The proposed Duke St / Anne St South Public Realm Improvement Scheme reached a significant milestone recently as it was granted Part 8 planning approval at the April meeting of the Dublin City Council. Reimagining Dublin’s primary retail core as a more welcoming, modern and beautiful space was the design intent. The design, developed by […]

Dublin City Council recently launched the results of a new digital twin project, examining different ways to future-proof its social housing stock. A digital twin is a virtual representation using real-time data, which can be used to simulate relationships between factors such as people, buildings and the environment. These virtual models have become a staple in […]

As part of the EPA Climate Change Lecture Series, City Architects were invited to present examples of our Climate Resilient Design Work at The Round Room at The Mansion House, Dublin on 19th April 2023. A lecture entitled ‘Ocean Circulation, Tipping Points and the Public Climate Debate’ by Professor Stefan Rahmstorf, Professor of Physics of the Oceans […]

DCC has recently completed a mixed use development on Dominick St Lower and residents have begun moving into the apartments. Dominick Hall represents the first phase of the long term ambition for the social, economic and environmental regeneration of the former flat complex and establishes the rules for future development on sites in this north […]

  Dublin City Council is seeking applicants for the post of Deputy City Architect and for Senior Executive Architect posts to join the team in City Architects Division in designing and managing construction of new and retrofitted homes, civic and historic buildings, public realm and urban design projects. The application process is being managed through […]

Designing housing regeneration projects involves bringing together many different issues: designing high densities; streetscape and urban scale; context and heritage as well as the over-riding brief of creating homes and community places. Sean Foster Place, named in memory of a child shot and killed on North King Street during the 1916 Rising, provides 30 new […]

Dublin City Council’s Environment & Transportation Dept has recently established an Active Travel Network Office to deliver a programme of improved walking and cycle infrastructure across the city. City Architects are excited to be a part of this multi-disciplinary team and look forward to collaborating with engineers, landscape architects and planners to help facilitate the modal shift from […]

The proposed redevelopment of the existing Constitution Hill Flats has reached a major mile stone as the Part 8 planning application for 124 homes has been lodged and can be viewed on: https://consultation.dublincity.ie/central-area/part-8-redevelopment-of-constitution-hill-flats-du/ Design Team Project Managers/Feasibility Masterplan City Architects Division, Dublin City Council Architects Grafton Architects Landscaping Brady Shipman Martin Structural & Civil Engineers ARUP M&E Services Engineers ARUP […]

This year’s annual architectural festival Open House will take place across the city from Friday 14th to Sunday 16th October.  It is a unique opportunity for citizens to explore, understand and re-discover the architecture of their city through over 150 free events and tours, including buildings not generally accessible to the public. This year Dublin […]

Public realm improvement works to Clarendon Row were proposed both as part of the Grafton Street Quarter Public Realm Plan published by Dublin City Council in 2014, and The Heart of Dublin City Centre Public Realm Masterplan published in 2016. Phase 1 of the Grafton Street Quarter Public Realm Plan included public realm improvement works […]

Built in 1968, Constitution Hill Flats consists of three five-storey blocks, containing 89 homes in total. The site is located along Constitution Hill, with the recently opened Broadstone Plaza to the north, Catherine Lane North at the southern end, and a Dublin Bus Depot to the west with the Grangegorman TU Dublin campus beyond. The […]

As we approach the halfway point in 2022, we thought we would give a brief update on a selection of the projects we have been working on this year. We will cover some of these projects in more detail once they reach completion but in the meantime here are some highlights showing the range of […]

The redevelopment of Dorset Street / St. Mary’s Place Flats passed a major milestone recently as it was granted Part 8 planning approval at the January meeting of Dublin City Council. This large city centre site currently consists of four five-storey flat block buildings sitting in communal open spaces alongside a historic fire station building. […]

The Ballybough House Pilot Amalgamation is a demonstration pilot project to carry out a retrofit within a Protected Structure. Ballybough House was designed by housing architect Herbert Simms in the 1930s. It is one of 18 similar remaining complexes that have provided housing for generations of Dubliners over the past 80 years. It represents one […]

