Perspective April 2023

Perspective

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Contents Issue 2 - 2023 - Volume 32. No. 2

COMMENT

03

CASE STUDY Gardenmore Green Barrie Todd

18

Custom House Karen Latimer

30

100 GPS Architect's Account

42

Mixed-Use Development, Ormeau Road Architect's Account

54

Workrise Belfast, 35DP Architect's Account

62

FEATURES Buildings at Risk

10

Shortlist for RSUA Design Awards 2023

14

Ulster University

28

Q+A

50

Queen's University

60

Landscape

68

Arts Review

74

Book Review

78

Cover - Gardenmore Green Photograph: Joe Laverty Photography Published by Ulster Journals Ltd 39 Boucher Road, Belfast BT12 6UT Telephone 028 9066 3311 Email perspective@ulsterjournals.com Web www.rsua.org.uk Managing Editor Christopher Sherry Editorial Assistant Gemma Johnston Contributors Marianne O’Kane Boal, Sebastian Graham, Karen Latimer, Barrie Todd, Andrew Molloy, Andrew Bunbury Advertising Sales Lorraine Gill, David Millar Design Tatler Type RSUA Editorial Committee Kari Simpson (Convenor), Dermot MacRandal, Wayne Hazlett, Jayne McFaul, Aidan McGrath, Andrew Molloy. Extended Committee Andrew Bunbury, Marianne O’Kane Boal, Keith McAllister, Paul Clarke.

The Journal of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects, 2 Mount Charles, Belfast BT7 1NZ Telephone 028 9032 3760 Subscriptions Christine McGoldrick Telephone 028 9066 3311 Subscription rates UK £24 Overseas (inc. ROI) £30. Perspective is published bimonthly and distributed freely to all architects in Northern Ireland.

It is also available by subscription. Printed by GPS. Copyright Content Ulster Journals Ltd Title - RSUA. Opinions expressed in Ulster Journals publications are those of the individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of the publishers.

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COMMENT

Custom Made

Custom House offered a unique opportunity to work on one of Charles Lanyon’s finest buildings and to explore the history of this imposing Grade B+ listed building.

Although the building had been heavily modified during previous refurbishments, we welcomed the challenge of addressing the modern workspace in 2023 – whilst stripping the building of its fortified blast resistant elements and bringing an element of grace back to the building.

Our client’s open brief was to provide a modern, classic office amenity to meet the needs of the ‘ever-evolving’ workplace.

The story we had to create was to ensure each guest’s first step into Custom House’s main reception enveloped them in an environment akin to that seen in luxurious hospitality.

To achieve this, we engaged with local Historic Environment Division (HED) to agree the removal of a number of internal elements which allowed the entrance foyer to flood with natural light whilst the upper floors were modified to offer varying levels of external views, daylighting and retained historic fabric. Existing high ceilings with coved embellishments were repaired and enhanced, whilst the double-height sliding sash windows were carefully refurbished.

The building’s classic proportions and tall floor-to-floor plates (unexpectedly) offered the possibility of providing flexible spaces in which partitions can be removed allowing offices to be extended whilst internally the interior design embraces the warehousing, classical and industrial heritage of Belfast to produce a historic, yet modern space.

The Custom House project offered an added test as it was designed during the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions and raised the question for both TODD and our client as to ‘what a shared office should offer in 2023?’

First and foremost, it was agreed that the well-being of every user should be a priority and therefore we adopted the WELL Building Standard which is grounded in a body of medical research that explores the connection between buildings where we spend 90% of our time and the health and wellness of us as occupants.

This WELL approach incorporates various systems that monitor lighting and air quality, however, additional architectural provisions include wellness pods, a complementary gym, shower and changing facilities, bike storage, barista bar and a podcast room, as well as an extensive suite of indoor and outdoor event spaces and conference and meeting room facilities; the level of amenity provided is considerable.

The end result is in an office space that effortlessly embodies adaptive re-use; demonstrating that existing buildings can simultaneously provide exceptional, state-of-the-art facilities to serve local communities whilst also drastically minimising the carbon impact associated with construction.

On review, it has been an honour to delve into the history of this landmark building and assist with bringing one of Charles Lanyon’s works back to life.  See Case Study on Custom House page 30

Martin Lennon TODD Architects

Perspective 03

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WHAT DREAMS MAY COME.

NEWS

Architects set out actions needed to decarbonise the built environment in NI

T

he architects of Northern Ireland have set out a series of necessary changes to Northern Ireland’s built environment to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with targets set in the Climate Change Act (NI) 2022.

The Climate Action Paper launched on 2 February 2023 at Stormont by the Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) calls for government to: • Set minimum energy performance standards for private rentals.

• Review planning policies to establish a presumption towards the re-use of existing buildings as against demolition.

• Require all new publicly funded buildings to be built to last a minimum of 100 years unless a detailed end-of-life plan for material re-use is agreed.

• Use the planning system to heavily prioritise new developments that enable a high proportion of daily journeys to be taken without the need for a motor vehicle.

• Establish a plan to reduce car reliance in existing developments through the introduction of new walking, cycling and wheeling connections.

• Develop a plan to grow native Irish trees to provide local, natural, high-quality building materials for future generations.

• Set a date after which no new building will rely on carbonintensive fuels as its primary heat source.

In total the paper contains 39 key actions, many more ideas for further consideration as well as actions that architects can take right now.

At the launch Ciarán Fox, Director of RSUA, said, “Most estimates suggest that the built environment accounts for approximately 40% of energy-related carbon emissions. We recognise the journey to net-zero for Northern Ireland will require a radical transformation of what we build, where we build and how we build. Government policies and the actions of government construction clients will be pivotal in reaching this target.”

The launch event was addressed by Kate Nicholl MLA, Chair of the All-Party Group on Climate Action and was co-sponsored

by Phillip Brett MLA and Danny Baker MLA. Senior officials from across devolved and local government heard from members of the RSUA Climate Emergency Committee on specific issues relating to existing buildings, new buildings, travel, green, building materials and heat and power.

Ciarán Fox continued, “Not only do we need to quickly reduce emissions from heating and powering our buildings, we also need to reduce emissions arising from the construction process which includes material production delivery and assembly on site. Perhaps one of the greatest challenges is to address the legacy of developments that have locked-in dependency on car usage for everyday needs.”

“The Climate Change Act has challenged government departments to ensure that by 2030 Northern Ireland’s net emissions are 48% below 1990 levels. To achieve this we need to see substantial changes in 2023 and we believe the actions proposed in this paper would set Northern Ireland on the right trajectory.”

Kate Nicholl MLA, Chair of the All Party Group on Climate Action and Paul McAlister, President of RSUA alongside Ciarán Fox, Director of RSUA and Alan Ritchie, Chair of the RSUA Climate Emergency Committee with members of the RSUA Climate Emergency Committee.

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NEWS RESTORATION

Steaming Ahead Titanic Pumphouse The industrial prowess of Belfast at the beginning of the 20th century was gigantic. Linen factories dominated world trade, engineering firms were creating the latest need-to-have kit and state-of-the-art ships were being launched from its famous docks. Two firms dominated the ship-building industry in Belfast at the time: Harland and Wolff and Workman, Clark and Co. As larger ships were being built, new dry docks were required to accommodate the behemoth ships for fitting out. Attached to these dry docks were pumphouses which would pump the water out, allowing further work to the ships to begin. The Titanic pumphouse on the Queen’s Road, Belfast, has found a new lease of life, having served its time as a pumphouse it will now be operated as a whiskey distillery and tourist attraction by Titanic Distillers.

verges and arched openings. To the centre is a projecting gable capped by a clock tower. The Romanesque window openings are peaked at the pediment with scallop-shaped acroteria.

There have been many changes to the building over time, notably the removal of two chimneys to the north and south of the structure. An aerial image of 1933 shows the building with the chimneys and the vents to the roof which were removed at some time after 1950.

The pump house was completed in 1889 and officially opened

by Prince Albert Victor. It originally serviced Alexandra Dock, which is currently the home of HMS Caroline. In 1911 the Thompson Graving Dock was built (not officially opened until 1916) which the pumphouse would also serve. This involved the building of a new pumphouse to the north end of the existing buildings around 1908. This was designed by William Redfern Kelly and superintended by Thomas Stephen Gilbert. The first ship to enter the dock was the RMS Olympic in April 1911. The RMS Titanic would also enter the dock.

The building is essentially a series of joined gabled pavilions built in redbrick with cream brick dressings to the gables,

Interior of the pump house with copper stills and steel mezzanine floor.

The pump house in the 1960s. © Crown DfC Historic Environment Division.

