Reddy A+U is an international firm of architects, planners, urban designers and interior designers with over 40 years of experience in the design and management of complex building and planning projects. Our many awards and repeat clients are testament to our reputation for creative design and high-quality professional service.
For over 40 years, we have been designing homes for people in every area of the residential sector from low-rise to highrise, from individual homes to multi-family developments, for students, families, the elderly and those with special needs. Read on for a description of our capabilities and experience in the Student Living sector.
Section One About Us
Dominick Place
ABOUT US
DESIGNING HOMES FOR OVER 40 YEARS
TEAM
We offer a student living team of proven experience, from talented designers using AR and VR communication tools to technical and management expertise, equipped with BIM technology and knowhow.
SERVICES
We offer a comprehensive range of architectural and interior design services, from design to execution, from urban design to ergonomics, sustainable design and postoccupancy evaluation.
RELIABILITY
We have an excellent record in delivering projects from inception to completion, on time and on budget, as our many repeat clients attest to.
EXPERTISE
We provide a high level of technical expertise, ranging from MMC in all its characterisations, low carbon and life cycle design to post-occupancy evaluations and BIM management.
QUALITY
We take pride in the quality of our work and our thorough service, as attested to by the number of awards we have received and the number of our clients in this sector.
INNOVATION
We offer knowledge and insights into the key challenges in the Student Living sector, such as planning policy, density, typology, buildability, whole-life zero-carbon design, ESG and building performance.
CLIENTS
We work with developers, investors, institutions, local authorities and agencies. Many of these are long-standing repeat clients, a testament to the quality of our service. A selection of current and recent clients in the Student Living sector is listed here.
Global Student Accommodation
Uninest
University College Dublin
O’Flynn Group
O’Reilly Hyland
Voyager Properties
Trinity College Dublin
Dublin City University
Munster Technological University
South Eastern Technological University
“UCD wanted to create a new hub for student life centred around the campus residences. The design concept is incredibly strong and delivers accommodation and amenity that is accessible and visible to our large student population. The Village is one of a kind and will be a fulcrum for public life.”
Tadgh Corcoran – UCD Estates
UCD Student Village
RESIDENTIAL TEAM
CREATIVE, EXPERIENCED, LISTENING
Rob Keane CEO, Studio Lead
Rob is the Group CEO and champions our student living sector.
As well as taking an overview of all of our student living and urban regeneration related issues, he is currently the design lead across a number of diverse sectors. These include master planning, higher education, apartment and housing projects that encompass both new build and adaptive re-use.
Reddy A + U is designing a new generation of sustainable student housing typologies. Our designs meet the unique needs of students while fostering vibrant communities. From masterplans to bespoke student housing, our projects prioritise security and a sense of belonging,.
Barry Hennessy Associate Director
Ross Quinn Associate Director
Michael Connolly Associate Director
Paul Mulligan Associate Director
We are expert in all stages of the project, from initial feasibility, through design , planning consent and regulatory compliance to procurement, construction, handover and evaluation of performance in use.
PLANNING
Urban Design Strategy
Planning and development policy
Local area action plans
Community engagement
Stakeholder engagement
Placemaking and Public Realm
Feasibility studies
DESIGN
Brief development
Dwelling typologies
Options Appraisals
Conceptual / detail design
Interior Design
Design Certifier
PSDP Services
Planning Consent Applications
3D Visualisation
BIM Management
Design management
Client Liaison
STUDENT LIVING SERVICES
EVERY ASPECT COVERED
URBAN DESIGN
Illustrative layouts
Design briefs & frameworks
Design statements
Appraisals & feasibility
Stakeholder consultation
Sustainable design
3D models & visualisations
Site analysis
Research & Development
EXECUTION
Design management
Production information
PSDP services
BIM management and modelling
Building Regulations Compliance
Tall building design
Value engineering
Technical Advisory Services
Detail Design + Tendering
Contract Administration
Handover
Post Occupancy
QUALITY
We work to certified standards, both in our services and in our projects. The quality of our work and service has been recognised by the many awards received, of which a selection of recent awards are shown here.
