These past two months saw no less than five architectural awards bestow their honours on Irish self-builds: the RIAI Awards, the Federation of Master Builders NI Awards, the RSUA Awards, the Isover Awards and the Irish Construction Awards.

The RIAI Awards‘ Living Category recognised both new builds and renovations on 7th June 2019.

The two winners for one-off housing were:

Sunday’s Well Houses in Co Cork

Architects: O’Donnell + Tuomey, Photography: Denis Gilbert and Jed Niezgoda

Ash House in Co Dublin

Architects: Sketch Architects, Photography: Aisling McCoy

The two extensions/refurbishments winners were:

Vavasour Square in Dublin

Architects: GKMP Architects, Photography: Alice Clancy

Addition and Renovation to a Victorian Family House in Dublin which has won previous awards, including the 2019 AAI Awards. Architects: Clancy Moore Architects.

RSUA (RIBA NI) Awards

The Royal Society of Ulster Architects Awards announced in May that House Lessans designed by architects McGonigle McGrath was one of just four winners this year.

The project consists of an existing barn, a new forecourt, a discrete bedroom block with private courtyard, and expansive living spaces which look out onto the green rolling landscape.

Images by Aidan McGrath.

FMB NI Architectural Awards

The Federation of Master Builders Northern Ireland Awards crowned projects of all sizes and types, from bathroom and kitchen projects to low carbon and heritage projects, on Friday 22nd of March. The FMB UK awards will take place in September.

Isover Awards

The 2019 Overall ISOVER Award winner was Simply Architecture for self-build project Wedge House in Co Cork on the 6th June 2019.

The house is 1,900 sqft and obtained an A2 Building Energy Rating; it’s a certified Passive House and took 13 months to build on a tight budget.

Simply Architecture also won Designer of the Year 2019, and incidentally the RIAI Future Award which celebrates emerging Irish architectural practices.

Photography by Frank O’Sullivan

Irish Construction Awards

An A-rated energy positive house in Carrickmines, Dublin bagged the small residential award at the Irish Construction Awards on June 13th 2019.

It features three mono pitch roofs, with a modern mixture of Scandinavian spruce cladding and crisp white render. It is the second project to be built by Pat Doran Construction using Glavloc Building Technology.

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