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NEWS RESTORATION

The pumphouse machinery was largely replaced in the late 1950s when tenders were invited for three new electricallydriven pumps. This was taken on by Gwyness Pumps Ltd and completed in 1962. When the pumps worked together, they could drain a full dock of 22.2 million gallons of water in 110 minutes. The Alexandra Dock ceased in 1974 while the Thompson Dock was still being utilised by the pumphouse.

Of all the pumps and machinery, the most significant is the hydraulic accumulator which dates to the original construction of the Thompson Dock.

The pumphouse was latterly used as a coffee shop and museum, offering a glimpse into the past while access to the Thompson Graving Dock was provided on occasions. The building had been listed as at-risk in 2004, saved in 2008 and added again to the at-risk register in 2021. It was noted that water ingress and vegetation growth had caused issues to the brickwork and timber window frames. These issues were noticeable inside when work began, having caused significant damage through rot to the windows and dampness to the walls which required relining in lime to the interior. This hammers home the need to deal with issues, no matter how small, as soon as possible to save historic fabric, but also to save time and money. Maintenance matters!

Titanic Distillers acquired the lease for the building in 2021 and plans for converting the pumphouse into a whiskey distillery came to fruition under project architects Like. The transformation of a working pumphouse to a distillery came with some challenges, especially regarding bulky distillery machinery. Thankfully, the open nature of the building lends itself to a range of uses. The copper whiskey stills are supported on a mezzanine mesh floor which provides a view to the basement levels where the pumping machinery is retained.

Like notes that, “The aim is to deliver a sustainable long-term use that will secure the upkeep and retention of the listed building, as well as delivering a new tourism attraction and facilities that will contribute to a more vibrant Titanic Quarter and highlight the historic significance of the building and its

surroundings.” Amazingly, all the steelwork for the interior was lowered into place using the original overhead crane by Andrew Barclay and Sons, Kilmarnock.

The building’s industrial heart has not become lost in the restoration, in fact it has been enhanced. Tours will tell the story of the building, its past and also its new future in distilling.

Peter Lavery of Titanic Distillers notes the success of the project was down to the Titanic Distillers team, co-directors, contractors and architects. Peter wants to showcase the building to the public, retaining the history of the building and the local stories associated with the structure. He rightly notes that he could have a tailor-made brownfield site anywhere in Northern Ireland for the distillery, but having a Titanicassociated building was too good an offer to overlook.

Like many projects during these difficult times, there were challenges with price rises and delays but Titanic Distillers were determined to get the job done correctly. It is further proof of how wonderful and practical our industrial heritage buildings are. There are over 122 industrial heritage structures on the Heritage at Risk Register across Northern Ireland with that number increasing by almost 50 in two years. With the opening of the Distillery in March 2023 it is hoped this will reinvigorate the Maritime Mile and enhance the tourist offering in the area. 

Exterior of building.

The operational Andrew Barclay and Sons crane.

References Pumping Stations at Alexandra and Thompson Graving Docks, Fred Hamond, 2000 Britain from Above XPW042458, aerial image of pumphouse 1933 www.titanicdistillers.com

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FEATURE

Ten projects shortlisted for the RSUA Design Awards 2023 The search for the best works of architecture in Northern Ireland in 2023 has been narrowed down to the final ten following a rigorous judging process by an expert panel of architects from across Ireland and Great Britain. Each of the projects shortlisted for the Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) Design Awards will now be visited for a second round of judging and the winners will be announced in late May.

Ciarán Fox, Director of RSUA, welcomed the news, commenting, “Our built environment impacts our daily lives in so many ways. Each new addition must be crafted with great care for the needs of the client and the end user but also to meet the needs of the wider community and the natural environment.”

“I congratulate the architects, clients and wider teams involved

Grand Opera House.

Project Name

Location

Architect(s)

Grand Opera House Belfast

Belfast

Consarc Design Group

Windmill House

Hillsborough

Marshall McCann Architects

Ulster Hospital Acute Services Block Dundonald

Avanti Architects in association with Kennedy FitzGerald Architects

Ballyhackamore House

Belfast

Studio idir

Hill House

Belfast

McGonigle McGrath

Braidside Integrated Primary School Ballymena

Isherwood + Ellis with Knox Clayton Architects

St. James Farm Belfast

Belfast

MMAS

Magheracross Coastal Walkway Trailhead and Scenic Viewpoints

Bushmills

GM Design Associates Limited

Fort House

Armagh

Patrick Bradley Architect Ltd

The Chapel

Belfast

Alskea Ltd

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FEATURE

in delivering these ten projects. Having assessed this year’s submissions the distinguished judging panel has concluded that each of these works of architecture have demonstrated some element of delight, invention or ambition that deserves a more thorough examination.”

“This year’s shortlist takes in a wonderful range of project types and budgets ranging from a house extension to a £120m hospital block. I’m almost certain it’s the first time we have had an urban farm on the shortlist too.”

“It’s great to once again see the reworkings of a number of existing buildings have made the shortlist. Retaining our built heritage is more important than ever, not just from a cultural point but also from an environmental perspective.”

“The projects submitted for this year’s awards were required to have been in use for at least one year before they could be put forward so that the judging panel could better evaluate the sustainability and overall performance of these projects. This ensures the competition remains the most robust measure of the best architecture emerging from Northern Ireland. RSUA will continue to make sure that the focus is not just on the projects’ aesthetics but the full range of design considerations including, crucially, the environmental impact and carbon footprint.”

Throughout March all shortlisted schemes were visited by the judging panel. The winners of this year’s RSUA Design Awards will be announced at a ceremony on Friday 19 May 2023 in the Great Hall, Parliament Buildings at Stormont, designed by Sir Arnold Thornley, which won the RIBA Ulster Architectural Medal in 1933.

All of the shortlisted projects are potential RSUA Design Award winners. If they are successful, they will be in the running to win the Liam McCormick Prize - Northern Ireland’s building of the year and will be considered for a UK-wide RIBA National Award in recognition of their architectural excellence - the results of which will be announced in June. 

The RSUA Design Awards 2023 judges are: • RSUA-appointed judge (architect from NI): Ian McKnight, Partner at Hall McKnight Architects, Belfast.

Windmill House.

• RIBA-appointed judge (architect from GB): Sophy Twohig, Director at Hopkins Architects, London.

• RSUA-appointed lay judge: Angus Kerr, Director of Climate Change Division, Department for Communities.

• RIAI-appointed judge (architect from RoI): Ali Grehan, Dublin City Architect, Dublin City Council.

• Sustainability expert: Alan Ritchie, RSUA Climate Emergency Committee Chair & Director at C60 Architects, Belfast.

• Conservation expert: Brian Quinn, RSUA Conservation Committee Chair & Senior Architect in Minor Capital Delivery Service, Infrastructure and Capital Development at the Education Authority NI.

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FEATURE

Ulster Hospital Acute Services Block.

Ballyhackamore House.

Hill House.

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FEATURE

Braidside Integrated Primary School.

St. James Farm, Belfast.

Magheracross Coastal Walkway Trailhead and Scenic Viewpoints.

Fort House.

The Chapel.

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FEATURE CASE STUDY

Gardenmore Green

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THE TEAM Client Radius Homes Architect & Principal Designer Hall Black Douglas Architects Project Director: David Black Project Architect: Chris McAvoy

Quantity Surveyor VB Evans & Company

Structural & Civil Hanna and Hutchinson Consulting Engineers Main Contractor Derryleckagh Contracts Photography Joe Laverty Photography

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Perspective 19 PAGE18-23.indd 3

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FEATURE CASE STUDY

T

building costs, which are understandably normal in social housing projects - as indeed was the case in this instance - far too often engender apathy, resulting in nondescript, mediocre architecture.

Upon his arrival, Chris indeed confirmed that this architecturally excellent development did indeed fall into the ‘social housing’ category, the client being the highly reputable housing association ‘Radius Housing’. Upon hearing this revelation, my immediate expressed sentiment was: “How refreshing.” Tight

But in the case of Gardenmore Green, architectural quality is achieved within cost limitations by the application of a subtle but effective employment of sensitively selected materials and imaginative architectural features. Exterior walls are clad in an Ibstock buff-toned brick (New Ivanhoe Cream) mottled with splashes of mute grey throughout, with each house’s individual identity being punctuated by the inclusion of Weinerberger Staffordshire blue-grey brick panels laid in a soldier-course configuration and coupled with each entrance loggia.

he first question that came to mind in advance of architect Chris McAvoy (of Hall Black Douglas) arriving at Greenmore Green was: Is this a private ownership or social housing development? Such was the impressively good architecture which I saw before me, I thought that the former might be the case. That assumption was, however, not intended to deny that social housing deserves such quality, but more so because of unusualness.