We’re looking forward to Open House Dublin 2021 which is organised by the Irish Architecture Foundation and there are plenty of Dublin City Council buildings you can see up close this year: Ballybough House: a pilot project to provide an energy efficiency retrofit in a Protected Structure Newly completed terrace of homes at Margaret Kennedy […]

Multi-disciplinary design teams started working earlier this year on the renewal of two estates in the north city centre: Constitution Hill and matt Talbot. Built in 1968’s, Constitution Hill Flats consists of three five-storey blocks, containing 90 homes in total. The site is located along Constitution Hill, with the recently opened Broadstone Plaza to the […]

Corban Walker’s exploration of minimal home sizes opened on 24th June 2021 at Diamond Park, Dublin 1.  A public discussion was held to mark the exhibition’s launch.  Panellists were the artist Walker, Orla Hegarty (UCD), John O’Connor (Housing Agency), Sinead O’Carroll (The Journal), Amy Donohoe (Dublin Live) and Ruairí Ó Cuív (DCC Public Art Officer).  […]

  An exhibition of artist Corban Walker’s new art work ‘What do you need?’ will explore the impact of minimal home sizes and housing policies on the lives of communities and artists. The exhibition will will take place in Diamond Square, 7 Gardiner Street Lower, Dublin 1, from 24th June to 15th July 2021. The opening of the […]

On 8th January 2021, all but essential construction sites in Ireland were instructed to close by Government direction under national Level 5 restrictions to mitigate against the spread of COVID-19. A number of DCC sites including St. Teresa’s Gardens (54 homes), which reached substantial completion on 16th February 2021, were permitted to continue. Throughout the […]

While housing makes up the majority of Dublin City Council’s building projects, the Council also has a significant collection of civic buildings that require development, redevelopment or maintenance: libraries, galleries, fire stations, historic buildings and monuments and leisure centres to name a few. The City Architects team, work on behalf of the departments responsible for […]

Following on from our series of Blog posts in early 2020, this is the sixth of eight posts reviewing progress made in 2020 and outlining our project targets for this year. This post covers work on the public realm for the Council’s Environment & Transportation Department. Other public realm work in the North East Inner City […]

Dublin City Council’s Area Offices are the key to coordinating the delivery of services in communities across the City’s five administrative areas. The Area Offices provide a broad range of services including local housing services, communities development projects, street repairs, dealing with litter and graffiti and sports development among others. This is the fifth of […]

Renewing and redeveloping older complexes in the city is a key area of the Council’s work on housing. This week we are giving an overview of the work on estate renewal projects managed by City Architects. This work programme covers projects that are intended to be delivered by the Council directly and also includes work […]

This is the second of seven posts reviewing progress made in 2020 and outlining our project targets for this year. This post covers new-build public housing delivered via Design & Build contracts, and incorporating traditional or modern methods of construction; sometimes referred to as ‘rapid delivery, system build’ or ‘volumetric’ construction. System build or projects […]

Following on from our series of Blog posts in early 2020, this is the first of seven posts reviewing progress made in 2020 and outlining our project targets for this year. This post covers new-build public housing using ‘traditional’ building contracts. This area of work is delivered by Dublin City Council’s City Architect Division, who […]

  In early 2020, we posted a series of blogs on City Architects project targets for the year. We’re going to reflect on these targets over the coming weeks and tell you what’s planned for 2021. As with last year, the posts will be organised by programme strand (links are to last year’s posts): Public […]

This week on the blog we have a guest article from our colleagues in DCC Parks on the creation of a new public park on Bridgefoot Street in the Liberties where building materials are being re-used to form landscape. Without further ado: Those that are following the progress of the Liberties Greening Strategy will be […]

The reconstruction of Nos. 2 to 5 Ballybough Road beside the Royal Canal at Clarke’s Bridge was recently completed as part of the regeneration of the Croke Park neighbourhood, an overall scheme that includes the redevelopment of the Croke Villas flat complex to provide new homes combined with a new boulevard approach to the stadium […]

Dublin City Council is progressing an ambitious plan to rediscover and reinvent the historic College Green as the major public space at the heart of the city. Following the unsuccessful application to An Bord Pleanála (ABP) in 2018,  Dublin City Council held a series of trial traffic-free events in College Green including Summer Sundays, Culture […]

