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PROJECT 1
‘Social Infrastructure’ Island School.
In response to the urgent need to address the challenges of the climate emergency, a brief was assigned to develop a robust studio program for a public building on Clare Island. This island off the Irish mainland has experienced a population decrease due to famine and lacks essential public infrastructure to support its inhabitants. The absence of amenities such as a school, library, community center, and sports hall threatens the island’s population. The proposed solution is to establish a small post-primary boarding school that not only reverses the decline in the island’s young population but also exposes generations of young people to the unique island life experience. This school serves as a community center, theater, cinema, library, digit al hub, cookery school, hostel, and guest house, functioning as the heart of the community and revitalizing the harbor area.
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To ensure a culturally sensitive approach, the design takes into account the island’s decreased population and the risk of losing cultural values. The site, previously a harbor and gathering place for island inhabitants, is repurposed to create a safe and educationally enriched environment. The scheme’s geometry is inspired by the adjacent jetty and new harbor, with cranked volumes forming courtyard spaces where students can bond with their peers. These spaces offer scenic views, framing the landscape and raising the eye level above the surrounding environment.




past, for a future which is essentially unknown.
As an architect, you design for the present, with an awareness of the