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Economy of colour also underpins this unpretentious but very successful and cohesive aesthetic outcome. Effectively only two hues exist – that of the cream-coloured brick with the bluegrey hue of the brickwork panels being echoed in the window frames, front doors, metal rainwater goods and roof tiles.

Other applications and forms further contribute to the distinctive character of the architecture, the main such element being the textural effect provided in a patterned manner by projecting ‘header’ bricks which, when appropriate solar conditions occur, result in a dynamic and attractive play of light and shadow across those areas of the façades.

Windows which extend downwards towards the floor levels provide not only well naturally-lit interiors but also a unique

vertical emphasis which is complemented by the sophisticated vertically-panelled aluminum front doors and glazed side screens.

On those individual detached houses – of which there are five - the gabled profiles of the front façades further enhance these most effective architectural attributes, as does the inset corner windows which are incorporated in this particular house type. To boost the aesthetic experience already enjoyed, architectural incident is created by two of the detached houses having conjoined blue-grey brick clad links set back from the respective dwelling frontage. These flat-roofed links also provide enhanced sanitary accommodation at groundfloor level of the respective dwellings. In sympathy with the

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FEATURE CASE STUDY

Street View Concept Sketch

Site Concept Sketch

House Type - Ground Floor Plan

Site Layout Plan

House Type - Front Elevation

Gardenmore Green Street Elevation 01

Gardenmore Green Street Elevation 02

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understanding that occupants are likely to wish to generate their own identity, the choice and application of interior furnishings and fittings were left to each occupant’s discretion.

Aesthetics, however, represent only a part of good architecture. Variety and choice of accommodation is also vitally important, especially in social housing of this nature.

The Gardenmore Green development offers fourteen houses with five different house types, thereby providing a broad scope of accommodation options, ranging from three-person, two-bedroom through to five-person, three-bed units. Also included is a single five-person, three-bed “complex-needs” house complete with an elevator and adjustable-height kitchen units.

‘Green’ amenity space, both within the curtilage of each dwelling and bordering the access roads, contributes considerably to the lifestyle experience of each and every occupant. Each house also benefits from in-curtilage car parking - albeit it is a pity that cost considerations didn’t extend to enable the

provision of a higher quality driveway-surfacing material than that of the bituminous macadam which exists.

Standing back and viewing the extensive housing context which prevails across the general area of this location, it was very evident that the architecture of the Greenmore Green development creates a very special and significant presence amidst its comparatively nondescript surroundings, thereby demonstrating that, with design ingenuity and discretion which is clearly evident in this instance, good architecture can be achieved within sensible cost-effective limitations. 

Barrie Todd

Gardenmore Green won the ‘Small Housing Development Award’ at the BDA UK Brick Awards 2022 last November.

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ULSTER UNIVERSITY

What Connects Us? II

In What Connects Us? we ask: What it is that we share in the way we live, work and play? How might architecture enable us to share more to promote supportive, safe, equitable and climate-resilient communities? In the context of worsening mental health, loneliness and isolation indicators, we interrogate how architecture can help us connect to each other in the context of a true urban commons inclusive and shared community space which supports a diversity of users and overlapping uses. We explore connection at a human scale through threshold studies, which allows us to examine how tactility, structure, material, light and form contribute to engaging and playful architecture that is both equitable and democratic.

Context Our public realm continues to be neglected and eroded due, in part, to a rising focus on private interest and commercial value, compounding neighbourhood segregation, and disconnected streetscapes. What Connects Us? considers the potential for architecture to restitch this fragmented urban fabric. The studio begins to imagine how the act of ‘commoning’ can reconnect people with each other and their city. We look to a feminist architecture - inclusive design principles considerate to all aspects of society - to facilitate a commons-based approach to democratic urban living. We do this through the creation of equitable buildings and external spaces which promote diversity, inclusion, social interaction, shared responsibility and collective action.

Belfast Our built environment has become focused on private interest and commercial value, neglecting the need for an interplay between public and private space that we see in other cities which acknowledge the importance of shared experience and collaboration. By investigating the cultural context of Belfast, we explore how ‘commoning’ and the dynamics of shared space might inform an urban and architectural proposition from the scale of the human to the city. We seek to consider a contextual architecture which is attentive to the urban memory of Belfast, while facing the future and responding to the climate crisis.

The question of the production of a commons in Belfast is complex.

We share a rich and vibrant culture, but currently city planning and the architecture within this can hinder how we engage with ‘shared space’, a term in Northern Ireland which is too often used as an ambiguous rhetoric. We, however, seek to reframe it to produce physical and emotional connections within our places and communities.

Studio Briefs In semester one the studio developed an understanding of architecture within an imagined commons in North Belfast. The SuperStudio led a live project to design a pavilion for GROW Community Garden in collaboration with ANAKA Collective, a group of refugee women who educate, support and celebrate each other.

Our site was the Waterworks and surrounding neighbourhood.

While designing a pavilion to act as a functional place for shelter, refuge, education and play the studio also examined how to express material and craft and form meaningful atmospheric space. The studio considered how the design of a socially conscious pavilion could support local marginalised groups - many of whom are from diverse cultures - by acting as an engaging and inclusive generator of activity within the wider commons.

Working with the strengths of the Superstudio model (a studio formed with students from years 1-6), the brief invited the senior year groups to immerse themselves in the context of the site and apply the studio principles to a masterplan. The purpose of the masterplan was to look beyond the immediate site. In doing so we develop the entrepreneurial spirit of the architect, to harness untapped potential in unexpected conditions and inscribe new meanings to the wider context. First to third year students then explored an architecture that emerges from local conditions, the specific climate and culture of the place and the needs and desires of its people.

In the second semester, working on a new site, the SuperStudio followed two overlapping briefs. The first, in collaboration with skills training charity Women’s Tec, looks at developing the first semester pavilion design through experimental testing of materials, structure, tactility and tectonics. This study is grounded by a thorough exploration of precedent through large-scale models and detailed drawings. The second brief creates a masterplan for a piece of the urban village along the Antrim Road. This includes the adaptive reuse of a Victorian terrace as a vertical commons. Other briefs within the masterplan involve adaptive reuse of an existing nursing home, an existing low rise supermarket into an urban farm and base for Belfast Food Coop and the proposed provision of new refugee housing, artist accommodation and extended space for Women’s Tec. The pavilion proposals are incorporated into the masterplan as demountable structures to test new possibilities for active edges and restructured public activity on the site.

How We Share In What Connects Us? we seek an architecture of ‘commoning’ that has the potential to produce supportive, safe and equitable communities which can help restitch our increasingly fragmented city. We do this by encouraging students to be experimental and collaborative, form architectural positions and to be ambitious in how they might use architecture to imagine a more democratic and equitable future for Belfast.  Aoife McGee The SuperStudio is led by Aoife McGee, Course Director of the BA (Hons) Architecture course at Ulster University and Director of MMAS Architects with Lisa Park of Studio Park as studio support.

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Anna Thompson, 3rd year, Garden Room Project focusing on permeable threshold.

Lauren McCormack, 5th Year, 1:20 precedent model of Kengo Kuma’s ‘Nest We Grow’.

3rd years, Anna Thompson & Matthew McKittrick engaging GROW in design discussion.

Danielle Hynd, 3rd year, Garden Room Project which considers the engaging edge in the design of a shared community cooking and dining space.

Danielle Hynd, 3rd year, celebrating the ordinary everyday of the current site condition.

Lauren McCormack, 5th year, Garden Room Project, exploring material, structure and light.

John Catterson, 6th year thesis project, 21/22, reintroducing a shared language culture to strengthen, empower and connect the local community to each other and their city.

Katie Thorogood, 3rd year, Garden Room Lauren McCormack, 5th year, Rhino modelling of precedent project studying Japanese structural tectonics. tectonics of Kengo Kuma’s ‘Nest We Grow’.

Nia McNally, 2nd year, Garden Room project utilising growing panels for solar shading contributing to an improved biodiversity site strategy.

Jake McManus, 2nd year, Garden Room Project designing a hydroponic growing farm with filtered rainwater collection.

Zoe Moulin, 5th year, presenting her Garden Room project to GROW Community Garden group & ANAKA Collective.

Farida Abdelhady, 1st year, presenting her Garden Room Project to GROW Community Garden group.

Perspective 29 PAGE28-29 UU.indd 3

19/04/2023 14:02

FEATURE CASE STUDY

Custom House

C

ustom House is generally accepted by Belfast’s architectural chroniclers (Brett, Dixon, Larmour and Patton) to be one of Belfast’s finest public buildings.

