOGRAPHY - Peter Cook and David O’Shea

SEAN TREACY HOUSE

Project size - 5,220m2

Value - 11m

Duration - 27 months

Location - Buckingham Street, Dublin

BER - (A3 - B1)

Site Plan

PORTLAND ROW

BUCKINGHAM STREET

SUM

MERH

ILL


REPORT By Paul Keogh Architects

The regeneration of Sean Treacy House was commissioned by Dublin City Council to replace a number of 1960s flat blocks with a mixed-tenure social housing development, comprising apartments, houses and own-door duplexes. The state-funded scheme comprises 53 dwellings, a community building and an underground parking area. Part of Dublin’s north-east Inner-city Integrated Area Plan, the design was developed in consultation with the City Architect’s Department, the existing community and their public representatives, including future tenants.

PKA’s design has prioritised urban form and residential amenity in equal measure; completing the corner between Summerhill and Empress Place, it reinstates the 18th century streetscape. The semi-public courtyard - and each unit’s private outdoor space - contributes to the creation of a high level of amenity for the inner-city community. The design exploits the sloping site; a whole floor level change from north to south allows the car park be entered at grade from the street below the courtyard, with light wells providing daylight and passive surveillance to the parking below.

Each apartment, duplex and house has a private outdoor terrace, winter garden or patio, and all the lower units have own-door entrances from the courtyard or street; the remainder are accessed off shared cores with no more than two doors off each landing. Space standards meet Dublin City Council guidelines for new residential development – which exceed UK standards – and require every unit to be dual-aspect. All are designed to Lifetime Homes standards and lifts are provided to all apartments, and from the car park to courtyard level.

The massing, heights, materials and architectural treatment make a site-specific response to the urban context; the brick elevations of the six-storey apartment block reflect the Georgian scale of Buckingham Street, while the lower duplexes replicate the domestic scale of Empress Place.

To develop a sense of community and increase passive surveillance in this long-disadvantaged part of the city, the courtyard has controlled entry and is accessible only to residents. Within, the community building contains a residents’

meeting room to accommodate children’s homework groups and residents’ social events, as well as a caretaker’s facility. The north-south orientated courtyard creates a micro climate which optimises wind shelter, sunlight penetration and passive solar gain. State-of-the-art technologies, such as solar panels, self-condensing gas boilers and a highly-insulated, and air-tight, building fabric help to reduce energy use and carbon emissions. Constructed in accordance with Ireland’s 2008 Building Regulations - Part L - unit energy ratings range between A3 and B1.

The 201-bedspace scheme has a density of 133 units per hectare, or 54 per acre. It is within a kilometre of Ian Richie’s Dublin Spire, and 300m of all public transport modes – bus, light rail and inter-city main line services. Construction on thee11 million project was completed in June 2011. The finished scheme has been handed over to Circle Voluntary Housing Association who now act as management agents on behalf of Dublin City Council.

Uppergroundfloorplan 1 Entrancetocourtyard 2 Car-parkentrance 3 Commonstairways 4 Caretaker’soffice 5 Communityfacilitiesbuilding 6 Two-bedduplex 7 Three-bedduplex 8 Three-bedthree-storeyunit 9 Four-bedthree-storeyunit 10 One-bedduplex 11 One-bedunit(fullyaccessible) 12 Courtyard

Secondfloorplan 1 One-bedapartment 2 Two-bedapartment 3 Commonstairways 4 Two-bedduplex 5 Four-bedthree-storeyunit 6 Four-bedduplex 7 Three-bedduplex

CourtyardSection/SouthwestElevation

12 2 23

3

4

4

7

7

7

7 7

64

44

5

1

1

46

6

11

11

11

10 7 77

98

7

7

7

12

5

7

6 6 6 6 6

3

1

2


1. The sheltered courtyard is the social hub of this scheme2/3. Massing, height, materials all respond to the urban context4. Elevation5. A cut opens views into the courtyard6. Courtyard elevations read both as terraces and villas

05

04

03

02

06

09

07 08

THE PLEASURES AND COMFORTS OF MODERN SPACEReview by Eddie Conroy

Paul Keogh Architects’ elegant social housing scheme sits at the junction of Buckingham Street and Empress Place in Dublin. This area has been a locus of serious social deprivation for more than 150 years and despite recent regeneration success retains a raw, edgy feel. The district has a Georgian structure. The site, which was cleared of a failed 1960s flat-block scheme, adjoins 1980s low-density cul-de-sac social housing and a Dutch-inspired perimeter block by George Herbert Simms, who designed more than 17,000 units through the 1930s before his tragic suicide at the age of 50.

As core members of Group 91, the design team that delivered the renewal of Dublin’s historic Temple Bar, the linked logic of urban pattern and typology is central to the work of PKA and rigorously informs this project at every level. Accordingly, this project recreates the missing streetscape and corner, reinstating and also redefining the urban block on four sides around a landscaped courtyard. The five-storey street block responds to the high, Georgian scale out front and the duplex terraces around the courtyard to the domestic scale of buildings behind. The southern duplex terrace forms a new streetscape on Empress Place. The site slopes steeply and is exploited to raise the courtyard and create a car park below.

The front apartments squarely abut a Georgian house and continue its high parapet line a little further down. A cut through to the internal courtyard adds drama and proportion. Deep balcony recesses, flush-glazed winter gardens and stair-core windows irregularly but rhythmically animate its long elevation. The parapet height steps down before the corner, establishing a datum for the terrace along Empress Place. The stretched brick plane of the facade, relaxed fenestration and controlled parapet line confidently match those of their Georgian neighbours.

Around the courtyard the terraces maintain a consistent three storeys. The top two floors on all sides are duplex apartmentswith a generous kitchen/living room on the upper floor. The feeling is of a penthouse with corner-glazed windows and a balcony, each enjoying a roof garden. This arrangement serrates the top floor, ensuring a jaunty silhouette and lightening the feeling of enclosure as the terraces meet the sky. Each unit has its own entrance off the bright, well-proportioned courtyard deck. Clever use of the section optimises the site slope to create a broad choice of types across the 53 homes, encouraging diversity in age and family profile. The interiors are impeccable, sunny, flexible spaces, with a high quality of fit-out throughout.

The courtyard elevations read as both terraces and (because of the serrations) ‘villas’: the effect is enhanced by the sculptural use of chimneys and corner windows, ensuring a rhythmic, light-hearted language throughout. Brick is used to face both streets in the Dublin manner. Inside the courtyard, the contrasting white-render recalls the optimistic assurance of JJP Oud’s housing at Kiefhoek (1925-30) and the Weissenhofsiedlung (1927). The twisting geometry of the butterfly-roofed community structure, tellingly placed in the courtyard, is enhanced by the fractal quality of paving and landscape.

This generous project redefines a neglected streetscape, creating a shared garden within. Its unobtrusive control and use of window, door and threshold clarify public and private boundaries, encouraging neighbourly surveillance obviating (rather than hiding from) anti-social behaviour. The pleasures and comforts of modern space sit happily here, meaningfully adding to the textures and memories of the historic city.

This article was first published in Architecture Today, Issue 221.


7/8. The project recreates the missing streetscape and corner9. The contrasting white render of the courtyard


ARCHITECTS - Anthony Reddy AssociatesTony Reddy, Ronan Smith, Simon Leonard, Naveen Jakkulla, Arantxa Lera, Colm Quinn, Robert Donegan, Steffen Maass, Mark Sammon, Krysztof KordaMetropolitan Workshop - David Prichard, Tim Peake, Nick Phillips, Marko Neskovic,Kinder Goodall, Ross Harniman,

CLIENT - Maplewood Elliott JV

CIVIL/STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS - O’Connor Sutton Cronin

SERVICES ENGINEERS - Homan O’Brien

FIRE CONSULTANT - Jeremy Gardner Associates

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT - Bernard Seymour Landscape Architects

MAIN CONTRACTOR - P. Elliott & Company

PHOTOGRAPHY - Paul Tierney

HOUSING AT HERBERTON

Project size - 51,270 m2

Value - 100m

Location - James Walk, Rialto, Dublin

REPORT By Anthony Reddy Associates

The Herberton development forms Phase 2 of the PPP Regeneration of the Fatima Mansions housing scheme, which was synonymous with urban decay and social deprivation in the 1980s and 1990s, and completes the re-invigoration of a once forgotten part of Dublin’s inner city area.

Following the execution of the PPP agreement between Dublin City Council and Maplewood Elliott JV in 2004, construction works commenced on Phase 1 of the development, which delivered 110 own-door social units to the existing residents of Fatima Mansions by mid-2006. The design of Phase 2 of the regeneration was undertaken by a collaboration of Anthony Reddy Associates and Metropolitan Workshop, who developed the initial masterplan prepared by Dublin City Council in order to increase permeability through the site.

Phase 2 comprises 505 residential units of a mixture of types and tenures across six distinct blocks, each designed to ensure that the emerging scheme created a mix of uses at ground level in order to ensure that an area of meaningful activity was created for both the original and new residents. The 505 residential units, which form Phase 2 of the development, are a mix of one, two and three bedroom units – the majority of which are apartments with a number of houses located along the south-western boundary of the site.