The Mansion House, the official residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin City, has been in continuous recorded occupation since 1715. As a national monument it is historically and architecturally significant as a rare example of the early 18th century Queen Anne style architecture in Dublin. The early 18th century staircase off the main entrance […]

Last weekend saw the 15th Open House Dublin festival, and the first Open House to take place online. Organisers the Irish Architecture Foundation  gathered a fantastic collection of virtual tours, films and interviews for the online festival that Dublin City Council were delighted to be part of. While It’s a pity that people missed out […]

Early in the new year, we posted some photographs from our construction sites, showing progress achieved during 2019. Like most sectors in the economy, our housing sites were closed during the lock down but re-opened on 18th May 2020. Our contractors have put safety measures in place, in line with government and industry guidelines to […]

  The redevelopment of the significant lands at Emmet Road in Inchicore, Dublin 8, site of the former St. Michael’s Estate, is progressing with the appointment of a team led by Bucholz McEvoy Architects to design and manage the construction of the planned affordable cost-rental development. The team led by Bucholz McEvoy was appointed through […]

City Architects have been overseeing an ongoing programme of conservation works to the Georgian buildings that form part of the Parnell Square Cultural Quarter development on behalf of Dublin City Public Libraries. The works have received funding support from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and have been designed and managed by the […]

The previous blog posts in this series focused on the main work areas of each of the teams in City Architects. Here we are highlighting some of the larger, more strategic developments that City Architects have been working on. The first of these is a development masterplan for lands at Emmet Road in Inchicore, site […]

While housing makes up the majority of Dublin City Council’s building projects, the Council also has a significant collection of civic buildings that require development, redevelopment or maintenance: libraries, galleries, fire stations, historic buildings and monuments and leisure centres to name a few. In City Architects this work is covered by Team 10. The team […]

The public realm plays an important role in how Dublin functions and its attractiveness to the people who live or work in the city. As well as being the main space for movement, circulation and other service infrastructure, the public realm is a key part of the city’s identity and distinctive character. City Architects is […]

Renewing and redeveloping older housing complexes in the city is a key area of the Council’s work on housing. This week we are giving an overview of the work on estate renewal projects managed in City Architects by Team 4.  This work programme covers projects that are intended to be delivered by the Council directly […]

This is the second of seven posts on our 2020 project targets, and covers new-build public housing using system build or modern methods of construction. These projects are delivered via design & build construction contracts, and are sometimes referred to as ‘rapid delivery or volumetric’. This programme is delivered by City Architects Team 3, who […]

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to summarise our 2020 project targets. This is the first of seven posts, and covers new-build public housing using ‘traditional’ building contracts. This area of work is delivered by City Architect teams 1 and 2, who provide the full architectural service or manage consultant architects. Other design team members […]

Dublin City Council has recently approved a new residential development at Cork Street under the Part 8 planning process. The development is located within the historical Liberties area, directly opposite a new city park – Weaver Park. The project is expected to start on site in early 2020. The development will provide 55 homes arranged […]

Here are some images of progress on a number of housing projects currently on site, with some interesting photos taken from the site tower cranes. Cornamona Court The contract for 61 homes was awarded to Cunningham Contracts Limited and works commenced on site in June 2019. Good progress is being made in the basement and […]

As we approach the end of 2019, we thought we’d look back at events across our work on new housing developments, public housing regeneration, public realm projects, conservation works, and civic projects such as public libraries. So below is a snapshot of some of the project milestones achieved in 2019 and some of those planned […]

In early 2019 Dublin City Council appointed an urban design team, led by DMOD Architects, to prepare a Development Framework Plan for the optimum model of redevelopment of lands at Emmet Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8. These lands include the site of the former Saint Michael’s Estate. The plan sets out a framework for the provision of […]

At the Council Meeting on Monday 7th October 2019, Dublin City Councillors approved a new housing scheme at Springvale under the Part 8 planning process. The development at Springvale is located on the northern side of Chapelizod Road, on the eastern outskirts of Chapelizod village, opposite the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church. […]

Dublin City Council has recently approved a development under the Part 8 planning process, for 38 new homes on the site of the former military stores at Infirmary Road /Montpelier Hill Dublin 7. The Design Team lead by City Architects Division is now preparing the tender documentation with the intention to appoint a contractor next […]