Designed by Charles Lanyon and William Henry Lynn at the height of their powers in 1854-7 (although planned as early as 1846), and with exceptional carvings designed by Lynn’s brother Samuel and executed by the sculptor Thomas Fitzpatrick, it brings a little touch of Italian palazzo and Palladian elegance to Victorian Belfast.

Over the years there have been changes to both the context and the building itself and now, over 150 years since it was built, it is enjoying a new use not unrelated to that for which it was first designed. Prior to its construction, various government offices were scattered around the city and these were brought together in the handsome new building; they included the Customs, the Post Office, Income Tax and Stamp offices, Inland Revenue and Emigration amongst other departments. To accommodate the various departments, there were different entrances with the main Customs entrance in a central portico with the splendid sculptures of Britannia, Neptune and Mercury gazing from the pediment eastwards towards the river. On the south elevation there was originally an arcaded entrance to the Post Office where Anthony Trollope once worked.

The history of a building is part of its story and it would be tempting to fold Trollope’s novels into that of the Custom House. It is hard, however, to find in Trollope’s novels more than the very occasional reference to the mills and foundries that made Belfast such a thriving city in the late nineteenth century. In truth, Trollope came rather reluctantly to Belfast from Dublin as Acting Surveyor in the Northern District of Ireland based in Belfast: “I should prefer the South to the North of Ireland” he wrote to a Bristol friend in 1854. One of his

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FEATURE CASE STUDY

biographers, scientist and novelist CP Snow, notes, however, that, “Most of The Warden was, as it happened, written in Belfast.” Before we read too much into this claim it should be noted that Snow goes on to say, “That was an advantage.

He was one of those novelists, and that includes nearly all the best, who write more deeply about their chosen scene when they get a good long way removed from it.”1 In 1854 Trollope extricated himself from Belfast and settled in Donnybrook.

The Custom House hasn’t changed much since those days although originally it looked over Belfast’s historic quays which are now separated from it by a busy road. The entrance now, however, faces onto the pedestrianised Custom House Square, recapturing its earlier days as a place for orators of sorts (such

as Frank Ballantyne commemorated by the bronze statue at the foot of the steps) to make their pitch. Nowadays, events in the square are more likely to be pop rather than politics and it is good to see a range of headline events by CHSq for 2023 and a collaborative approach being taken by the organisers and the new owner of the Custom House.

The new owner is local businessman Neil McKibbin, director of Straidorn Properties, who bought the Custom House with the express purpose of bringing back one of Belfast’s grandest buildings into local ownership when HMRC moved out some two years ago. It has, for him, been a project of great personal interest and passion. The building has undergone several phases of remodelling over the years with much of the interior

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Perspective 33 PAGE30-36 new.indd 5

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FEATURE CASE STUDY

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First Floor Plan

Third Floor Plan

Ground Floor Plan

Second Floor Plan

Key for floor plans 1 2 3

Main Reception Central Lobby Common Lounge

4 5 6 7

Lift Lobby Break-out social space Office WCs

8 Store 9 Management 10 Meeting Room 11 Training Room

changed and little remaining of the historic internal walls and features and some loss of original fabric and character. A major refurbishment was carried out by the John Neil Partnership with Dawson Stelfox in the 1990s due to the deteriorating condition

12 Co-Working 13 Podcast Room 14 Phonebooth 15 Wellness Room

16 Brick vaulted social space with café 17 Gym 18 Showers & Changing

19 Cycle Store 20 Bin Store 21 Plant Room 22 Comms Room

of the Custom House. This was a detailed and complex project involving removal of internal structure, structural strengthening and even the reinstatement of missing chimneys. Despite all the changes, however, the building’s original design and its civic presence have been retained and that remained the objective of the most recent project. The intention, successfully achieved, was to retain the character and historical features of the existing listed building including, for example, the refurbishment of the original balustrades and other details, while meeting the expectations of modern office users.

The world of work has changed greatly since the first workfrom-home mandate was introduced almost three years ago. Workplaces are increasingly being seen as social and collaborative places, often with less need for individual desks and a greater need for meeting rooms, break-out spaces and additional facilities. The number of days worked in the office now varies enormously but when in the workplace the need for 24/7 opening is essential for businesses that are increasingly global. It is this flexible, supportive and high-quality environment that the current owners have sought to achieve in creating

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FEATURE CASE STUDY

co-working and serviced office space in the Custom House.

As well as a wide range of workspaces from large offices to single-person hot desks (accommodating over 500 workers in the building), there are event spaces, an impressive doubleheight board room, conference and meeting room facilities, a podcast studio, kitchen areas, an elegant coffee lounge with impressive riverside views through the restored windows, and an atmospheric communal café in the vaulted basement.

Biophilic design and the wellbeing of the workforce are of pre-eminent importance here and the flexible office space provides wellness pods, phone booths, and even a gym with shower and changing facilities. Lifts are not signposted in order to encourage occupants to climb the stairs and there are no car parking places associated with the building but rather the emphasis is on cycling or taking public transport to work.

The focus of the current project was very much on the interiors but some exterior and structural work was carried out. This included lifting and re-laying exterior paving and installing a new lightweight metal frame canopy to the south courtyard to cover the main DDA access route. This is incorporated in such a way as not to obstruct the view of the important west elevation and also provides an outdoor seating space linking to the café and providing an attractive indoor/outdoor

connection. Significant attention was also paid to the windows which are such a key element in the façade.

During previous phases of refurbishment, internal floor levels had been raised, resulting in a clash with existing openings, and heavy-duty secondary glazing was installed which did not sit well with the historic windows. The current works redress the resulting problem of restricted views by altering floor levels at key locations to ensure that the entire glazing zone of the windows is visible for both the internal and external viewer. Slimline heritage secondary glazing aligning with the glazing bars has now been installed. Additionally, previously blocked-up windows on the ground floor have been opened up to provide a visual link between Custom House Square and the brick-vaulted café space.

The Custom House has long played an important part in the history of Belfast, and it is a pleasure to see it continue to provide a home for the city’s workforce even if the world of work has changed somewhat since Anthony Trollope’s day. 

Karen Latimer Reference 1. CP Snow. Trollope. Macmillan, 1975. p.7

36 Perspective PAGE30-36 new.indd 8

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CASE STUDY ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

100 GPS

G

reat Patrick Street is situated in Belfast’s iconic Cathedral Quarter on the edge of the city centre. The surrounding area, until recently, was predominantly occupied by run-down industrial warehouses and commercial units. The completion of the Ulster University Belfast Campus has brought new life to the area with many of the neighbouring sites being redeveloped as high-rise student accommodation.

Adjacent to these new high-rise developments sits a row of two- and three-storey industrial buildings, the oldest being a redbrick two-storey building with a saw-toothed roof which was purchased for this project. The building sits on a wedgeshaped site directly abutting a warehouse building on the west elevation, with a small car parking space to the south and a narrow alleyway to the east elevation. Although the building previously had some minor refurbishment and an office fitout to a section of its first floor, it remained in poor condition with a leaking asbestos roof, rodent infestation and structural damage. The inside of the building was very dark with glazing primarily to the front south-facing elevation; the majority of the east-facing windows had previously been blocked up.

However, the existing building had character, expressed through its structural framework, ironmongery details and the exposed brick to its internal walls.

Two leading children’s charities, Include Youth and Voice of Young People in Care (VOYPIC), jointly purchased the

building in 2016 with the vision of retaining the character and redeveloping the building to become a first-of-its-kind dedicated community youth facility in the heart of Belfast.

The charities have over 70 years of experience in supporting vulnerable, marginalised children and young people across Northern Ireland. In October 2020, Doherty Architects were appointed by Belfast City Council, acting on behalf of the charities, to design, develop and manage the project from conception through to completion, ensuring the delivery of their vision. The project was funded by Department of Communities, Department of Health, Atlantic Philanthropies, Tudor Trust, Garfield Weston, Ulster Garden Villages, White Mountain Grant and the Department of Economy.