The residential element of the scheme is distributed throughout the six blocks and comprises a large number of innovative unit types. All apartments are spacious and laid out to maximise usable space. The provision of extensive glazing and private open space maximises exposure to natural light and serves to connect the occupants to the external environment. This emphasis on residential amenity is enhanced by the extensive application of dual-aspect apartment typologies and large apartment sizes. All units have either roof terraces or large balconies, and in some

cases both, in order to ensure that the completed scheme is truly a place where people can live successfully. In addition to the large balconies to each unit, extensive roof terraces and landscaped courtyards are provided for each apartment building.

The integration of community and social facilities is a key consideration in the design of Herberton, which comprises a new community centre and leisure centre. These new facilities have contributed significantly to the social rehabilitation of the area and are a focal point for activity for all residents within the scheme.

In a response to the many schemes where the needs of children are not considered in the design, at Herberton children of all ages are catered for with areas located at several locations within the development. A floodlight all-weather playing pitch caters for the older children who may wish to play football through the evening in a safe environment. A crèche facility is provided by a local community group under the broad umbrella of the community centre.

In contrast to other schemes of a similar nature, the quality of materials used throughout the public realm set Herberton apart with high quality stone paving throughout the public plaza and common areas. The various blocks also make use of a palette of high quality materials – brick, timber, render, zinc, glass and terracotta to ensure that the development maintains its status as a ground breaking project.

Despite the significant downturn currently being experience in the construction economy the Herberton scheme is the flagship for the PPP model of urban regeneration and has allowed Dublin City Council and the private sector developer, Maplewood Elliott JV, create an urban re-development that continues to enhance the environment in which it has been constructed.

03 04

05

02

3150


1. The integration of community facilities and a children’s play areas is a key consideration2. Large balconies and landscaped gardens are central to the scheme3. Emphasis was placed on a secret few high quality materials4/5. The community building and the floodlight all-weather pitch are central facilities

East Elevation

West Elevation

Section

Ground floor levels 1 Block A roof terrace 2 Block A first floor courtyard 3 Block B roof terrace 4 Block B ground floor courtyard 5 Block C roof terrace 6 Block C ground floor courtyard 7 Block D ground floor courtyard 8 Block F ground floor courtyard 9 Public plaza 10 Public ‘Pocket Park’ 11 5-a-side football pitch

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

01

02

09

ARCHITECTS -Seán Harrington Architects (Initial commission: Howley Harrington Architects, partner-in-charge, Seán Harrington) Ryan Gillespie, Stephanie Backhaus, Catherine Desjardins, Paul Mulhern, Andrew Lamont

CLIENT - Dublin City Council

QUANTITY SURVEYORS - Austin Reddy and Co.

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS - Price and Myers

MAIN CONTRACTOR - GEM Construction

PHOTOGRAPHY - Philip Lauterbach


Report by Seán Harrington ArchitectsIn 2000, the Affordable Apartment Block Design Competition, sponsored by Dublin Corporation [1] and administered by the RIAI, was won by Howley Harrington Architects against 106 submissions from Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Portugal, England, Scotland, USA and Canada.

Located on a prominent corner city centre site near Merrion Square and next to St. Andrews Court, the project was part of a Dublin Corporation initiative to promote living in the city in good quality, well-designed, environmentally sustainable and affordable housing. Apartments were to be sold by the local authority to medium/lower to income purchasers at ‘cost price’.

The winning design was a seven-storey building containing eleven one- and two-bedroom apartments over a ground floor cafe, with the assessors noting:

“A beautifully presented scheme. It was one of the few proposals that handled ‘deck access’ with success. It is ambitious in its treatment of the urban domain and in its use of light and exploitation of views within each apartment. A clear hierarchy is shown in the structure, planning and organisation of apartments with an integrated approach to sustainable issues of heating, energy and recycling. It was one of the few schemes which depicted every architectural detail as well as showing social interaction.”

The building was arranged in three clear organisational and structural zones:

Circulation: comprising balconies and a common stair supported on a steel frame.

Services: containing kitchens, bathrooms, lobbies and a lift, with this core providing structural bracing to the building.

Living: facing Holles and Fenian Streets, with kitchens linking across the 3 zones to create east-west dual aspect spaces. Precast concrete planks span from the services cell walls to a single skin blockwork external wall, giving flexibility for future lifetime homes adaptation.

All apartments have private, sunny outdoor spaces, all living rooms are dual aspect, all bedrooms have morning sunlight and all bathrooms and kitchens benefit from natural ventilation and daylight. While catering for individual privacy, the design also allows for sharing of communal resources. The large roof terrace faces south, overlooking the city and the Dublin Mountains. At the high point, solar thermal panels mark the street corner. These preheat water for supply to the communal condensing boiler positioned in the rooftop plant room. On the ground floor there is a bicycle store and waste recycling area.

After being awarded the competition, Howley Harrington Architects were then asked to prepare a new masterplan for the whole of St Andrews Court, incorporating the Affordable Housing Building on the corner.

Comprising two five-storey 1970s blocks of Corporation flats, St. Andrew’s Court had an open tarmac car park wasteland, which opened out onto Denzille Lane to the south. Security was poor, with little defensible space or sense of ownership. There were no residents’ amenity facilities and the development had deteriorated badly over recent years. In consultation with the existing community, a new three-storey mews terrace was designed, improving security and privacy to the redesigned secure courtyard, which now includes resident’s car parking and amenity facilities for all age groups. The existing ground

floor bed-sits were remodelled into large one-bed ground floor apartments, with own front door access opening onto private patio areas.

The nine new dwellings along Denzille Lane are a continuous terrace, arranged as interlocking and repeating groups of 3 dwellings. Each ensemble contains a one-bedroom ground floor flat, a two-bedroom house and a three-bedroom maisonette; all clearly defined with blue and red brick and white render walls respectively. All dwellings face south, and are slightly set back from Denzille Lane with generous front yards, balconies and terraces, bin stores and railings. The buildings step down on the north to minimise overshadowing of the communal courtyard.

Following the detailed design stage, and after much delay, DCC procured the Affordable Housing Building as a design-build project, and directly developed the new terrace and all other works to St Andrews Court, retaining Seán Harrington Architects in 2005 as project architects.

The redevelopment has been a great success. The residents of the new terrace (who are all former tenants of the blocks of flats) have personalised and enhanced their homes with wonderful hanging and potted plants, and are often seen sitting out in the sun, chatting to their neighbours along Denzille Lane.

[1] Dublin Corporation was the former name (until 1 January 2002) of Dublin City Council (DCC).

AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUILDING AND ST. ANDREW’S COURT

Project size - 660m2 (Affordable Housing Building)

725m2 (St. Andrew’s Court)

Value - e 4.5m (St. Andrew’s Court)

Duration - 16 months (Affordable Housing Building)

17 months (St. Andrew’s Court)

Location - Holles Street, Denzille Lane, Dublin

1. The corner building was the outcome of an open, international design competition (see also competition sketch on next page)2. The project comprises an entire urban block3. The new dwellings along Denzille lane form a continuous terrace.4. Residents have personalised private outdoor space5. A modernist colour scheme defines different zones6. The playground is at the heart of this community scheme

02

03 04

05 06


Section through dwellings on Denzille Lane

StorageStorage

Bathroom

Toilets

Ground floor plan 1 Courtyard entrance 2 Courtyard 3 Shop Unit of corner building 4 Apartments on Fenian Street 5 Dwellings on Denzille Lane 6 Apartments on Holles Street

1

2

5

6

3

4

55


A LESSON IN LAYERED TRADITIONBy Tony Duggan

Urban Form BackgroundAlthough adjacent to Merrion Square, the plot development of Holles Street and Denzille Street (later Fenian Street) did not develop as a fashionable extension to the city such as Fitzwilliam Square, but developed as a secondary street bounded by existing routes. By the mid the 19th century Holles Street was formed by three-storey late Georgian houses with outbuildings to the rear facing onto Denzille Place. The resultant urban block was completed by buildings with a smaller plot size and rear yards that formed an edge to Fenian Street. By the mid 20th century this block would be classified as tenements.

In June 1963, two houses in Fenian Street collapsed resulting in the loss of two children. Combined with other building failures in Bolton Street, the subsequent public and political pressures resulted in draconian measures taken by the Dangerous Building Section of Dublin City Council on potential dangerous buildings and places. The upshot of these unfortunate circumstances was that the entire urban block was cleared and a standardised five-storey duplex apartment building was constructed on this emptied site in the 1960s. One block formed the edge to Fenian Street, whilst the other the edge to Holles Street, with the resultant ‘corner gap’ of a single storey commercial unit.

The Competition and ProposalBy the late 1990s, there existed a greater awareness regarding the fractured urban tissues of the city in terms of the public realm and urban fabric. Design competitions were one of the many means to address these urban deficiencies. In 2001 an architectural competition was organised jointly by Dublin City Council the RIAI and for this vacant corner site, which would be used as a prototype for similar plots and as a debate for affordable apartment living within the city centre. The competition was awarded to Howley Harrington Architects, whose solution was considered the most architecturally resolved of over 100 entries.