Overall Event Winner Fit Out Project of the Year: Guinness Enterprise Centre
Winner
1. Fit Out Medium Office of the Year: Guinness Enterprise Centre
2. Healthcare Project of the Year: Four Ferns Foxrock
STANDARDS
Reddy A+U’s services and projects are certified to relevant standards, including:
For quality mangement: - ISO 9001
- ISO 14000
For BIM services: - BRE Group ISO 19650
For low carbon design: - EN 15978
Selected projects achieve:
- Home Performance Index (HPI) V2 certification
- BREEAM / LEED certification
- WELL certification
Shortlisted
1. Project of the Year: Commercial Interiors
Guinness Enterprise Centre
2. Architectural Design: Commercial UCD Village
Winner
1. Commercial Project of the Year: The Guinness Enterprise Centre
2. Health and Education Project of the Year: UCD Village
Winner
1. Best Interior Architecture Project of the Year: UCD Village
2. Best Fit Out of the Year: Sandvik Dockline
UCD Village
Sandvik Dockline
AWARDS
Winner
1. Fit Out of the Year Public Sector:
James Joyce Library UCD
2. Fit Out of the Year Tourism and Leisure: James Joyce Library UCD
Overall Winner
Architectural and Interiors Practice of the Year:
Reddy Architecture + Urbanism
Winner
1. Educational Building of the Year: The Guinness Enterprise Centre
2. Residential Project of the Year: UCD Village
Winner
1. Fit Out of the Year: Public Sector
James Joyce Library UCD
2. Fit Out of the Year: Tourism and Leisure
James Joyce Library UCD
Winner
Architectural Practice of the Year
Reddy Architecture + Urbanism
Winner
Building of the Year - Tourism Leisure & Hospitality
Royal Dublin Convention Centre
Overall Winner
Building Project of the Year
Royal Dublin Convention Centre
Winner
1. Healthcare Project of the Year Four Ferns Foxrock
2. Education Project of the Year
James Joyce Library UCD
3. Commercial Office Project of the Year
Glencar House
4. Student Accommodation Project of the Year UCD Village
James Joyce Library
Glencar House
Section Two Insights
Dominick Place
TRENDS IN STUDENT LIVING
RESEARCH AND INNOVATION APPLIED
Research by Reddy A+U into student living in European, UK and Irish halls of residence provides insights into the evolution of the sector and drives the ideas and buildings that set our work apart.
Plan layouts
European plan layouts, while seeking to be as efficient as possible, look to facilitate a community environment by flexing multiuse space to create ‘incidental collision spaces’ and by clustering amenity spaces locally per floor and at naturally convergent locations at ground level.
The current standard model tends to plan and build for a single-occupancy bedroom with its own ensuite bathroom for a ‘typical’ undergraduate, but in reality there are many differing occupancy requirements, each with their own needs. Providing the minimum footprint for bedrooms should not be the design driver for efficiency.
This model of self-sufficient studio-style living in a residence hall arrangement offers a layout that meets undergraduate, post graduate, research and academic living requirements.
Shared bedrooms, while reducing construction cost and potentially generating more rental income, are not common, due to the market availability of private ensuite options.
Research indicates that the current generation of students is acutely aware of the climate crisis and anxious to contribute positively, for example by minimising use of energy and water. Based on this finding, Reddy A+U, in a study for Trinity College, proposed maintaining single-occupancy bedroom layouts and reducing the number of shower rooms to one per three bed spaces.
Our residences for UCD are our most significant such development to date. Before embarking on the design concept, we engaged in a significant period of research and conceptual development.
Visits were made to international exemplars such as London City Living (Urbeo and Global Student Accommodation) and Manchester University (Student Living) in order to critically asses issues of scale and the challenge of creating an effective community environment.
TRENDS IN STUDENT LIVING
...CONTINUED
A primary driver for design was an understanding of a day in the life of a student and the manner in which interaction and collaboration take place today.
Workshops were held with key user groups to ensure that the design addressed the needs and concerns of both students and facility managers. Ratios of private space to communal and social spaces, as well as product lifespan and maintenance, were key considerations in arriving at the final design.
Bedrooms provide privacy but sociability is facilitated by the provision of communal spaces in each block, and a larger central amenity and social space supports engagement and community interaction.
UCD Village provides for the diverse nonacademic requirements of the 3,000 oncampus student residents in one central location. It provides a supermarket, dining hall, retail units, student welfare facilities, gym, dance studio, study and breakout spaces and performance facilities for its student population.