The project brief was complex, requiring a multifunctional, flexible solution which would provide a dedicated ground-floor space to host the full range of programmes delivered by the two charities, who work with children and young people with lived experience of care. The ground-floor spaces included meeting rooms, consultation rooms, sensory room, media room, teaching kitchen, activity spaces and separate dedicated spaces for the Include Youth and VOYPIC programmes. The upper level was required to serve as the organisations’ regional headquarters with the organisations Include Youth, VOYPIC and Viable Corporate Services requiring their own separate and secure offices and an open area for refreshments and

42 Perspective PAGE42-45.indd 2

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THE TEAM Client Belfast City Council on behalf of Include Youth, VOYPIC and Viable Corporate Services Architects Doherty Architects Activity Space Interior Designer Helen Wright

Structural Engineer MWL Consulting Engineers M&E Consultants Bailie Associates Main Contractor McCusker Contracts Photography Donal McCann

Quantity Surveyor Donaldson Associates

Perspective 43 PAGE42-45.indd 3

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CASE STUDY ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

Ground Floor Plan

44 Perspective PAGE42-45.indd 4

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Section B-B

Section A-A

Elevations

Before Images

social interaction. Workshops were carried out with the youth groups to engage and understand their requirements and vision and an additional project brief was compiled, identifying the types of light and airy, highly textured and colourful spaces the youth envisaged for the completed building.

Our response to this complex brief was to analyse the required spaces and organise them into public, semi-public and private spaces. A highly glazed, modern, two-storey extension was proposed, on the front elevation, to highlight the activities taking place within. The public spaces, including rentable meeting rooms, were positioned at the front of the building with the spaces becoming more private as you move through the building. Where possible, folding walls were introduced to allow spaces to be opened up or made smaller depending on the programme requirements. With floor spaces freed up, a double-height light well was created in the centre of the building by removing sections of the first-floor plate.

This allows light to flood the once-dark ground floor and the surrounding spaces. The youth activity spaces were positioned below this double-height space, providing views to the sky above with the teaching kitchen, media room and dedicated spaces accessed off this central activity space. On the first floor, floor-to-ceiling fire-rated glazing was installed overlooking the double-height lightwell and adjacent to the existing lift shaft which was converted into a kitchen. This central area became the first-floor social interaction and refreshment area, with the offices being positioned around the south, east and north elevations. Rooflights were installed in the new saw-toothed roof, providing light to the first-floor spaces and lightwell.

The use of external insulation, fire compartmentation and fireresistant paint allowed us to expose the existing steelwork and internal brickwork. Around the lightwell the brickwork was painted white to bounce the light deeper into the lower levels.

The completed building was designed to provide EV charging to the front car parking spaces and photovoltaic panels to the saw-toothed roof, ensuring this building was sustainable and looked to the future of technology.

The building was completed in October 2022 and we are incredibly proud of the impact that this building has had on the youth, charities and local community who use it. The onceindustrial storage building, which could have been demolished to make way for high-rise student accommodation, has been saved and all the character within retained for future enjoyment, enhancing both the completed building and the surrounding area. 

Doherty Architects

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19/04/2023 14:16

FEATURE Q+A

Michael Doherty Director and architect at Doherty Architects.

What is your favourite project?

It must be Villa Savoye. It might be a bit of a cliché but as a student I recall spending a week in Paris venturing to as many Le Corbusier buildings as I could fit in. They featured in the ‘Architect’s Guide to Paris’ and I ticked them off as I went. I’m surprised my now wife stuck with me. It was a little bit of a venture out of the city to Poissy. Villa Savoye is a building that is both timeless and beautifully photogenic, with the turning of every corner revealing new vistas and forms. Several camera rolls were spent on that one. Don’t you just love that classic photo showing a 1930s car parked out the front. It could easily be photoshopped with a DeLorean or a Tesla without looking incongruous. Built between 1928 and 1931.

What is your least favourite project?

Let’s call this one the missed opportunity. With the foundation stone laid in 1928 and the official opening in 1932, the dates are remarkably familiar. Unfortunately, the Northern Ireland Parliament Buildings just missed the move to modernity and instead project an aesthetic about the imposition of power rather than the responsibility to serve. With the buildings approaching their centenary I just wonder if it’s about time for some remodelling and democratisation? Perhaps an extension of the project of opening the grounds to the public by adding some permanent cultural facilities on the site at the building?

I’ve also heard that good government offices invite unplanned encounters and quiet conversations in nooks and crannies, something Stormont lacks. So, that’s a couple of starting suggestions for a brief. (Oh, and destroy the symmetry please!)

Which city stands out as a model of good design?

Instinctively, it’s difficult not to respond with the praise of a historic European city with its geometry and forms based on walking, but some large and modern cities do not have that historic core to act as a prop. Unlike a new building, a city has to work with its inherited lot, and the evolution of a city happens over a long period with strategic decisions made by the city elders affecting generations and taking generations to show their full effect.

My favourite little ‘city’ of Lindos, on Rhodes, has its Acropolis, beaches and compact buildings imposed by planning constraints to mimic the forms and street patterns of its historic origins. The ‘design’ might be appropriate to its current use, but it can hardly be used as a model for literal replication.

I’ve had the good fortune of visiting Vancouver in Canada a couple of times. The city development fully exploits the geography of its setting with its sea, mountains and bay, and makes them open and accessible to the public. At a basic level it felt safe and friendly but above all it felt people centred, with space for pedestrians and cyclists and a density needed for sustainability. Downtown Vancouver has a population density of 18,837 residents per sq. km versus 2,500 for Belfast. Now, any city sites with the sea, a bay and mountains available for upgrading?

What made you choose your chosen career path?

When I was young, I always liked making things. As a child I was also one to take things apart and put them back together again in the desire to understand how they worked (apologies, Sister, for the toy shop cash register that didn’t survive the process). And drawing was always important to me, so carrying this through to my career was essential. I remember being in a friend’s house when I was seven and looking up at her father working on a drawing board. I recall the board seemed to tower above me as I asked questions on what he was doing. And what he was doing, was understanding how things worked, making new things, and drawing. It was something of a no-brainer and it was then that I resolved to become an architect. Thank you, Dessie Hendron, architect.

Unfortunately, drawing was overtaken by CAD at the start of my career, and no one to blame there as I was largely responsible for its early introduction to our practice. But there are other outlets for drawing. A pencil is still an important part of architectural practice to investigate early design options and to rapidly get those thoughts recorded, even as we design using Building Information Modelling.

If you could change one thing about Belfast, from a design point of view what would it be?

I would like to see more cultural facilities in the city centre with associated public space. We have the MAC, which is a great asset to the city, but unfortunately the history of the development of Belfast has meant that our main museum moved a long time ago from the now Central Library out to Botanic Gardens.

And somehow the Lyric Theatre and the Crescent Arts Centre, important arts venues which support the city as a whole, are just that little bit inaccessible to many due to their proximity to Queen’s University, rather than the city centre hub. I can understand the excuse of our past, but we need to robustly

50 Perspective PAGE50-51 2 pages.indd 2

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Villa Savoye - Le Corbusier

Lindos - Rhodes

address this failing in our city. The slack has been taken up by voluntary arts organisations and even the private sector with small galleries and arts groups. But even these are being forced to the periphery by the lack of affordable or accessible space.

With the continuance of internet shopping, it is essential that we find new uses for space in our city centres that make the city more than just a shopping venue. Living in the city should provide a better quality of life, and the student accommodation associated with Ulster University is building critical mass to make the necessary projects viable.

Belfast is missing a city art gallery so that would be a great start.

Favourite – movie, band, book, art piece?

FILM: Bladerunner, not the new one but the original, and in the Director’s Cut version. It has to be viewed several times to build the connections between some of the subtleties. Dreams and Origami. It’s also worth watching Metropolis beforehand to pick up on some of the references. And what a musical score by Vangelis.

What does good design mean to you?

Not losing focus on the need to deliver architecture rather than mere buildings. ‘Form follows function’ isn’t really enough, but it is one of the starting points. Lots of things come to mind.

In designing we reconcile and make compromises, and the judgements and weighting we apply in that process are critical.

Not being happy with compromises but knowing when the compromise is right, or knowing when the struggle for solutions needs to continue; knowing when to stop; satisfying technical requirements; overcoming constraints imposed by the planning system; the need to work within a physical context; addressing the client’s physical demands and also the needs of those who will use the facility; the desire to create joy and deliver a facility beyond the client’s expectations; maybe getting something personal out of the solution; the desire to make reference - to history and context; that what we design can make the users’ lives better not only physically but emotionally; to leave places better than they were before; to not allow the constraints to destroy the architecture……

BAND: ‘Yes’ are an English ‘prog rock’ band with works principally from the 1970s. Some might remember the song ‘Wonderous Stories’ or the later ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’. They produced lots of concept albums with fantastical covers by the illustrator Roger Dean. I’m currently loving side one of Relayer from 1974 which is loosely based on a battle scene derived from ‘War and Peace’. Great to play while making energetic paintings.

If not ‘Yes’ then it has to be ‘Nava’, the Irish-Iranian trad fusion band; you’ll see them on YouTube, try the song ‘Tehran’.