This solution was pragmatic and logical. Proposed retail or public facilities were located at ground cum mezzanine level with apartments located on subsequent floors. Entry was gained via a lift and communal staircase in a semi-open area located at the north-east end, facing the gable wall of the existing apartments on the Fenian Street side. To reinforce this level of privacy, the entrance to each apartment is a private balcony area – the resident’s private garden. Service areas, including kitchen and bathroom, are placed at this entry

interface, creating a buffer of control between public and private areas. The living and sleeping accommodation have east, south and western aspects and are arranged with multiple views of the street. Communal areas area located at roof level with roof scape views and contain solar panels collectors, although functional by nature contribute to the aesthetic of a corner building’s roof scape. Fundamental to this design proposal are sustainability and energy issues, which were, in the main, taken on board by Dublin City Council and were in advance of the Building Regulations for 2001.

The Extended BriefDuring the consultation period a more holistic examination of the existing urban block was undertaken in dialogue with the existing residents. This discourse included proposals within the existing courtyard, such as a landscaped play area, secure residents’ car parking and further enclosure on Denzille Lane by a three-storey terrace comprising apartments of various unit sizes. Within the existing 1960s apartment block, the bed-sits were reconfigured and enlarged into one-bedroom apartments with front door access, through private patio areas. This collaborative approach although quite a lengthy process was beneficial both for the local residents, the local authority and the overall design as the local residents took ownership of the proposal. Due to the appeal of this overall scheme to the local residents, the corner development reverted from an affordable proposal to that a social housing at the 11th hour.

Lessons to be learnedThe work of this practice, now Seán Harrington Architects, has, as also shown in their York Street project, developed and evolved the urban block model particularly in architectural terms related to a Dublin context. The main benefit from the Holles and Fenian Street competition and subsequent developments provides an example of the incremental development of an urban block which is appropriate in terms of 1) The prototype of a corner building; 2) Buildings and their scale in relation to main streets; 3) Buildings and their scale in relation to minor streets. This corner building itself and the subsequent development is a lesson of the layered transition from the public domain to the private realm in an urban context that is applicable to any Irish city or major town.

7. Competition drawing


ARCHITECTSHealy Partners Architects, LimerickRichard Rice, Eoin O’Grady Andrzej Doktor, Igancio EtcheverryConservation: Michael Healy, Matthew ShinnorsDesign Consultant to Healy Partners - Hermann Peltz, Architect, Teneriffe

CLIENT - Limerick Market Trustees

TENSILE STRUCTURE ENGINEERS - Schlaich Bergermann & Partner (Stuttgart / New York)

CIVIL STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS - Dennany Reidy Associates, Limerick

SERVICES ENGINEERS - Don O’Malley & Partners, Limerick

QUANTITY SURVEYORS - Edward Cotter Partnership, Limerick

CLIENT PROJECT MANAGER - Tony Scott, Limerick

ARCHAEOLOGIST - AEGIS Archaeology

MAIN CONTRACTOR - L&M Keating & Co.

PHOTOGRAPHY - Kieran Clancy, Greg O’Shaughnessy

THE MILK MARKET

Project size - 1.700 m2

Duration - 6 months

Location - Mungret Street, Limerick

Report by Healy Partners Architects

The Milk Market building is located on the old city wall at Mungret Gate in Irishtown, where market activity has anecdotal evidence dating back centuries. Markets in this area of the city are shown to be established in the 1790s, including the Hay Market, Pig Market, Linen hall, Butter Market, Cornmarket and Milk Market. The Georgian building and courtyard, originally known as the Cornmarket, were constructed in the 1830s by the Pery Family. This market district of the city required reorganisation and a management structure which lead to the Limerick Market Trustees being established by an Act of Parliament under Queen Victoria in June 1952. By 1898 the Limerick Market Trustees (LMT) entered examinership and markets began to fail one by one until only the Milk Market survived. Many attributed the survival of the Milk Market at that time to the variety of produce and the unique mix of traders that was available every Saturday. This market thrived up to the 1960s but the building fabric fell into neglect and disrepair and eventually ruin.

In 1988, the LMT emerged from examinership after 90 years (longest in Irish History) and the process of refurbishment and rejuvenation of the courtyard and buildings began. The major restoration of the market buildings was completed in 1993 by Murray O’Laoire Archtiects and was a recipient of a Europa Nostra Award for Architectural Conservation. The Saturday morning market was successfully re-established at this location. The courtyard operated as a surface car park during the business week, generating an income that was to substantially finance the next phase of the project. In 2007 the Limerick Market Trustees engaged in a process to see how the markets could develop to operate more than just Saturday mornings and

to ensure that the offer to customers remained varied and to the highest quality.

We saw a number of opportunities that this project could offer both the Milk Market and the city centre as a whole. Located where the Georgian grid meets with the Medieval Irishtown street pattern, it could serve as a catalyst for regeneration of this quarter of the city. We believed the design solution had to be functional, economic and iconic relative to the scale of Limerick.

Our initial concept worked to define the project and was a simple solution to an Irish problem. In our research, we noted that it rained on thirty seven of the previous fifty two Saturdays. The clients direction was to make the market all-weather and open. The design solution was therefore to put up a rather large twenty four metre high ‘umbrella’ in the courtyard. This strong vertical intervention would define the market location on both the city skyline and the approach from both Robert Street and Ellen Street - the main approach routes to the markets from the retail core of the city centre. On the streets immediately around the Milk Market, the new defining element of the Milk Market lifts architectural spirits in an area which is comprised of poor design in urban form and scale.

The emerging design worked to deliver a modern intervention using minimal detailing in order to achieve an appropriate contrast to the Georgian detail of the original market buildings. The intention of keeping the project away from contact with the original structures is both apparent and successful within the market space. The main element, the tensile structure, produced

2011 Irish Architecture Award‘Public Choice Award’

1. The new canopy over the Milk Market acts as an urban identifier on the Limerick skyline2. Customer numbers have significantly increased to the market3. The canopy has been designed so as to not touch the historic walls4. The Milk Market shown on this 1840 OS Map of Limerick

Ground floor plan 1 Market Courtyard 2 Pavillion 3 Market house

1

2

3

Southeast Internal Elevation

Southeast Elevation

Southwest External Elevation


03 04

02

a conic geometry of the PVC coated Polyester membrane which was realised by an eccentrically aligned mast which works to maximise the cover of the courtyard as well as accommodate a pavilion building and respect the scale of the two storey Market House. The four corners of the tensile structure are supported by an inclined strut that is suspended and stablized by two tension ties per strut. The membrane is stressed between the steel headring suspended by steel cables from the central mast and four catenary cables which span approx 45mtrs from one corner to the other.

The engineers for the tensile structure, Schlaich Bergermann Partners, developed the design using a computer based form finding process, which allowed the cone geometry to develop in such a way that equilibrium of the tensile stresses within the membrane is present, while the resulting forces at the top of the cone will be supported by the mast, which is able to rotate around its base point. Due to the fact that the mast base

point is offset from the centre point of the cone geometry, equilibrium for the forces can only be realized by an inclined mast. Therefore the main mast is leaning approximately 3.5 degrees to balance the forces in the membrane structure.

In the short new life of the Milk Market, the courtyard which falls from south to north, has undertaken many new uses. Rock concerts, fashion shows, classical music concerts, choir singing and festival events have all operated successfully and given the city a venue that can support outdoor events irrespective of the weather. The completed project is considered as an outstanding success by the client and local authority and customer numbers have increased from 6,000 on a Saturday up to over 12,000. Most importantly, the public have embraced the project and now don’t just spend money at the market, but also spend time - taking in a coffee, chat and a bit of people watching.

05

06

TECHNICAL FEATURE: THE MEMBRANE CANOPY FOR THE MILK MARKETBy Richard Rice, Christoph Paech(*) and Rudolf Bergermann(*)To confer a one of a kind appearance on the historical setting of the Milk Market, a membrane canopy made of translucent PVC-coated polyester membrane was designed with a single support above the interior courtyard. At roughly 24m high, the eccentrically aligned mast supports the approximately 1400m2 membrane surface at a singular peak, which serves to maximize the usable covered surface area. The trapezoidal footprint measures about 44.50m along its longest side and about 34.00m along its shortest side. The conical membrane surface is tensioned down to the four corner points. The pre-tensioning ratio between longitudinal : transverse at the peak measures 4.3:1, which serves to create enough of a geometrical curvature to ensure an efficient decrease in suction as well as in compression forces for the entire roof. The plan layout of the structure was designed to find the optimal balance between the amount of covered ground surface and the necessary clearance to the landmarked walls of the existing Milk Market.

At the peak of the membrane structure is a 2.50m circular opening, bordered by a steel ring. The steel ring is suspended from the mast using 12 hanger cables. In order to reduce the relative deformations between the mast and the steel ring due to wind, 12 stiffening spokes are arranged between the mast and the steel ring. The mast base point is set on a freely rotating bearing. Due to the eccentric position of the mast, the resulting tension forces in the membrane are in equilibrium with the compression forces in the mast only when the mast stands at an angle. Utilizing an analytical form-finding method, the mast inclination in relation to the membrane geometry was calculated to be 4 degrees.