Rutland Street National School (formerly the Pro Cathedral School) was constructed between 1910 and 1912, as a response to the lack of school places and the conditions of existing school buildings in the North East Inner City.  Designed by Aislin and Coleman Architects, it is an early example of modern twentieth century construction, with a […]

Thanks to everyone who made our Drawing Workshop during Open House Dublin such a fun event. We were joined by a great range of young participants who brought great enthusiasm to the afternoon. Thanks to our colleagues at Pearse Street Library and Archive who invited us and made everything work smoothly and our guest assistants, animators Amalia […]

Dublin City Councillors approved five significant DCC developments under the Part 8 planning process at the Council Meeting on Monday 7th October 2019, marking a key stage in Dublin City Council’s ongoing programme of delivery of new homes and the upgrade and expansion of the city’s community, cultural and heritage buildings. These are: Infirmary Road […]

On the weekend of the All-Ireland Football Final, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Paul McAuliffe, was delighted to welcome his counterpart and friend the Mayor of Kerry, Niall Kelleher, to stay in the Mansion House. Mayor Niall Kelleheris the first guest to stay in the newly added formal guest quarters on the first floor of […]

As well as designing buildings in-house, City Architects regularly engages external consultant architects to design and deliver projects for Dublin City Council. Cities that value and apply design in how they think, plan and act are more humane, attractive and competitive. The Council therefore places great importance on quality of design in its buildings and […]

City Architects has recently completed the procurement of a Design-Build Contractor Framework for delivery of apartment and housing developments using ‘Modern Methods of Construction’, i.e. 2D Panelised or 3D Modular or Volumetric Construction. The Framework consists of six Contractors who will tender for projects with an estimated construction value in excess of €15 million (excl. […]

Here are some photos of Coolock Library as its refurbishment nears completion. Scheduled for re-opening in the Autumn, the redeveloped library designed by consultant architects Mahoney Architecture will feature a maker space, student study areas, a range of bookable community meeting rooms and a large children’s library with reading alcoves and a story tree.   […]

The first 40 houses of a new scheme constructed by ABM Design & Build Ltd at Cherry Orchard have been handed over and are now occupied. Cherry Orchard is a development comprising 72 houses. The first phase consists of 24 two-bedroom houses and 29 three-bedroom houses. Phase 2 consists of 19 houses which are due […]

The new housing project at Cornamona Court, which recently commenced on site, is being constructed as part of Dublin City Council’s ongoing programme of delivery of new homes. Introduction The redevelopment of Cornamona Court in Ballyfermot was identified by Dublin City Council as part of our delivery of new housing under the Housing Strategy 2020. […]

Residents of St. Teresa’s Gardens have been enjoying the new central landscaped and play areas by City Architects and Aoife Tuomey Architects. This forms part of the wider regeneration of St. Teresa’s Gardens of which Dublin City Council have been working on since 2011, in partnership with St. Teresa’s Regeneration Board and the residents of […]

Another key stage in the development of Parnell Square Cultural Quarter has been reached with the granting of planning permission for the Quarter which will be anchored by a new City Library. Permission was granted for the plans prepared by the design team led by Grafton Architects and Shaffrey Architects on 1st May 2019. The project to […]

Phase 2 of the Grafton Street Quarter Public Realm Plan has just been completed by Dublin City Council (March 2019). Grafton Street itself was previously completed as part of phase 1. Phase 2 consists of the streets immediately west of Grafton Street including Chatham Street, Harry Street and the adjoining streets of Balfe Street, Chatham […]

Phase 1 of the regeneration of Dolphin House was completed in November 2018. The completion of Phase 1 of Dolphin House Regeneration marks the first step of an ambitious plan to regenerate the 1950s complex located on the banks of the Grand Canal. This initial phase of a wider masterplan consists of deep retrofitting three […]

New technologies are enabling innovation in construction all the time. For conservation work, new surveying technologies give us new insights into our historic buildings. A recent collaboration with the City Council’s Surveying and Mapping Division to carry out a detailed drone survey of the roofscape and the interior of the rotunda of City Hall has […]