BOOK: This is one of my most treasured possessions: ‘The Rural Houses of the North of Ireland’ by Alan Gailey of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. This is a beautifully researched and illustrated work that maps out typologies, spread and details of the rural vernacular from the northern half of Ireland. It’s long out of print, but you can usually pick up a second hand copy online if you bide your time. Sometimes quite expensive but you can strike lucky.

ART PIECE: I admire any painting by Richard Diebenkorn from his Berkley series. They are all amorphous and abstract with not an orthogonal line in sight! Closer to home we have one of Ireland’s great painters, David Crone, who opened our Architects as Artists a few years back. I could definitely live with ‘Treecurtin’ on my wall. 

The design solutions to all of the above, and more, should cleverly reconcile these often competing forces, with a result that sits in the realm of architecture, alongside the other primary arts of painting and sculpture.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

• Doing something different every day.

• Problem solving.

• Drawing (a bit).

• Working as a team.

• Always learning more.

• Reviewing processes and finding ways to improve.

• The satisfaction of seeing something you have designed working the way it was intended.

Treecurtin by David Crone.

Perspective 51

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52 Perspective PAGE52.indd 1

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TECHNICAL INSULATION

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CASE STUDY ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

Mixed-Use Development, 332 Ormeau Road, Belfast

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THE TEAM Client Knockburn Ltd Architect & Principal Designer LIKE Architects Project Team: Michael Martin, Simon Scales

Mechanical & Electrical TMG Structural & Civil Taylor and Boyd Photography Paul Lindsay

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CASE STUDY ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

T

he site for the development was formerly occupied by the old Ballynafeigh PSNI Station located on the Ormeau Road in south Belfast. Fronting a prominent arterial route within the city, the mixed-use scheme comprises 57 apartments over retail at ground-floor level. The concept comprises two linear forms that respond to the irregular shape of the site and have been orientated to address the street frontage and create a high quality landscaped environment in the heart of the site. The integration of a basement car park ensures that the external space between residential blocks provides an attractive environment for residents. The front block extends the entire width of the site and is set back from the footway to respect the alignment of neighbouring residences, whilst providing the opportunity to create a landscaped buffer between street and built form. The inclusion of three ground-floor commercial units facing Ormeau Road removes the direct interface between public and private realms and ensures active frontages are achieved.

Above ground-floor level, residences extend over four floors with the top storey being set back at roof level. Served off a central corridor, dwellings are optimally orientated to benefit from either an east or west-facing aspect, with all apartments having private terraces or balconies in addition to the communal amenity spaces at ground-floor level. The pedestrian entrance along Ormeau Road provides access to both the central courtyard and the second residential block beyond, and access to the basement car park is discretely integrated into the design via a gated undercroft along the main frontage. The rear block accommodates apartments over four floors and fronts both the central courtyard and a further garden space to the east.

In developing both the form and architectural treatment, the proposals draw upon references within the immediate context.

The composition of the main frontage speaks to the traditional redbrick terrace housing which dominates the surrounding area. The use of redbrick for the front block is contrasted through the application of buff-coloured brickwork to the rear block. Facades employ a rhythm of recessed balconies to

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Ground Floor Plan

Fourth Floor Plan

Elevation along Ormeau Road

Site Section

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FEATURE CASE STUDY

living spaces and smaller bedroom windows alongside, which together reduce the overall plot ratio. Recessed balconies provide privacy from onlookers at street level and can be read as an inversion of the expressed bay windows in neighbouring terraces. Horizontal brick banding arranged in soldier course format speaks to the more ornate cornicing of the traditional terrace house. The top floor which is set back from the facade is clad in grey laminate board cladding panels, creating a modern interpretation of the surrounding roofscapes.

Completed as fully furnished for the private rental market, the development has achieved a high standard of detail and finishes both internally and externally, most notably through the inclusion of granite heads to windows, frameless glass guardings to balconies and treated timber linings to soffits.

The development respects the context of the Ormeau Road, in relation to other similar apartment developments with regards to scale, massing and materiality whilst recognising the need to create a quality development which marks the importance of the site on one of the main arterial routes into the city centre.

Significantly, the project was delivered during the Covid-19 pandemic at a time when the availability of workforce and construction materials presented significant challenges which could have jeopardised project delivery. Working in close collaboration with the client and contractor, this high quality private rented scheme is fully let and was delivered on budget and to programme. 

Arthur Parke

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ARTIST PROFILE: ZOË VICTORIA GIBSON

About the Artist Zoë Gibson, based in Bangor, recently graduated with her Master’s in Architecture from the Belfast School of Architecture, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Architecture at Ulster University’s Doctoral College.

Zoë’s thesis; Rathlin Island; A Landscape Repository. How do we archive the landscape?, won the RSUA Silver Medal 2022, for her representation of the archipelago, through hand drawings and textile illustrations of the landscape. Zoë has pursued her passion for textiles alongside her studies, creating landscape embroideries, representing the Irish landscape, and the secrets that it holds.

Ideas for the Landscape Tapestries began with her Fellowship Experience at the 59th Venice Arts Biennale in November 2022, as a project had to be created to represent her time working for the British Pavilion and the British Council. Zoë drew 80 of the 118 Venetian Archipelagos, to discover the cities’ campos, landscapes, architecture and textures of the materials that are repeated around Venice.

Throughout her education, Zoë has developed an interest in textiles and embroidery. She used this medium to interpret drawings, architecture and art. Applying this methodology to investigating the landscape, has ‘opened up’ a series of Landscape Tapestries, that are inspired by the vast Irish landscapes that we dwell within.

About the Landscape Tapestries: Contemporary, minimalist embroidered landscapes from Ireland.

Each embroidery is unique, representing a small area of land in Ireland, combining contrasting colours, stitches and qualities that make the piece special and individual.

The embroideries are completed using the finest quality cotton threads, on dense, woollen felt.

Each piece of embroidery is hand finished with glass beads and heavy stitches to give depth to the embroidery piece. Each embroidery is set on a mountboard, with a small inscription in the artist's hand of the unique art piece and framed in a simple white frame.

Zoë’s tapestries are available to purchase in the RSUA online shop and we have a few in the RSUA bookshop at Mount Charles, Belfast.

The RSUA Shop is available at http://www.rsua.org.uk/shop The RSUA shop is currently processing and posting orders Monday to Thursday, items are posted Royal Mail second class delivery.

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QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY

Public CoLab 2023 – Embracing the Waterfront in Belfast as Public Space Public CoLab is an annual collaborative design research laboratory at Queen’s University Belfast. It provides a platform for teams of architecture students to work with external partners to build an expanded understanding of the spatial manifestations of globally contentious issues within the context of public space in Belfast and beyond. Each team utilises their skills, creativity and ingenuity to create visualizations, design proposals, design scenarios and spatial narratives that seek to improve socio-environmental issues in public space. The Public CoLab approach positions the participants as both architecture students and informed citizens with valuable contributions to make towards the formation of public life, public discourse and the design of public spaces.

The Public CoLab research methodology is akin to fiveday design sprint. The workshop is catalysed by a series of contextualising lectures by the external partners. Each research team has post-graduate MArch 1 students and stage 1 undergraduate architecture students. They work together in the shared space of the design studio and the creative process is framed as taking place through design, making, conversation and creative interactions. Outputs are collectively produced, and as such, all participants are co-authors. They are published online as a digital exhibition and under a creative commons licence, as a way of encouraging their reuse. Therefore, Public CoLab presents an opportunity for the students to have their insights recorded and recognised by a larger audience and in perpetuity.

Public CoLab 2023 challenged the students to design public spaces, along the banks of the River Lagan, that address the climate and biodiversity crisis. The overarching goal was to present visions of a net-zero carbon Belfast that describe a future that is not only possible, but also desirable. As such, the project expands on ambitions presented in the Bolder Vision for Belfast and the Net-Zero Carbon Roadmap for Belfast. Each design team examined a discrete section of the River Lagan and mapped it from various perspectives, including their own as a student and citizen, that of a marginalised user and a range of animals, birds and fish. The resulting design interventions, illustrated here, depict an array of inventive proposals that challenge how we might create spatial interventions along the waterfront, adjacent to the tidal alleviation scheme, to allow both humans and non-humans to thrive in public space.