Four fully locked garland cables (ø45mm), spanning in-between the corner points, enclose the outer edge of the membrane. The individual dip of the respective edge cables were adjusted to suit the local condition, as well as ensuring that all cables are under equal load due to the various loading scenarios. The low points of the membrane at the corners were located significantly below the ridge line of the existing structure to visually situate the membrane roof inside the building. This also helps to protect the courtyard from wind. A tripod, consisting of two tension rods in combination with a compression strut inclined at 45 degrees located at the corners, serves to distribute the horizontal and vertical forces from the membrane. The compression strut is arranged, in plan, to serve as the bisecting line of the angle

of the garland cable. In order to keep from penetrating the landmark walls of the existing structure, and to maximize the covered ground surface, the two tension rods of the tripod each respectively run parallel to the existing building walls. The tension forces are transferred into the ground via micro-piles. The inclined compression struts have a diameter of 323.9mm. The bearing points of the compression struts are hinged and supported by cylindrical concrete footings, which also serve for impact protection.

To ensure that the stresses and deformations of the membrane stay within the acceptable range, a total of 12 supporting cables were required, which run radially between the steel ring at the peak and the outer edge. The supporting cables were designed using form finding and installed without tensioning, thereby ensuring the smooth upper surface of the membrane under self-weight and pre-tensioning. These cables only become active under wind or snow loading, at which point they are a part of the load transfer.

The welding seams of the membrane are aligned radially on geodetic lines from the peak to the edges. The slightly darker and therefore visible seams serve to make the curvature of the membrane clearly visible. Due to stress concentration, reinforcements are necessary along the peak, which were designed as a star-shaped double-layer membrane. The difference in translucence between the single-layer and the double-layer membrane create an appealing visualization of the load path.

The opening at the peak is rain-proofed through a cone shaped polycarbonate covering without losing the visual focus of an ‘open’ eye. Since the compression force in the mast has to be in equilibrium with the resulting tension forces in the membrane throughout all external loading scenarios, the mast can incline up to an additional 3.5 degrees. To allow for a hinged – and thereby free to rotate in all directions – support, a spherical ball detail was selected. To allow for the tight budget of the project, all spherical bearings of the edge struts and the main mast were designed to be identical. Thereby only one casting mould had to be created for all of the 5 bearing points of the compression elements.

(*) Christoph Paech and Rudolf Bergermann are engineers with Schlaich

Bergermann und Partner, www.sbp.de/en

5. The hoisting of the canopy, supervised by Schlaich Bergermann und Partner6. Tension rods run parallel to the existing walls7. The difference in translucence between the single and double-layer of the membrane creates a play of light

07


REPORT The project brief was to extend this end of terrace house in Dublin in order to provide a new kitchen and garden area. The existing protected structure consists of a centre hall, double fronted building with two well-proportioned rectilinear rooms at upper ground floor level. The rear elevation, as well as the plan, evolved out of a desire for the new extension to have a conversation with the existing house. While the prevailing response to the kitchen extension is to create a project that is insistently different, we believe a more powerful and challenging solution is possible through material, construction, and formal dialogue with the existing building.

Our ambition was to extend in a way which participated in the existing logic of the house as a collection of complete rooms around a stair by providing an additional well-proportioned room perpendicular to those existing. Here the extension’s deep façade is made with similar bricks, laid in the same bonding as the original house. Its open symmetry with the wider central bay plays off the closed symmetry of the rear wall of the house with its dominant central stair window. The new room was to be contiguous with the level of the existing lower ground floor which left a slender wafer of space beneath the window sills of the existing reception

rooms. The step in ceiling height from the existing into the new extension is articulated in the exposed steel angle which rings the new room as a structural cornice line, making explicit the structural intervention into the existing structure. Above this line, the exposed American Douglas Fir joists are tightly spaced to allow for an extremely slender structural build up. Below this line, the room is lined with white-stained birch veneer that adds depth and variation to the wall surfaces, as well as white terrazzo floors and counters.

A thick colonnaded façade creates a deep threshold space to the garden, framing the view and inviting passage. The clients’ request for a timber screen for the winter months resulted in the central columns being pushed into the room to pick up the structural cornice and allowing the retractable shutters to slide between the outer and inner columns. These shutters, which were CNC routed with a Penrose pattern, create a dialogue between a delicate ornamental timber ‘curtain’ and an austere brick structure that is transformed from four to two columns as they close. The white lining and terrazzo floors are drawn outside through the use of white herringbone brick in the courtyard, while the Douglas fir ceiling is reflected in the external screens and the bespoke table, designed by the architect, is in the same material.

ARCHITECTS - Ryan W. Kennihan Architects

Ryan Kennihan, Ronan Costelloe

STRUCTURAL/CIVIL ENGINEERS - Brunner Consulting

MAIN CONTRACTOR - Dermot Paul Construction

PHOTOGRAPHER - Alice Clancy

Location - Dublin, IrelandProject Size - 38m2

Project Duration - 12 months

EMERGING ARCHITECTURE SANDYMOUNT TERRACE

01 02

03

1. The new extension conducts a formal dialogue with the house2/3/5. The structural intervention has been made explicit in the interior through the exposed roof joints4. The colonnaded facade features an integrated timber screen6. Shutters are decorated with a delicate Penrose pattern

46|47 Architecture Ireland 25354|55 Architecture Ireland 259

Rear elevation and plan

Section

A timber screen for the winter months provides an element of surprise when unfolded

04 06

05

2011 Irish Architecture Award‘Best Emerging Practice’

PRODUCT GALLERY NEWS

Irish Design Surprises at Budapest Design Week (1)A table with hurleys for legs, a dress designed by an up-and-coming Irish fashion designer loved by Lady Gaga, and a state-of-the art 3D printer that uses ordinary A4 paper were represented Ireland in a prestigious international design festival in Budapest from 1 to 9 October. Having helped to create Dublin’s bid for World Design Capital, Bob Gray and architect Emma Curley were asked by Budapest Design Week to curate Ireland’s contribution to their headline exhibition. Budapest Design week 2011 saw 60,000+ visitors enjoy THE COLOURS OF EUROPE IN OBJECTS, an exhibition created to showcase Europe’s innovative elite in the now global design autumn design season. Curley and Gray believe that design starts with the user’s perspective, visualises clear goals, solves complex problems and prototypes solutions in context. “It is not simply about developing an

aesthetic or making a statement, it is a process you use to create value and change, explains RIAI architect Emma Curley. “Our approach to the Budapest Design Week exhibition was to choose objects that relate to our strengths of conversation, storytelling, empathy, humour, observation, connection and optimism”, adds Bob Gray.www.emmacurley.comwww.redandgreydesign.ie

Sustainable Student Residences by JJ Rhatigan & Company (2/3)JJ Rhatigan & Company have been leaders in the educational construction sector for over five decades and have recently completed the Roebuck Castle Student Residences at Belfield UCD. The project comprises of a six-storey new residential student block consisting of 12 apartments with support facilities. This

exemplary sustainable standard building is constructed to ‘Passive House’ guidelines achieving A3 BER and an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating. The award winning Best Sustainable Project 2011 is part of a large portfolio of high quality educational projects. Additional projects in this portfolio, recently completed by JJ Rhatigan & Company include the Tierney Building University of Limerick; UCD Merville Student Accommodation; NUIG An Bialann; NUIG Podiatry Extension; GMIT Marine Laboratory; Sligo IT Information Technology Building; Sligo IT Library Extension; JFK Memorial School; Borrisokane Community School; and Salerno Secondary School.

For further information see www.jjrhatigan.ie, Email [email protected].

01 02 03

Leaders in Lead since 1850

• Manufacturers of Rolled Sheet Lead (Isen 12588:2006)• Stockists of VM Zinc and Luvata Copper for roofing and cladding

• Also distributors of Zinc and Copper rainwater systems

Ph: +353 1 4573240 | Fax: +353 1 4573832

www.metalprocessors.ieEmail: [email protected]



Floorlink - Printed Vinyl Flooring by Forbo (1)Created in partnership with printed space, Floorlink is a revolutionary printed vinyl flooring that presents a dramatic and bespoke opportunity to create one off flooring designs that are the focal points for interiors. Architects and designers are able to choose from thousands of images that are licensed and ready to be reproduced, or design your own floor with your own choice of images. Whatever the type, size, scale or complexity of design, Floorlink delivers pin sharp and vivid images as a result of six colour, 600dpi (high resolution) digital printing. For more information on Floorlink, call T 01 289 8898 or visit www.forbo-flooring.ie

AMS – Aluminium Extrusion Press (2)Only twelve months have passed since AMS installed its first 1800 tonne aluminium extrusion press and already it has proven to be a huge success. The extrusion service has helped customers to improve deliveries and meet tight deadlines, which are part and parcel of today’s production programmes. Furthermore, the company has developed products that are unique to AMS and are now also helping other companies to grow and expand their product range with detailed design input and quick to market solutions. AMS are now supplying extrusion to new industries such as low energy lighting, renewable energy, ladders, goal posts and the automotive industry, to mention a few. If aluminium sections are part of your business then we at AMS can provide you with an unrivalled service for the supply of quality extruded aluminium sections. www.ams.ie

Kilsaran’s External Wall Insulation (3)Savings on energy bills, keeping warmer throughout the winter months and a government grant of e4,000 per home has stimulated demand for external wall insulation (EWI). Concrete products specialist Kilsaran are now distributing Henkel’s Ceresit-Ceretherm Express System in Ireland after signing an agreement with Henkel’s UK & Ireland distribution partner, BSIL. The system has NSAI Agrément approval. The standard insulated render systems currently available from Kilsaran are Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) in platinum and white, Phenolic and Mineral Wool. The Ceresit-Ceretherm base coats, alkaline resistant mesh, primers, top-coat renders and paints are also suitable for direct application onto approved cement carrier board, concrete, brick and block masonry and existing render.

