Building Change

Have you seen the University of Limerick Social Fabric Lecture Series? The Autumn 2024/Spring 2025 programme features guest lectures from: • Phillipe O’Sullivan • Daniel Leven • Ali Grehan • Chris Melnerney • Jennifer Moroney Ward • David Fleming • Carlijn Kingma

Students from University College Cork and Munster Technological University showcased their projects in the recent Constructive Interference exhibition at the RDS, featuring a diverse range of topics including biodiversity and community engagement. Projects included imagining an avian wildlife tower for Tramore Valley Park and designing a food learning centre for the Fairhill community.

Check out the Technological University Dublin Building Change programme for 2024/25! Following a busy couple of months including Demolition Take Down at IMMA Earth Rising, a guest lecture from Susannah Hagan, and Constructive Interference at Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI)'s Architecture & Building Expo, the end of 2024 promises to be just as exciting, featuring guest lectures from: • Fergal McNamara of 7L Conservation Architects • Takero Shimazaki Architects • McCullough Mulvin Architects • Taka Architects Semester two includes events and talks with: • David Leech • Jamie Whelan • REIR • Hannigan Cooke Architects • Helen McFadden • Jeremy Till • Bucholz McEvoy Architects • Material Cultures and Summacumfemmer

Building Change believes in place-based solutions, not one-size-fits-all. Take Atlantic Technological University’s Architectural Design Studio project ‘North by Northwest’ for example. Using Killybegs, Co. Donegal as their starting point, students planned a new urban centre for the area, creating spaces and facilities for residents and visitors, while also addressing key criteria in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

At Building Change, we emphasise architecture’s role in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. So, it was great to see South East Technological University students at the recent Constructive Interference exhibition present their work on that topic, as well as ecological land assessment, and resilient design for local neighbourhoods.

How do we evolve from current architectural practice? Our Studio Pilots expand on the conventional architecture design studio to explore new materials, methodologies, housing concepts, and stakeholder engagement. This equips our students with the tools to address emerging challenges in the field. Change is good! Visit https://lnkd.in/ePb2JZ5w to learn more about our Studio Pilots.

University College Dublin students presented work as part of the recent Constructive Interference exhibition at the RDS on a range of topics, including the use of sustainable materials in addressing the climate crisis and architectural practice that supports biodiversity and ecological systems. The exhibition was curated by Rubble, a collective of UCD architecture graduates. It was great for the current crop to meet former alumni and share their successes. They were also visited by Colm O’Reardon, Secretary General of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

Housing in Ireland falls into two traps – it’s either developer-led, making it a commodity, or provided by the state, making it inflexible. How do we get around this? Building Change advocates for community-led housing initiatives, which share our vision for sustainable and resilient housing in Ireland.

University of Limerick's Intelligence Unit is an architectural think tank focusing on Limerick and the surrounding Shannon Area. At the recent Constructive Interference exhibition they talked us through some of their projects, including a case study on Solohead Farm in Tipperary, and assessing the feasibility of a cooperative initiative in Limerick city and county to cut costs and improve sustainability for suppliers and purchasers. They were also visited by Sarah Miley, Principal Officer of the Construction and Green Skills Policy Unit at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.

Spread over eight sessions covering theory, critical papers, and case study analysis, Technological University Dublin's Whole Life Design CPD module for architectural educators focuses on an integrated, holistic, and sustainable architectural practice. Learn more on the Building Change website, at the link in our bio.