Acknowledgements We would like to thank the following students who participated wholeheartedly and creatively in the learning event: Daisy Adams, Dhanish Ahmed, Evonne Alexander, Maram Alissa, Gabriella Amanda, Max Anderson, Natalie Anderson, Ian Bagasala, Molly Baker, Jordan Barrow, Megan Batty, Aditi A.Benke, Magdalena Bepierszcz, Daniel Bittles, Ioanna Boumpalou, Matthew Brown, Maria Elena Cariaga, Rebecca Carrothers, Shreya Chhajer, Sharon Chungath, Siobhán Coakley, Piers Collins, Maria Commons, Leo Conway, Sophia Costa Kloeckner, Katelyn Cumiskey, Grace Davis, Ella Doherty, Niamh Donnelly, Jessica Jayne Dorrian, Ashvin Elango, Mariah Faherty, Emma Fitzpatrick, Zoe Fleming, Lauren Forte, Oileán Galligan, Michaela Galvin, Jessica Garrett, Shivani A. Gite, Lucy Glass, Vanusa Gomes Te, Nadine Graham-Mulgrew, Aimee Grant, Naomi Gray, Olivia Greensmith, Darragh Hamilton, Alex Howard Smith, Emily Ireland, Hannah Jackson, Yedam Jeon, Yangtao Jiang, Emilie Jones, Alex Judd, Rishi Kamble, Emma Kane, Denise Keaney, Philip Kennedy, Leng Ket Yang, Philippa Koh, Natal Koulaylat, Peter Lawson, Jake Lebel, Edward Lee, Hok Chi Leung, Annabeth Tzong Lim, Samuel Chin Wei Lo, Megan Lowry, Saud Makki, Maya Marron, Sasha Martin, Eleanor Mc Quaid, Aoife McAvoy, Kerry McCabe, Rory McCormack, Reece McGeoghegan, Fiona McGrath, Ellen McKeag, Suman Miah, Geethu Mohandas, Natalia Mokras, Lucy Monteith, Deedhiti Mukherjee, Faye Murphy, Micheal Murphy, Rachel Murphy, Syed M. Naqvi, Jack Nolan, Molly O’Beirne, Erin O’Connor, Aoife O’Neill, Ciara Page, Alex Peacock, Oliver Petch, Alice Poole, Ethan Potter, D. Kaarthick Ravichandran, Ashish K. Salimon, William Luca Santoso, Lin Shan Ying, Anna Shaw, Iznay Shuja, Shuyu Si, Trinity Stevenson, Caitlin Suribas, Nicole Thompson, Scott Wilson, Low Chuan Yin Amelia, Min-Hui Yu and Zhouzi Zhou.

The brief for Public CoLab 2023 was developed in collaboration with Dr Callie Persic (Belfast City Council) and Dr Jane McCullough (Climate NI). We are very thankful to them for contributing so generously to the formulation of the themes and for catalysing the learning event with inspiring lectures.

We would also like to thank Dr Mura Quigley (Belfast City Council), Dr Andy Bridge (Belfast Regional Park), Judith Webb (Maritime Belfast), Prof. Mark Emmerson (Queen’s University Belfast), Caoimhe O’Neill and Liam Mularkey (Department for Infrastructure), and Dr Colin Shaw and Prof Sue-Anne Harding (Safe Our Lagan) for also supporting the project by way of giving informative contextualising lectures to initiate the design process. 

Dr Nuala Flood

Senior Lecturer in Architecture, Queen’s University Belfast

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Image of pools.

Plan of pool.

Proposed Map. Pools Perspective.

Seal Section.

Section Through Pool.

Water section 1.

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CASE STUDY ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

Workrise Belfast, 35DP

H

amill Architects, in association with Somerville Fitout, delivered a complete interior fit-out service for Texan workforce management company, Workrise. This 9,000 sq. ft open-plan space offers cutting-edge flexibility, incorporating the natural environment with urban architecture; a contemporary setting that provides the team with a comfortable workspace to strategize and socialize.

The initial concept called for biophilia to be incorporated into the design, as it is known to provide health and wellbeing benefits to those sharing the space. This was incorporated into the project in various ways, examples of which include the manufacture of an imposing granite planter filled with greenery and a large plant wall created in oak which provided a soft division for various zones.

Workrise took possession of the fourth floor of 35DP, a fivestory building that sits in the heart of Belfast city centre on Donegall Place (above Boots). Covering 9,000 sq.ft, the space offers generous natural lighting and clear floor space which benefits greatly from panoramic views across Belfast. The brief from the client to the design team was to deliver a modern, agile, people-focused workspace that will encourage staff to collaborate and work together.

As is becoming more prevalent in modern workspaces, the design required an agile and flexible office to create a more collaborative work environment and to attract people back to the office. A variety of workspaces were created including ‘solo’ and ‘dual’ work pods, fitted out with acoustic walls and privacy glass doors. Two large meeting rooms stood out with their impressive, glazed perimeters. Equipped for collective team meetings they were appointed with comfortable seating,

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THE TEAM Client Workrise Main Contractor Somerville Fit-Out Architect & Principal Designer Hamill Architects M&E Consultant Stephen Clarke Consulting

Mechanical Victoria Mechanical Electrical JD McKeown Sound & Vision DWBS Photography Hype Factory

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CASE STUDY ARCHITECT’S ACCOUNT

oversized screens, and branded wallboards. They offered plenty of natural light due to the large skylight installation and the open-plan nature of the environment. A selection of smaller meeting rooms were modelled on the same theme.

Hamill Architects worked with the client and design team to choose simple, well-designed and functional furniture that would complement the predominantly glass and oak-clad interior. The furniture has been selected to ensure that it is appropriate for the various functions that it serves. Various areas are equipped with differing styles of seating and table arrangements for informal/quick meetings and breakout spaces for relaxed discussions.

Breakout zones offer a spacious area for team members to relax and unwind. This was achieved by incorporating exposed ceilings, brickwork, oak ceiling baffles and a stone island

unit to help create a comfortable and contemporary space.

Areas are defined through the introduction of differing floor finishes, planted timber room dividers and styles of furniture.

Acoustic panels and cladding have been used on the existing structure and on the underside of the floor slab to ensure that reverberation and sound transfer between rooms and areas are at a minimum. Ceiling heights and finishes vary throughout the offices.

In an effort to retain the light airy open feel of the existing shell, we opted to expose the building services and retain the exposed reinforced concrete columns, where possible, to create a ‘flow’ through the spaces, linking the meeting pods and breakout spaces. The design featured a balance of open-plan desking, meeting space and private phone pods, to facilitate a move to a more hybrid way of working and for increased virtual meetings.

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Materials employed included a contrasting use of raw materials such as stone, concrete and exposed brickwork.

These were combined with the warmth of European oak and bespoke upholstered seating which helped create the desired urban, flexible workspace. Where possible, it was important to Workrise to draw on local suppliers and materials. To this end, fabrics for some of the bespoke furniture was sourced from Mourne Textiles and the large stone planter is made from Ballymagreehan Granite from Co. Down.

The overall scheme culminates in a contemporary office scheme which meets and exceeds the client’s expectations.

The project has recently won ‘Fitout Project of the Year – small office over £500,000’ at the ‘Fitout Awards 2022’. The award took into account the execution of the project and innovations in the design and it was a competitive field.

Client Testimonial “To say that we were impressed with the design team and contractors is simply an understatement, the finished product is nothing short of exceptional and it is a true testament to the quality of craftsmanship and attention to detail of the team.

The client experience over the course of the build programme has been incredible, a genuine partnership with phenomenal passion to deliver our vision for this space. We’ve an amazing and engaging collaboration space that our product engineers can call their new home.” 

Paul Wright

VP Engineering & Site Lead - Workrise Perspective 65 PAGE62-65.indd 5

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Innov8 Workspace Solutions Ltd are delighted to congratulate Somerville FitͲOut on winning “FitͲOut Project of the Year 2022 Ͳ Small Office over £500K”and ultimately get recognition for the interior craftmanship and attention to detail throughout the scheme.

Innov8 were engaged by the client not only to supply all the loose furniture but to create and design this award-winning space. Producing conceptual 3D visuals and walkthroughs enabled the client to get a clear vision of how the space would look and feel well before the fitͲout stage.

The Innov8 Team, lead by Innov8’s head of design, Warren Beattie, engaged with the client early on to get a clear understanding of how the business functioned on a day-to-day basis.

Understanding the client's brief was key to creating the space, with an emphasis on communication, flexibility, employee wellbeing and community. A key feature is the Central Park Area, located in the middle of the office, with an amazing large glazed skylight projecting natural light into the area along with a full glazed floor-to-ceiling window with views of the Belfast skyline. This makes Central Park a key focus and gives total flexibility space to include a 16 person conference table, bleacher seating for training and informal gatherings, breakͲout tables and pouffes for those impromptu discussions, along with biͲfolding glazed doors allowing space to instantly double in size for events and large town hall meetings.