The Express system offers very fast installation of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) which can reduce installation time by five days. Whether new build or refurbishment, the Ceresit-Ceretherm EWI systems have been designed to thermally insulate buildings, irrespective of their size, location, technical

requirements and age. The systems also have numerous other advantages including helping to eliminate thermal bridging. The system is also ideally suited for use on Insulated Concrete Formwork (ICF) construction.

All Ceresit-Ceretherm externally insulated facade systems are seamless and totally weather resistant but they will freely permit the transmission of moisture vapour from within the building fabric. The Ceresit-Ceretherm System offers a large portfolio of renders and paint finishes, all with different textures, grain sizes and an extensive range of colours (over 200) providing unlimited design options. In addition to these design options, Kilsaran has developed a range of dash receivers at its pre-mixed dry products manufacturing facility in Brownstown , County Kildare, for use with the system.

For more information email [email protected], log on at www.kilsaran.ie, call (0)45 480 620 or drop in to see the EWI display in Kilsaran’s showroom in Dunboyne, Co. Meath.

New KCC Architectural Branches in London and Qatar (4)KCC Architectural, the leading supplier of integrated Architectural products and services to the construction industry has expanded its business abroad due to the down turn in construction activity in Ireland. KCC’s Managing Director, Chris Kilpatrick is well aware that taking the company on to the international market will not be an easy ride and the company will have to compete on price, product, quality and availability, however he is happy that he has appointed the right sales people in both markets; the most essential ingredient for success overseas. Peter Hutchins has been appointed Business Development Manager for the London Branch and Paul Barry formerly of Architectural Hardware has been appointed Business Development Manager for our operation in Qatar.

Last month KCC was awarded a £450,000 contract for the fit out of the Media/Communications building at the Olympic site in London, this will bring our sales close to £1 Million for our first 12 months in operation. In addition to its branches overseas KCC has also supplied contracts in Scotland, Russia and Turkey. Steady progress in heavy seas best describes KCCs current trading position in Ireland and while we cannot change the wind we have adjusted our sails to cope best with the prevailing market conditions in Ireland, while looking overseas for growth. KCC envisage that 50% of their turnover will be achieved outside Ireland by 2015. www.kccarchitectural.com

01 02 04

03

HOW TO MEET SHORT BIDDING TIMESCALES

COMMERCIAL FEATURE GRAPHISOFT CASE STUDY: BIM IN ARCHITECTURE

Construction is now a global industry. Companies involved in major international building projects harness the expertise of architects, designers and engineers around the world, and site their offices to support both overseas and local demand. Architecture practices in the process of internationalisation need to consider how they can share information worldwide on a 24 hour basis. Companies need to re-evaluate their working processes and adopt collaborative solutions that enable colleagues to communicate with each other as simply and as rapidly as if they were sitting at the next desk.

This was the problem faced by Sheffield-based Bond Bryan Architects, which had opened a second office in Westerham, Kent as well as in Kuwait. As the company has based all of its Building Information Modelling (BIM) capabilities on Graphisoft ArchiCAD, the obvious solution was to implement ArchiCAD Teamwork, which would enable architects in each office to share BIM models, drawings and other documents – both from ArchiCAD and, if necessary, from other applications.

Before implementing Teamwork throughout the organisation, they wanted to ensure that it would be suitable, as Rob Jackson, BIM Systems Manager at Bond Bryan, pointed out: “We wanted to see if it worked, if it was fast enough, and what issues its implementation would raise”. It was decided that the best way to do this would be to have a trial project, based in the Westerham office, rather than in Kuwait, where immediate trouble-shooting would be more difficult at this early stage of Teamwork adoption. A real project, the Bedford Academy, was chosen for the trial. There was another, and rather pressing, imperative. Academy projects tend to have extremely short bidding timescales – a mere six weeks to produce a co-ordinated and documented project – and it was vital that the system should be both quick to set up, and capable of quickly improving the efficiency of work processes.

The Bedford AcademyBedford Academy was designed as a co-educational and comprehensive Academy, taking in students from 11 to 18 years, and specialising in science and technology. It is based on a ‘hub and spoke’ design that exemplifies the ‘spatial relationships’ between each of the Academy’s elements – communal hall and dining areas, and an Independent Learning Centre, surrounded by learning environments in ‘the spokes’. Surmounting the two stories, and a prominent feature of the Academy, is the Science and Technology penthouse, ‘floating above the 2-storey accommodation, giving it grandeur and status’.

The Community Hub has a cutting edge design – a triple height atrium, flooded with daylight, and with double height glazing opening out onto the school’s extensive grounds, and featuring an impressive Lecture Theatre and exclusive Sixth Form pods.

Implementing TeamworkIt was decided that the first week into the project should be spent on setting out the working relationship between the two offices, teaching staff how to use the system (which turned out to be very simple), and categorising each element of the Academy. All of the design work was carried out using ArchiCAD, but some of the structural engineering work was done in AutoCAD and was then modelled directly in the ArchiCAD BIM model to ensure co-ordination.

A significant effort was put into preparing, setting up and building the model of the Academy. The model included all key architectural components, but features such as furniture, stairs and even the steel frame were referenced in due to their source or because elements were replicated throughout the model. In this way, model sizes were optimised, and communication bottlenecks avoided. Architects could log in rapidly, access the information they required, and using Teamwork’s integral messaging service release information, reserve model segments and talk

through modifications and other issues with their colleagues.

Once the model was built, as Rob explained, ‘resource requirements reduced dramatically and could be re-allocated flexibly to other projects, and for the Academy the BIM model provided the ability to extract visuals and documentation quickly, and as and when required’. The start of the project actually suffered an early setback. A burglary at the Westerham office deprived Bond Bryan of a large number of workstations. Because Teamwork was already in place, and with data still on the main server, the project was back on track within 48 hours.

A critical part of the Teamwork implementation was the ‘Hub’. Not the Hub of the Academy, but the intranet repository used by Bond Bryan Architects to share data and standards, and which provides the authoritative definition for file naming, standard report formats, the company’s Health and Safety policies and other administrative tasks – and which defines the company’s ethos and working processes.

ConclusionRob says that Bond Bryan Architects are now confident to use Teamwork on any of their projects, both here and abroad, but proving it on Bedford Academy was a necessary learning step. “Such projects are done at risk – there is no guarantee that they will be won – and we have to have a balance between overdoing the bid and providing a good, co-ordinated design. We’ve proved that Teamwork allows us to manage our workforce in a more flexible way, and utilise our skills in a more effective way – wherever they are”.

For further information on GRAPHISOFTproducts, contact Martin Reddington, [email protected] T 01 8721766.or visit www.graphisoft.com


Tata Steel Shoots and Scores (1)Tata Steel recently launched Colorcoat Prisma® pre-finished steel for rainscreens at an event in Catton Hall, Cheshire. The launch featured presentations on the advantages of pre-finished steel, as a less expensive alternative to traditional rainscreens. The presentations highlighted a current aluminium focused market, however in current cost focused times, steel is a more affordable option. Offering excellent flatness levels for façade panels due to its 1.2mm thickness and robustness to both the internal microclimate and external environment. Colorcoat Prisma® by Tata Steel uses a unique Galvalloy® metallic coating, providing unrivalled corrosion protection, and features a high build robust paint system, on both the weather side, and reverse of the steel to deal with the humid atmosphere created between the rainscreen and the building wall. Accredited BES 6001 responsible sourcing standard, the only pre-finished steel manufacturer to be awarded this, and in BREEAM means when Colorcoat® material is specified; the maximum available points under the responsible sourcing category can be achieved. As well as traditional solid and metallic colours, Tata Steel offer matt shades as standard providing less glare, examples of these were available at the event and generated a lot of interest, showing there is no need to compromise aesthetics with a steel rainscreen. Colorcoat Prisma® for rainscreens is backed by a 25 year weather side guarantee, so the finish will look as good as the day it was installed for years to come. For more information visit www.colorcoat-online.com/rainscreen.