Phase 1 of the Teresas’s Gardens development is underway with 54 homes under construction on a site bounded to the west by the Coombe Hospital Complex, to the northwest by single storey dwellings, to the east by Donore Avenue and to the south by the greater St Teresa’s Gardens site. Recent Regeneration History The St. […]

St. Teresa’s Gardens is another key City Architects social housing project to recently start on site. The 54 homes under construction are the first phase of a significant and complex area regeneration plan for the Dublin City Council-owned St Teresa’s Gardens site and adjacent privately owned lands known as the Bailey Gibson and Player Wills […]

Two key City Architects housing projects, being constructed as part of Dublin City Council’s ongoing programme of delivery of new homes, recently commenced on site – Dominick Street and St. Teresa’s Gardens. The first of these exciting projects to be featured here is the development on Dominick Street, which the Council aims to be an […]

The Structural Engineering section were asked to examine the structural integrity of a retaining wall that was tilting out onto a public footpath on Kilshane Drive. It was brought to the attention of the Structural Engineering section by the housing department during a routine inspection. The retaining wall is located between a housing development at […]

Markievicz Sports and Fitness Centre is located on Townsend Street in Dublin city centre. The Markievicz Sports and Fitness Centre replaced the old swimming pool at the same location and opened in the year 2000. Refurbishment works were carried out in 2016 under the guidance of Dublin City Council Structural Engineering Section.

St Bricin’s Park, Arbour Hill is a mid 1960’s development comprising of 68 bedsit units. There are three blocks of bedsits each two-storey high.  The Structural Engineering section is providing design services in conjunction with internal and external consultants led by Architect James Walsh of Low Energy Design (Blocks 2 and 3). Block 2, Load Testing […]

Pigeon House Power Station has recently featured in Open House Dublin on Saturday the 13th of October. City Architects would like to thank all of you who participated in Open House Dublin and braved the elements in what was a very wet day that failed to dampen the enthusiasm for the 13th annual event. City Architect’s and […]

Dublin City Council held an information session in the Wood Quay Venue on Monday 15th October at 3.45pm for Architectural, Civil & Structural Engineering and Quantity Surveying practices, in advance of initiating the public procurement process.

Dublin City Council will shortly be requesting expressions of interest for inclusion on multi-party, architect led integrated design team frameworks, to be formed in two lots as follows:

Images by Ros Kavanagh Dublin City Council are proud sponsors of Open House Dublin and Sealawn Lodge and the restored St Anne’s Follies are some of the of the fine examples of Architecture to explore on Saturday the 13th of October with free guided tours by expert volunteers. More information on the Open house Tour can […]

Who are we? The Structural Engineering Section forms part of the City Architect’s Division. The Section sits within Housing and Community Services and provides Structural and Civil design on a cross departmental basis. 

New Build Housing completed 2018, Belcamp  Image: Paul Tierney   Here is an update on the public housing projects under City Architects direction on behalf of Dublin City Council Housing department. Projects are varied and include new build, refurbishment and extensions of existing DCC homes.

The LAB was established by Dublin City Council in 2005 as a municipal arts hub providing gallery, rehearsal and incubation space for a range of art forms. The building was developed through a public private partnership. The LAB supports emerging artists who are selected to exhibit their work on a month by month basis. The […]

Having made good progress exploring the benefits of system building /prefabrication in the construction of two-storey housing (152 homes complete and 70 homes due for completion this year), Dublin City Council is now looking

Quality of the built environment and sustainability are two key concerns in the provision of successful housing developments. In 2014 Dublin City Council initiated a programme for the refurbishment and amalgamation of existing small bedsit units (23-26sqm) increasing their size to meet current space standards and improve overall energy efficiency.

Rutland Street National School (formerly the Pro Cathedral School) was constructed between 1910 and 1912, as a response to the lack of school places and the conditions of existing school buildings in the North East Inner City.  Designed by Aislin and Coleman Architects, it is an early example

    Dublin City Council has recently signed a contract with PJ.Carey (Contractors) Limited to build 56 new homes at O’Devaney Gardens, Dublin 7. Construction work will start in July and it is planned to be complete by early 2020. This work represents

Crampton Buildings forms a small city block with frontage onto Crampton Quay overlooking the river Liffey. Here are some images and notes about the extensive renovation works completed in 2016.