Defining the optimum facilities that meet student requirements was derived from benchmarking and stakeholder consultation.
Surveys and post occupation evaluations of earlier phases informed the process significantly and contributed to a successful project concept for flexible space usage.
Reddy A+U are frontrunners in use of BIM (Building Information Modelling) to foster innovation and deliver design excellence. Our approach and workflow ensures our designs are fully digital from concept through to completion.
Post-occupancy evaluation (e.g. carbon performance against targets)
Ongoing asset management, maintenace, replacement
Data Driven Design
We use BIM in the early stages of designing, site planning and feasibility studies, through visualisation, simulations, to specifications and construction drawings.
The developing BIM model provides us with live reporting of key metrics — quantum of units, the mix of units, ratio of dual aspect and oversized units, site density — while also considering key architectural concepts of site planning, massing, and the creation of places for people.
Information on material and thermal performance, cost, life cycle analysis, environmental impact and other relevant considerations are integrated into the design process.
This enables us to rapidly test multiple design options and provides the client with extensive insight into design development, operating costs, environmental impact, time schedule and other such metrics.
BIM: THE DIGITAL PROCESS
BETTER QUALITY, EFFICIENT DELIVERY
Environmental Design & Sustainability
Our BIM workflows enable us to evaluate the building’s impact on its environment, to understand impact in terms of light and weather at any time throughout the year, and to evaluate visual impacts of scale and massing, tailoring the presence of the building to its environment and assessing key sight lines and views.
We use Insight analysis to assess the impact of solar radiation on the balance between passive heating and overheating. Integration with daylight or wind consultants provides detailed daylight and wind microclimate analysis.
Collaboration & Coordination
Collaboration with clients, consultants and suppliers assists with coordination and facilitates clash detection, identifying critical interface issues before construction, and minimising the risks associated with redesign and over-estimation of cost.
We use Autodesk BIM 360 (Construction Cloud) as the main Common Data Environment (CDE) for the design team, facilitating coordination, clash detection and issue resolution during the design process, and greatly improving the quality of production information.
Design team models are federated using Autodesk Navisworks Manage, where a rulebased clash detection process is undertaken to identify areas that require further coordination.We lead design teams in the producton of coordinated information.
Section Three Projects
Brewer’s Close
3 Page 24
SELECTED PROJECTS
Our practice was founded on residential design and for over 40 years we been creating successful award-winning housing of all kinds. The creation of inclusive, sustainable and attractive living environments remains at the core of what we do.
Our clients include private developers and a wide range of renowned third-level institutions. We conduct extensive research and development into the design of student accommodation. Through a range of amenities and innovative design, our student housing developments enhance the overall university experience, providing safe and inspiring homes for students to thrive in.
With extensive experience in urban design and planning, we create new urban quarters
and residential environments at large scale, including those in Strategic Development Zones and Opportunity Areas.
Our current work addresses the urgency of climate action through BREEAM, LEED, HPI and other certifications, lifecycle carbon assessment, low carbon materials, biodiversity modern methods of construction and sustainable housing typologies.
We continue to focus on designing successful places to live for a challenging future.
Mill Street, Dublin
UCD Student Village - multiple award winner
Brewer’s Close, Dublin
UCD VILLAGE
DUBLIN 4
Scale: 924 apartments, 35,540 m2
Services: Design, Interior Design Execution
Phase 1 of UCD’s Student Residences
Masterplan provides 924 new bed spaces and the UCD Village, the student hub and focus of student social life. Through a network of interconnected landscaped pedestrian walkways and efficient transport routes, the development creates a cohesive environment that integrates the main campus with the residential precinct. Continued over...
UCD VILLAGE
DUBLIN 4
...CONTINUED
Catering to all 3,000 students living on campus, UCD Village comprises a wide range of amenity facilities and spaces, in each block at entrances to courtyards and defined zones of indoor and outdoorinteraction, and in a central hub accessible to the larger student population.