TECHNAL PARTNERS WITH THE GUGGENHEIM BILBAO (2)Architectural aluminium façade specialist, Technal, has been announced as a corporate partner of the Guggenheim Museum Foundation in Bilbao. This latest affiliation is part of Technal’s commitment to creating strategic partnerships that reflect its passion for architecture, design, creativity and innovation. Acclaimed as one of the most important buildings of its time, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was designed by Frank Gehry. With more than 90 exhibitions showcasing contemporary art and over 10 million visitors to date, the Guggenheim in Bilbao is credited with changing the way the world thinks about museums, and it continues to challenge assumptions about the connections between art and architecture. By supporting the Guggenheim in Bilbao via the corporate programme, Technal is demonstrating its commitment to culture and is helping this important, iconic museum meet its ambitious long-term goals. Technal is one of Europe’s market leaders in the design, manufacture and distribution of high performance aluminium glazing solutions, and is currently celebrating 50 years of innovation in façade design. It offers an innovative range of façade products, including curtain walling, doors, windows and low rise glazing systems, and has a network of approved, trained fabricators and installers in Ireland. Technal is now active in more than 70 countries and has operations in China, India, the Middle East, Morocco, South America, and South East Asia as well as across Europe. Its Irish headquarters is based in Dublin. www.technal.ie

Farrell Celebrate 50 Years in Business (3)Established in November 1961, Farrell has been in business now for fifty years. Over that period of time Farrell have built a reputation for quality workmanship and integrity in our dealings with our clients. As Ireland’s largest indigenous manufacturer of office furniture and with a sophisticated logistics platform at our disposal they continue to re-invest in their product, people and processes. Farrell pride themselves on the strength of relationships that they have developed with customers since 1961 and recognise that good, attentive and effective service has been the cornerstone of their success. Farrell have recently redeveloped their showrooms at their base in Ardee, County Louth and now have an ideal facility to demonstrate some new and exciting products. The newly designed Farrell website also gives a flavour of the capabilities of the company and provides an overview of some of the exciting projects recently completed at home and overseas. Farrell have a series of events planned to mark their 50th year in business and hope to see customers in Ardee over the next 12 months as they unveil a new product mix and strategy for the exciting years ahead. www.farrelloffice.com

Irish Agrement Certification for Seal Systems Ireland Ltd. (4)Seal Systems Ireland Ltd. have been awarded the first Irish Agrement Certification for a seamless spray-able polyurea waterproofing membrane with over 25 years life expectancy, manufactured by BASF Polyurethanes. Seal Systems Ireland Ltd have been leaders in multiple waterproofing solutions for over 20 years. The fundamental philosophy is offering solutions that are futuristic in terms of maximum performance and simplicity. Their BASF Elastocoat 6335 is an unmatched solution for waterproofing concrete roofs, bridge decks, podiums, car parks and basements. The mechanical strength will bridge gaps that are impossible with many other products on the market. Seal systems firmly believe that the overwhelming amount of roofing membranes, which depend upon seams and joints, require perfect conditions on site, which are largely the cause of endemic failure. Seal Systems Ireland, headed by Ray Brennan, decided some years ago that it was imperative going forward to have Irish Agrement Certification on their Elastocoat 6335 polyurea, as failure is just about always down to application control on site. It is also important to note that BBA certification does not cover Irish applications in Ireland. High performing products like Elastocoat 6335 can be easily seen as real value money-saving in the overall life span of the building project. Seal Systems believe that designers and specifiers will see this option of a seamless high performance membrane to be a big bonus in their pursuit of a sustainably waterproof building structure with Irish Agrement Approval.www.sealsystems.ie

02 03 0401


You’re thinkingtruly sustainable flooring


Your thoughts. Our knowhow.Marmoleum. 12 independent Eco-Labels and BRE A/A+ ratings.For more information visit www.forbo-flooring.ieor contact us on (01) 289 8898.

creating better environments

www.forbo-flooring.ie

We’re thinking

97% natural raw materials, 70% rapidly renewable & 40% recycled content

The flax flower that produces linseed oil used in the manufacture of marmoleum

07066_Sustainability_07066 Arch Ireland 10/08/2011 13:26 Page 1


DESIGN BLOG

Design and Drawing: Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec October saw the opening of the first major retrospective of the work of prolific and influential French product designers Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, in the Centre Pompidou-Metz in north-east France. The exhibition is entitled Bivouac, meaning a temporary encampment, and as such the gallery space will be inhabited by the Bouroullec’s work until July 2012. As much a testament to the brothers’ immensely accomplished designs, the exhibition is also an insight into the process employed by the designers, with finished products shown alongside prototypes, and mass-produced objects paired with those which have been hand-crafted.

Another interesting element of the show which is further explored in an iPad app produced to accompany Bivouac is the display of the brothers’ drawings. More elusive than the ubiquitous architectural drawing, drawings by designers are often hidden away and forgotten about, or not for public consumption. In his manual Drawing for Designers author Alan Pipes writes that though they are “more than mere instructions on how to make objects”, designer’s drawings can often be “a private and hidden art, the marks on paper treated merely as a means to an end”. In many ways, the various types of drawings made by designers are a means to an end, be they tools for the communication of an idea to a client or manufacturer or technical illustrations to instruct the end user on the finished product, but drawings are also an incredibly important method of designing itself – formulating ideas, exploring forms or finding solutions to the problem at hand. In Understanding Design, designer and writer Kees Dorst instructs the designer to embrace “...not so much the brilliant execution of complete images, but the production of ugly little sketches that will help you think about your design. The kind of images that only you will understand”.

Far from ugly though, the drawings of Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec are beautiful, charming and full of character, and their iPad app entitled Cercles is a fantastic way of exploring their drawings, using the iPad’s high resolution and touchscreen functionality to great effect. Concurrently, and perhaps coincidentally, a sketch book of illustrations and drawings by another contemporary design icon, Karim Rashid, has recently been published by FRAME. Where the Bouroullec’s drawings are imbued with the same playful quirkiness of their products, Rashid’s drawings hold all the curvaceous confidence you would expect. Sketch shows an extensive collection of Rashid’s own concept drawings along with some digital artworks to give a real sense of the place drawing and illustrating holds in Rashid’s practice.

To see behind the veil of highly finished presention drawings to the rough and ready sketches of designers such as Rashid and the Bouroullecs provides a snapshot of the question-asking, the problem-solving and the playful creativity that goes into the design of an object. There is something raw and honest about the drawings presented in Rashid’s book and the Bouroullec’s app, and they are wonderfully expressive of the vigour and energy by which the creative process is driven.www.centrepompidou-metz.frwww.bouroullec.com/ipadwww.framemag.com

UrbanizedThe accomplished last part in filmmaker Gary Hustwit’s design trilogy – Urbanized – had its Irish premiere recently in The Sugar Club, Dublin. The film, which explores how and why we design cities, was screened by The Small Print in association with the Irish Architecture Foundation and OFFSET2012 and was followed by a lively panel discussion featuring Hustwit, Dublin City Planner Dick Gleeson, engineer and Director of Arup, Rory McGowan and others. To find future screenings, visit www.urbanizedfilm.com

Surface Tension at the Science GalleryRunning until 20 January, Surface Tension is the latest exhibition in Science Gallery which explores our relationship to water and the dichotomy between its seemingly infinite supply and yet the small proportion of it available for human consumption. Artists, designers, engineers and scientists explore the future of water, in terms of its physical properties, its metaphoric meaning, its role in economics and more. www.sciencegallery.com

OFFSET2012Dublin’s creative festival returns from 9 – 11 March 2012, when more than 25 world-class designers, photographers and illustrators present their work in Grand Canal Theatre. Along with international practitioners such as Michael Beirut of Pentagram and Stefan Sagmeister, you will see presentations from top-notch local creatives such as animator Johnny Kelly, photographer Rich Gilligan and designers Conor & David. Early bird tickets are available for a limited time from www.iloveoffset.com


Aideen McCole really likes design, architecture and the arts. Often this means writing a blog such as this new column for Architecture Ireland.

1. Cercles iPad app, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec

2. Sketches by Karim Rashid in Sketch

3. Bivouac exhibition, Centre Pompidou-Metz,

Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec

You’re thinkingtruly sustainable flooring


Your thoughts. Our knowhow.Marmoleum. 12 independent Eco-Labels and BRE A/A+ ratings.For more information visit www.forbo-flooring.ieor contact us on (01) 289 8898.

creating better environments

www.forbo-flooring.ie

We’re thinking

97% natural raw materials, 70% rapidly renewable & 40% recycled content

The flax flower that produces linseed oil used in the manufacture of marmoleum

07066_Sustainability_07066 Arch Ireland 10/08/2011 13:26 Page 1


FAREWELLBy Klaus Unger, Architect, Office of Public Works

When I was a boy, my dad used to tell me stories about his attendance at the Olympic Games in August 1936 in his home city of Berlin, together with his Norwegian pal Dagfinn who had come to stay for a holiday with the family. It was an event in his life which shortly afterwards would change dramatically.

In July 2012 the Olympics will be staged in London and maybe I’ll try and get there – but in any event my life will also have changed considerably – I will by then have retired from architectural service with the OPW.

As part of the UCD graduating class of ‘69, I and some of my pals spent the first seven years working and studying in London, Amsterdam, Vienna, Oslo and later back again in Dublin, getting to know the world as much as clocking up professional experience. It was great fun!

And then the OPW. “Oh dear!” – A whole commitment and career stretching out in front of me. However, married, mortgage (-17% interest rates!!), and maturing, I jumped into my role, determined to make a go of it. And I was lucky!! Very lucky! Things were starting to move in the late ‘70s – public investment in development was beginning after being in the doldrums throughout the post-war 50s and 60s. I stayed, and for the next 20 years I ran to keep up! The excitement mixed with dedication and purposefulness was totally fulfilling. I was fully committed to making my contribution to the programme of improving the public realm and to public service. What a buzz!! I knew I was in the right place at the right time and by the time of the millennium celebrations, I was actively participating in so many high-profile projects, which the State was anxious to pursue in its rush to catch up on the rest of the EU – I felt on top of the world!