There has been discussion and reportage in the media recently on Dublin City Council’s flat complex regeneration plans, with particular focus on complexes built between 1930 and 1950. To clarify, Dublin City Council has not planned the demolition of any of the blocks designed by Herbert Simms (aside from those already being redeveloped as part […]

Kevin Street Library is set in the south city centre and first opened to the public in 1904. As a flagship branch of Dublin City’s library network it stood as a cornerstone for the neighbourhoods it served, connecting people to each other and to their community. The Library was

The South East Area office commissioned the services of the City Architects Public Realm Team to design a public realm improvement scheme for the Ranelagh Triangle. The project brief was to reconsider the memorial to Deidre Kelly, local historian and activist, which, had ongoing issues regarding maintenance and suitability and to improve the existing public […]

Photo credit Greg Dunn   City Architects recently prepared a report giving an update on the upgrading and renewal of existing Dublin City Council flat complexes. The report, Estate Renewal Technical Report 1, was submitted as part of a proposal for large scale renewal made by the Housing Department to Dublin City Council’s Housing Strategic […]

  Image by: Levitt Bernstein Architects     Over the past two years Dublin City Council’s Rapid Build Programme has successfully utilised off site manufacturing and system-build construction to deliver 150 two-storey homes across the city.

  Numbers 9 & 10 Fitzwilliam Street Lower, two Georgian houses on the Record of Protected Structures, have been carefully renovated and restored to provide supported temporary accommodation for people who are experiencing homelessness.

Kevin Street Library; Refurbishment Works for Accessibility, DCA – full service Image by City Architects    Continuing our series of blog posts, giving insight into the work carried out by City Architects Division, today’s post focuses on projects that are neither Housing nor Public Realm.

Dublin City Council has presented and exciting and creative design renewing College Green as a civic space in the heart of Dublin. This new pedestrian priority space will significantly improve the quality of the city’s public realm.

  We are delighted that Rathmines Crescent is the first project in Ireland to be awarded with the Home Performance Index label which allows housing providers and private developers to highlight the quality and sustainability of their homes.

The first images of the design for the Parnell Square Cultural Quarter were presented as part of an update to Dublin City Council’s Culture Recreation & Amenity Strategic Policy Committee  last week.

A social housing development was completed in Rathmines, Dublin 6, in early May 2016.

Framework is a new pilot project focused on community led regeneration of the built environment and we have launched an open call for participants for the end of March.

Julie Merriman first contacted me in October 2013 asking about the Dolphin House Regeneration project on which I was working, in particular her interest was in viewing the original drawings of the housing scheme and the proposed design drawings.

We’re delighted that the DCC Beta project which has been developed and run by Shane Waring in City Architects Division over recent years is featuring as part of tonight’s Pecha Kucha event at the Sugar Club. It’s an opportunity to get an insight into how trialling and participation can work in developing new urban projects in […]

  City Architect’s Division was asked by the Parks Department of Dublin City Council to design a new café in the Red Stables, St. Anne’s Park, Raheny.

We’re looking forward to the launch tomorrow of a new scheme we have been working on with the Dublin City Local Enterprise Office to promote the use of strategic design by small enterprises.

The Mansion House was host to last week’s seminar on to mark the buildings tercentenary.

“Located in the one of the most disadvantaged areas of Dublin’s inner city, the regeneration of Liberty House (renamed Peadar Kearney House) has been a flagship project in the Integrated Area Plan that the City Council adopted for the north east inner city.

Here’s a good in-depth report on the Mansion House by RTE Nationwide which aired this week.

Hidden Rooms on the 25th and 26th November 2014 was a terrific success and a big thanks to everyone who participated. It was clear from energy levels at Tuesday’s post workshop gathering in Powerscourt and the Wednesday public Plenary in City Hall that every group had enjoyed an intense and productive day.

HIDDEN ROOMS on 25th-26th November 2014 is a PIVOT Dublin Future Thinking event to stimulate collaborative efforts that will deliver innovative solutions to city issues. The event is hosted by Dublin City Council and is a part of our ongoing design development programme.

Dublin City Council Culture, Recreation & Amenity Department and City Architects have recently completed successfully the refurbishment of three swimming pools in the city.