Facilities include external play areas, exercise routes, study areas, bookable spaces, and dining and breakout areas
(See Section 2 Insights for more)
BDA award 2022 : Best Interior Project of the Year ICI award 2022:
Education Project of the Year IDI award 2022:
Architectural Design - Commercial BA award 2023:
Residential Project of the Year BDA award 2024:
Student Accommodation Project of the Year
DOMINICK PLACE DUBLIN 7
URBAN INFILL IN A HISTORIC QUARTER
Scale: 351 apartments, 10,820 m2
Services: Design, Interior Design
Execution
Professionally managed student living in two buildings on Dominick Street, Dublin 7. Located on the tram (LUAS) line, the site provides ready access to the city’s educational and leisure facilities. The development includes a full range of amenities - gym, laundry facilities, lounge, café, music room, cinema space, games rooms, study spaces,
half sized basketball court, landscaped courtyards, roof terraces and retail space. The buildings restore the historic building line of the street, harmonising with the surrounding historic architecture in the wider Georgian district in material and proportion.
Continued over...
DOMINICK PLACE DUBLIN 7
...CONTINUED
All interiors were designed by Reddy A+U’s interior design team, under the direction of Lisa Smyth. Shared spaces are designed to be bright, colourful and warm. The recurring motif of the arched opening was inspired by the doorways of the nearby historic Georgian streets.
GOATSTOWN ROAD
DUBLIN 14
NEW LIFE FOR SUBURBAN BROWNFIELDS
Scale: 250 student bed spaces, 7,560 m2
Services: Design
Located 1km from University College Dublin in a predominantly residential area, a new student living scheme on former brownfield lands addresses its residential context in a positive manner. A nearby apartment block and low-rise housing set the context.
A courtyard arrangement graduating in scale from three to seven storeys is a bold response to the site constraints. A cantilevered form to the front of the site addresses the curve of the street and signals entrance and amenity spaces, with students housed on upper levels.
MILL STREET
DUBLIN 8
Scale: 400 student bed spaces, 15,093 m2
Services: Design, Execution
On a brownfield city centre site, a professionally managed student living scheme and associated amenities such as a gym, laundry and lounge, and the creation of Huguenot Square, a significant new public space at its heart. New retail units bring street life to Mill Street.
The introduction of 400 students, along with cafés and retail spaces, has been a catalyst for the regeneration of the wider Newmarket area. The development included the conservation of the long-neglected protected structure at No. 10 Mill Street.
BREWER’S CLOSE DUBLIN 8
FROM BROWNFIELD TO URBAN QUARTER
Scale: 282 student bed spaces, 10,600 m2
Services: Design, Interior Design
Execution
Professionally managed accommodation for 245 students, 37 rental apartments and 3 new retail units. The project, together with the adjoining New Mill development, also by Reddy A+U, makes an urban block that creates a new active street edge, provides public access to the Poddle river, incorporates a protect structure and activates a prominent corner in the urban regeneration of the Newmarket and Coombe area. It aims to provide a connected student community through a series of interconnected landscaped pedestrian walkways and routes.
POINT CAMPUS
DUBLIN 1
A NEW PIECE OF CITY
Scale: 966 student bed spaces, 33,520 m2
Services: Design, Interior Design
Execution
Point Campus, in two new urban blocks and incorporating retail units and an enterprise centre, is a new piece of city. A development of 966 student bed spaces arranged around courtyards, with amenity spaces of 5,200 m², including individual and group spaces, music roomw, gym, yoga studio, cinema, lounge deck, coffee docks, meeting and study rooms,
exercise track and roof garden. Materials are inspired by its historic context and provide individuality and character to each of the blocks while allowing the two buildings to be read as part of the same idiom. The development achieves BREEAM Excellent rating.
Irish Construction Industry Awards - Large Residential Project of the Year 2018
TRINITY HALL
DARTRY, DUBLIN 6
LINKING AND EXTENDING WITH A NEW TYPOLOGY
Scale: 358 student bed spaces
Services: Design
The proposed development will extend existing student accommodation at Trinity Hall with additional student bed spaces, a multi-purpose hall and ancillary amenities. Following research of typologies nationally and internationally, Reddy A+U created a new prototype which reduces floor area and building costs while complying with relevant standards. Exploiting existing topography avoided the requirement for deep excavations. Adjoining protected structures are sensitively incorporated. A new forum creates an axis through the site, linking the proposed residential courtyard with the existing plaza and pedestrian entrance. Outdoor amenity spaces are provided within the central courtyard.