And then came the Budget Speech of the 4th December 2003 and the announcement of Decentralisation – including the splitting up and relocation of OPW to Trim, Kanturk and Claremorris.

Boy oh boy! Did that change everything! On top of which came increased and new regulations, new procurement rules and forms of contracts, new procedures, and new standards. “Out with the old and in with the new!” Why? For what? “Change is good” was the mantra! “Some people (meaning YOU!) find change difficult” said the sages with mock sympathy! Oh really!

By the time the Financial Crisis struck in 2008 and the country had slid into bankruptcy over the next 24 months, it was evident that most resources for development would dry up. The game was over. Fin, finito, and back to the ‘50s! Or maybe not? Who knows? As I look back on a career, often run at breathtaking pace, I feel fortunate to have been a part of a service that had ideals, was forward looking, and always had the public good at heart. Sure I have some regrets, but on balance it was a good race. Sharing Wright’s view (London 1939) that architecture, to be meaningful, embodies “the spirit of man” expressed from a position in time, and passed on to future generations, I’m fairly happy that in my time I both contributed to and facilitated others to make some architectural statements which can be regarded as demonstrating the ‘spirit’ of Ireland at the end of the 20th century and into the 21st.

Lets hope that we can find in London next July, evidence of the Olympic Spirit which is “to build a peaceful and better world which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play”.

Goodbye. K.U.

Grafton Architects Honoured with Sean Shanahan PrintGrafton Architects were presented at the RIAI Annual Conference on 23 October with two prints by artist Sean Shanahan, based on their acclaimed Bocconi University, Milan, for their achievement in winning the 2009 World Architecture Prize. The prints were commissioned by John Meager on behalf of the Irish Architects Benevolent Society and are available for purchase from the IABS at a cost of e900 for both prints. Fine art publishing and editioning house, Stoney Road Press, has produced the prints.For further info contact Derek Dockrell, [email protected], M 086 8205788. The Architects Benevolent Society also raised over e2,000 at the RIAI Annual Conference.

Klaus Unger, recently photographed at Earlsfort Terrace.

Email: [email protected]

IN PRACTICE BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING Do You Have a BIM Strategy? By Ralph Montague


In May 2011, the UK Government published their Construction Strategy [1], which included plans to make Building Information Modelling (BIM) mandatory on public projects by 2016. This decision stems from recommendations from the “Innovation and Growth Team” – set up by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), and led by Chief Construction Advisor to the UK Government, Paul Morrell – which published a report in 2010 to review the construction Industry capability to deliver “Low Carbon Construction” [2]. Recognising that the Government was a major client in the construction sector, with significant influence to promote positive change, the UK Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), had set-up a BIM working group in spring 2010 to look at the construction and post-occupancy benefits of BIM for use in the UK building and infrastructure markets. The working group drew in representatives from the construction sector, its client base and software suppliers, and produced the BIS BIM Strategy Report [3], a plan to increase the adoption of BIM over a five year period, to deliver a structured Government and Construction Sector capability, and improve the performance of the Government estate in terms of its cost, value and carbon performance.

There is no doubt that BIM is “coming down the tracks”, and as architects we need to decide how we are going to respond. We are already seeing tender documentation in Ireland specifying a “BIM requirement or deliverable”. How do architects respond to this in their submissions? Can they adequately demonstrate a BIM capability through previous project work, or certified BIM training of key staff, or available software/hardware systems?

The key action for every architect in practice is to develop a BIM strategy of their own. Even if your strategy is “to do nothing”, at least understand what BIM is; what are the implications and the risks of your “do nothing” strategy. In the time it takes you to download and read the 100 page UK BIM Strategy document, you could be two years ahead in your understanding of BIM and the key issues that need to be addressed, without spending any money.

While the results are not officially published, the recent RIAI BIM Survey carried out in June 2011, indicates that only 16% of respondents are using BIM, while 53% realise that BIM will be central to the practice of architecture in the future. The current adoption rate is very low, considering the McGraw Hill Construction Report in 2009

[4], which indicated a 49% adoption in the US, while their 2010 report [5], indicates a 36% adoption rate in the UK, France and Germany. If our profession in Ireland is going to remain relevant in the international market of professional services, we need to get to the 50% adoption rate of BIM as soon as possible. We need to make a commitment to the BIM process, and develop policy, procedures, standards and practice guides that support the use of BIM.

The RIAI practice committee for BIM has been working hard to try and assist in this process, and make sure that architects remain at the leading edge of the development of BIM in Ireland. A number of key initiatives have already been carried out this year, to support RIAI members:• The RIAI BIM Survey, to determine members’ level of commitment and particular needs.• The RIAI BIM Open Days, held on 15 April and 21 June, providing over 200 architects with four hours of BIM. presentations/demonstrations, from the main software vendors.• RIAI Free Training - 2 free training days on BIM software, for about 150 architects, to allow key representatives from companies investigate BIM in more depth.• RIAI Low-cost Training Offer for 2011 - an arrangement with all the training providers in Ireland for 3-days training at a consistent cost of e300/person.• The RIAI BIM Workshops, (1-4 November) showcased a fully collaborative design team of industry consultants, working on a primary school design project with the Department of Education and Skills. The team explored and investigated some of the BIM software tools and processes available, to assess the potential benefits to the design process. The OPW acted as official observers to the Workshop. Members of the construction industry dropped into the workshop during the week, to see “BIM in Action”. The full team reported back at a presentation at the RIAI on the 9 November. The workshop aim was to showcase BIM as a more efficient and effective way for project teams to collaborate, promoting a higher level of understanding and adoption of BIM within the profession and construction industry.

The move to BIM is undoubtedly a big challenge for architects in an industry that is experiencing its 50th consecutive month of decline. We’ve been hit by a “double whammy” – for 10 years we were too busy to keep up with these developments in process and technology, and for the last 3 years, we haven’t had enough work to justify or support an investment in training, software and hardware. But we can’t afford to see the challenge as “insurmountable” or use this as an excuse not to change. This will only leave us further behind. As architects, we have the creative ability to find solutions to these challenges, and as a body, the RIAI has significant influence to get support to promote change. We need to work together, embrace change, exercise our creative ability and influence and assert a new relevancy, not only to address our current economic situation and survival, but also to remain competitive in the global market.

Ralph Montague BArch MRIAI is Chairman RIAI Practice Committee for Building Information Modelling and can be contacted at E [email protected]

(1) www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/GovernmentConstruction- Strategy.pdf(2) www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/business-sectors/docs/l/10-1266-low-carbon- construction-igt-final-report.pdf(3) https://ktn.innovateuk.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=6842e020-20df- 4449-8817-08ce2ba9ef7c&groupId=68909 (4) http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/final_2009_bim_smartmarket_report.pdf (5) http://images.autodesk.com/adsk/files/business_value_of_bim_in_europe_ smr_final.pdf

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

TIL Arc Ire Ad.pdf 01/11/2011 14:17:57


BOOK REVIEWS

Review by Miriam Fitzpatrick“Make no little plans” said the Chicago city architect, Daniel Burnham, a reflection of his era when comprehensive, large-scale city planning was much admired. But as cities these days are consolidating more than growing, in the West at least, so the search for quality has overtaken the need for expansion. The shelves of urban publications are beginning to be backfilled by a new genre documenting incremental change into which the recent publication of Small Scale, Creative Solutions for Better City Living slots.

With the help of this small paperback, we can indulge in a broad range of projects that add “beauty, charm and wit into the urban scene”. The book loosely subdivides fifty projects into three types ‘Service, Insight and Delight’ which capture a visual survey of international examples of socially motivated design practice from New York to Niigata. From front to back, it is graphically arresting. Yet the book lacks real depth and critical analysis; descriptions are too short and too promotional.

The range covered is testimony to the commitment and inventiveness of a diversity of designers to the social life of cities. But this makes the lack of critique all the more disappointing. From such an expanding project base, criteria for selection are vital to making sense of the field. More commentary on patronage especially between self-generated, entrepreneurial projects and more publically commissioned, infrastructural ones would be a useful differentiation and some social analysis of the impact of the projects or critique of the change cause by the interventions would help measure their contribution to alleged “better city living”.

In conclusion, this is a good introduction to the subject, a prescient scan of “do-able”, “playful” and “entrepreneurial” projects, but you may need to look elsewhere if you need more depth that is contained in a well-illustrated catalogue.

All books are available from the RIAI bookshop

Review by Jennifer O’DonnellThe principles of green design are now well established as part of the architecture student’s curriculum. We learn our U-values and our thermal bridges but what the second edition of A Green Vitruvius communicates is a deeper understanding of green design and how this can be achieved by the student and practising architect. The authors are both highly skilled in their respective fields and with this wealth of knowledge between them, they have written a green design textbook, aimed at the student, where sustainable design is not an optional add-on, rather it is considered as a crucial part of the holistic design process from the first sketch to long after the architect’s job is done.

The book is assembled from four independent parts – ‘Process, Issues, Strategies and Elements’, while a fifth section, ‘Evaluation’, concludes the text. The first section, Process, is possibly the most useful, as it deals with the practicalities of how to implement green design into a build. It explains how to approach and convince a client, whose priorities are often low initial cost over the prolonged savings of sustainable architecture. Of particular use are a series of tables that function as checklists, outlining what should be discussed and resolved at every stage of the design – from initial talks with the client to supervision of the build and even as far as post-occupancy studies. Section two details the issues one must take into account before embarking on a green design. Optimised performance and environmental quality of a building now form part of a student’s studies from their first year in college and so this section is particularly useful for quick referencing of the issues that should be addressed (through the application of passive and active strategies outlined in later sections) in the design process for their achievement. The second half of the book identifies the strategies and elements and materials crucial to green design. The Strategies section is by far the largest and so possibly the most difficult to navigate, however it is rigorously detailed, giving information and advice on every single part of the building’s design from windows and walls to insulation, daylighting, renewable energies and everything in between.

If one improvement could be suggested, it would be the graphic quality of the publication, which could benefit from greater variation and attention. A Green Vitruvius focuses solely on one aspect of architectural quality-that of green design. The issues, however, are those which have occupied architects since the time of Vitruvius; light, space, construction, technology, site. The success of this book lies in its understanding that sustainable design is not a specialised field removed from the traditional practice of architecture. Rather it sees itself as part of the constant advancement of the profession in pursuit of the complete, holistic solution.

Small Scale, Creative Solutions for Better City LivingBy Keith Moskow and Robert Linn

Published by Princeton Architectural Press, New York.

A GREEN VITRUVIUSPrinciples and Practice of Sustainable Architectural Design (Second edition)By Vivienne Brophy and J. Owen Lewis

Published by Routledge

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

TIL Arc Ire Ad.pdf 01/11/2011 14:17:57

AI: What got you interested in architecture, where did you study and what did you do next? Stefanie: Judging by the amount of times my family reminds me of a floor plan I drew as a child of our intended family home with a colossal play area, I was probably destined for my path. After finishing an apprenticeship in business studies, I gave in to the lure of architecture and enrolled at the Fachhochschule Hannover in Germany. A Fulbright scholarship allowed me to complete a Master Degree in Architecture at the State University of New York. Returning to Dublin, I worked in Visualisation for Environmental Impact Statements before joining Kavanagh Tuite in 2004.

AI: Are there any differences between practicing architecture in Germany or Ireland?Stefanie: Besides the obvious legal, cultural and construction practice variations, the most notable difference would be the absence of differentiation between architects, quantity surveyors or technicians. In Germany, all work is done by architects.

AI: What was the most important or challenging aspect of seeing the Roebuck Student Residence through to completion? Stefanie: The support of the client UCD allowed us to push the project as far as we have. After this, the most important aspect was the continuous quality inspection of the construction in order to achieve the rigorous standards of air tightness and thermal performance that we had set for

the building. Most challenging though was the use and implementation of the new government contract and its consequences.

AI: What type of building would you still like to design? Stefanie: As an architect’s skills are not limited to designing buildings, a contemporary small town to medieval proportions sounds like a fun project. Small lanes, unaligned streetscapes and the resulting small open spaces have always attracted me. They make for an environment full of variety and things to discover. A multifunctional furniture suite is also on my bucket list.

AI: Which building would you like to see ‘unbuilt’ (i.e. demolished)?Stefanie: The office building and open space beside City Hall at the corner of Dame Street and Palace Street. I pass it on a regular basis and every time it baffles me.

AI: What is the most important object in your to day-to-day work? Stefanie: If I hadn’t got my hands and my head no object would be important. The two are my greatest treasure.

AI: What exhibitions have you recently seen? Stefanie: London Design Week is an annual event in my calendar with more to see than you can shake a stick at. I like the unexpected and the surprising. My favourite regulars are the Tent and Origin exhibitions which have plenty of both.

AI: What books do you read? Stefanie: I usually have several on the go at any one time. At the moment: The Lady of the Rivers, Philippa Gregory, her latest historic novel set at the time of the Cousin’s War; BIM Content Development, Standards, Strategies and Best Practice, Robert S. Weygant, it does what it says on the tin; Flatland, Edwin A. Abbott, a square’s geometrical adventure with three dimensions, I am struggling with this one…

AI: In which architect-designed house would you like to spend a weekend? Stefanie: Not all interesting things are designed by architects. Staying in James May’s Lego house would have been a memorable experience. It’s too late for that now, I missed my chance. One day would probably have been enough though unless you like permanent Lego imprints on your skin.

AI: What has been the most memorable aspect of working in Ireland?Stefanie: The current crisis.

AI: What would you have become if you hadn’t become an architect? Stefanie: Most likely I would have stayed with business management, but ask me at a more fanciful moment and I’d say a travelling crafts(wo)man, learning all crafts under the sun, from glass blowing in Venice to making bamboo screens in Korea.

10 QUESTIONS for Stefanie Borms

1. National Lottery Offices (Photo by Paul Tierney)2. London Design Week 20113. Stefanie Borms

01 02 03

Wallingstown, Little Island, Co. Cork, Ireland.Ph. +353 21 4705100 Fx. +353 4705198 www.ams.ieAMS Video Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE3WCo7Hqv0

Registration No. 152777

We wanted to cover every conceivable combination remarks sales director, PatO’Hara, and to achieve what we did with this window design helps to reinforce thebelief at AMS that TS 66 is one of the best performing windows available to themarket today. We were so confident in the system that we pushed the repeatedopening and closing test from 10,000 to 20,000 cycles achieving a category 3 status.The system is now part of the BM Trada quality ‘Q’ mark scheme and also meets allthe requirements of secure by design. In the past, we have tested the systemto1050pa for both air and water, which is well beyond any standard, but to achievea rating of 600Pa for air / water and 2400 Pa wind resistance on such a largewindow is a huge achievement. The safety pressure alone of 3600 Pa is a very highstandard to meet for any window system, and is the equivalent of a 166 mph gustof wind.

The system energy performance coupled with high level security, durability and costeffectiveness makes TS66 one of the market leaders not only in Ireland but in theUK as well. This proves that testing not only at independent accreditedorganisations, but also in house at Little Island in Cork, is a valuable and essentialpart of our day to day business.

TS66 Energy window system passes toughestexaminations with flying colours.

This summer AMS under took a very tough testing regime at Chilterndynamics in the UK. The TS 66 window system underwent a physicalexamination not commonly seen in our industry, and came through withtop class honours. The testing that was carried out was not unusual becauseof the performance achieved, but it was the size and design of the testsample that caught the attention of the UK based test house.

The window presented to Chiltern dynamic’s was an internally beaded1950mm wide x 2200mm high window, which consisted of a very large tophung, a very large side hung and two large fixed lights. The system wastested to BS 6375 Part 1 - weather tightness, BS 6375 Part 2 - operation andstrength and BS 7950 enhanced security performance. To make matterseven more interesting this window was fully internally beaded.

AMS FULL PAGE ADVERT_Layout 1 03/11/2011 15:29 Page 1

AlphaFlo is an alpha hemi-hydrate self-levelling floor screed. Because it has a more advanced composition than conventional screeds it reacts quickly with water which ultimately gives a considerably faster setting time. This enables following trades to proceed without delay within as little as 6-8 hours after installation. AlphaFlo is resistant to subsequent wetting and therefore will not crack or swell. It can be applied in thicknesses from 20–90mm which results in a faster drying time leading to quicker installation of various floor finishes. AlphaFlo is available as part of our dry silo solution, Silomix™ or in 25Kg bags.

Get in Touch: +353 (0)45 480620 - www.kilsaran.ie

AlphaFlofor when you need floor speed

6-8HOURS

ideas taking shape

KN_Floor Screed Arch Ad_110511.indd 1 11/05/2011 09:44:14

ARCHITECTURE IRELAND

ARCH

ITECTURE IRELA

ND

259Roebuck Castle Student Residence - Kavanagh Tuite Architects

New

Housing and Sustainable Com

munities

Volume 5 - 2011

New Housing and Sustainable CommunitiesRoebuck Castle Student ResidenceSean Treacy HousingThe Milk MarketLessons from BarcelonaIrish Architecture Abroad

259E10 (INC VAT)

The Journal of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland

FALL ARREST SOLUTIONS

Supply only or supply and fitRoodsafe are the Market Leaders for Fall Arrest Solutions in Ireland

• N25 Cable Based Fall Arrest Systems EN 795• Vertical Rail Fall Arrest Systems EN 353• Free Standing Guardrail• Fabrication of Bespoke Access Ladders and Guardrail• PPE Supply• Testing of Fall Arrest SystemsTraining Courses• Height Safety Competent Person• Working at Height RegulationsSpecialist Division• Offshore Fall Arrest Systems – Design and Install• Lightning Protection Systems – Design and Install

Belfast Office:5 Cormac Avenue, The Gasworks, Belfast, BT7, Northern IrelandTel: 02890 44 76 39 Fax: 02890 44 76 45

CE approved toPPE directive

www.roodsafe.com

Carlow Office:Unit 4 Strawhall Business Park, Athy Road, Carlow.Tel: 059 9138042 Fax: 059 9143075 [email protected]

Offices in: Carlow - Belfast - Nottingham - Dubai - Worldwide Distribution

Solar Panel Fixing Technologywww.greenfix.com

document

Documents