Bespoke builtͲin sound proof zoom booths located around the perimeter offer privacy for video calls and focus work. Overall collaboration was key, creating informal meeting spaces for everyday meetings and training, as well as formal meeting rooms of various sizes to accommodate from 2 people up to 20.

A dedicated café area which can comfortably sit 40 people, highlighting the client's desire to create a place of comfort and wellbeing.

Innov8 Workspace Solutions call Belfast its home with its Head Office & Main Showroom, at the start of Boucher Road, along with a recently opened London Office, on Buckingham Palace Road, giving the Innov8 Team an excellent location in the heart of London to grow and service projects throughout London and the south east of England.

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3D CGI’S by Innov8 Workspace Solutions

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Belfast. BT12 6FY hello@innov8office.com +44 28090 238180 www.innov8office.com

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LANDSCAPE

Seskinore Forest

S

eskinore Forest sits adjacent to Seskinore (from the Irish “large bog/marsh”), a village seven miles from Omagh town, and comprises mixed coniferous and broadleaved woodland. It is owned and managed by Forest Service, an Executive Agency of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), predominantly for timber production (105 hectares) and biodiversity (30 hectares) and is open to the public.

The forest masks what was once a sizeable stately home and estate that buckled and fell due to the economic burdens and social change, ultimately being sold to the Ministry of Agriculture in 1941. It had a brief use as a US Army Base but following the Second World War, in what was a more functional and pragmatic period, the Ministry considered the most appropriate course was to demolish the house. The footprint of the house, a courtyard, stable block and incidental estate features are evident but the wider lands became subsumed in commercial forest.

Many local people retain fond associations of the landscape and heritage related to the demesne. In particular, the Seskinore Rural Community Group are keen to write the next chapter in the history of the forest with a locally focused but ambitious plan to ensure that the natural and built heritage is respected and the forest can be appreciated by many future generations.

The existing situation is that the forest is open to the public but has no facilities for recreational activity or waymarked walks and little in the way of anything that would suggest promotion of public access (which is part of Forest Service NI remit). There are notable woodlands and trees and what would be described as an excellent “landscape plinth” but otherwise little to provide formal access provision or an understanding of the history of this landscape and how this has evolved.

Supported with funding awarded by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and the Architectural Heritage Fund, Venture International, The Paul Hogarth Company (Landscape Architects) and Keys and Monaghan Architects

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LANDSCAPE

THE TEAM Client: Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and the Architectural Heritage Fund Landscape Architect: The Paul Hogarth Company were appointed to develop a Feasibility Study for Seskinore Forest and explore options and aims to establish the potential for this next chapter. This involved engaging with the local village community to identify key needs and establish a set of priority actions to develop the forest as a sustainable and accessible local asset. The process has been led by Seskinore Rural Community Group and is committed to facilitating local user groups, including McClintock Primary School (itself a legacy of the former estate), to ensure that the vision for the development is aligned to this growing village’s needs. The collective input of community and stakeholders honed in on a stated vision as follows:-

Architects: Keys and Monaghan Strategy Development: Venture International Photography: Matthew Dalton / Liam McClean

Meeting with Fermanagh and Omagh District Council Seskinore Forest Masterplan

Seskinore Forest Masterplan 8th February 2022

“Seskinore Forest is the heart of our village where the community and visitors socialise and exercise, celebrating our shared heritage and natural environment in a safe and sustainable way.”

The Feasibility Study received over 600 responses to a community survey which were distilled and assessed to establish priority aspirations and potential hopes of user, measuring these against the existing assets and constraints offered by Seskinore Forest. This was then translated in broad spatial landscape design proposals by the landscape architects in order to provide a visual representation of how the key elements in the forest could be developed and how varying suggestions and requests could sit together and in harmony with the natural and built environment of the site. The proposals, aspirational as they may be, represent the starting point of the next stage and are an effective method of clearly demonstrating how “public access” and benefit from these lands can be achieved.

These were shared with the local community during an online and drop-in consultation process, taking on board further feedback that ultimately has resulted in key priorities as follows:• Three themed walking trails with consistent surfacing, and information/ education opportunities on the rich heritage and natural environment; • New pedestrian link from the village and suggested safe road crossing point; • Outdoor classroom and events space with associated facilities;

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LANDSCAPE

• Interpretation and educational opportunities sharing the key assets of the forest including the ringforts, garden of remembrance, native woodland, World War II stores, etc.; • Biodiversity improvements with varied mowing regimes and invasive species control; and • Phased protection, conservation and reuse of historic buildings.

Forest Service have extensive lands across Northern Ireland and many, like Seskinore, have enormous potential to serve as the basis for both local and tourist visitors, stimulating the economy and providing amenity and environmental improvement.

With the Seskinore Forest priorities established, the next stage requires funding from public bodies and the consent of Forest Service (as it owns the land). The members of Seskinore Rural Development Group are volunteers and have worked very successfully through events, ongoing maintenance and sharing the story of this special landscape. The community now have a vision and a template for projects which can be used to structure and attract potential funding and this is a project to which we hope Perspective can return in the years ahead to provide an update on how the carefully judged landscape designs and community aspirations see fruition. 

Andrew Bunbury 70 Perspective PAGE68-70.indd 4

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ART REVIEW FEATURE

Double Canopy 2022 - Steel, Aluminium - 3000 x 1500 x 700mm

Covers 2022 Limestone, beech veneered mdf 1935 x 1275 x 100mm

Drain 2021 - Limestone - 60 x 1100 x 2500mm 74 Perspective PAGE74-76.indd 2

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ART REVIEW FEATURE

Niamh O’Malley Gather at the Model in Sligo Gather at the Model is the critically acclaimed exhibition by Niamh O’Malley that represented Ireland at the 2022 Venice Biennale. Curated by Cliodhna Shaffrey and Michael Hill, this exhibition reveals and considers the influence of the west of Ireland on her work.

Born in Co. Mayo, O’Malley uses a diverse range of materials of permanence that include steel, limestone, wood and glass. ‘She shapes and assembles objects to create a purposeful landscape of forms. Sculptures tall and free-standing, ground-bearing and cantilevered sit alongside rhythmic and looped moving image’.

If we consider the meanings of the word ‘gather’ and indeed its synonyms, there are two dimensions referenced. On the one hand it can be an instruction or invitation, where the artist asks individual viewers to make up an audience, to gather, meet or collect to consider the work within the space. At the same time, if we consider the process of working with fabric, the idea of material gathering is when there is a change or disruption, intentional or otherwise, in the cloth. In this sense, it will gather when there is a fold, pleat, pucker, wrinkle or crease.

In fact, it is both interpretations of ‘gather’ that I believe provide the key to understanding this exhibition. O’Malley has taken a range of disparate materials in sculpted forms into a given exhibition space (Venice, Sligo, Dublin, Belfast) and they are designed to work within the space in dialogue while also to disrupt and trouble their surroundings with their unexpected dislocated status. When the audience gathers, collecting within the space to encounter the work, they are invited to meander through the pieces and experience them directly.

Their movement through the exhibition becomes part of the overall experience, and this inhabiting of space activates and animates the work.

each piece featuring two sets of eight indented ridges with a gap between. The ridges catch the natural light coming in from the window and as each piece of stone is set slightly apart, a dark black line of shadow signals the spaces between.

These pieces in formation are compelling as they look as if they have a specific function, a useful purpose, and yet they are merely sculpted objects without any utilitarian dimension.

They prompt enquiry, curiosity and a range of questions. They tap the beginner’s mind.

Engaging in direct dialogue with this limestone floor sculpture is a wall piece, nearby, installed at a high level. It acts like a canopy where the viewer can stand beneath. It is a type of shelter in a place where the need for such sanctuary is not apparent. An arc of steel supports a sheet of glass and below this are three further steel supports extending downwards.

The glass is etched with a beautiful leaf pattern.This pattern reminds me of work entitled ‘Frieze’ by O’Malley that I experienced many years ago in 1999 in the Context Gallery in Derry, where she meticulously reproduced plants, flowers and leaves directly onto the base of gallery walls in a frieze of cut velvet vinyl. This installation also centred on the dislocation of forms and the juxtaposition of representations of nature in a manmade setting, whereas Gather centres on architecturallyinspired forms reconceptualised as sculpture. In each exhibition

O’Malley has talked about the ‘beginner’s mind’, where with childlike curiosity we look closely, questioning others and ourselves about what we see. She is referencing openness to seeing anew but has also asked if people could cope with noticing everything or would this be too much1. This approach and channelling of the beginner’s mind appears to be what is happening in the artist’s work. She has taken a particular material or architectural detail and looked at it in fascination in an effort to reproduce its detail fastidiously. It is the act of doing this that contains connection; “We tend to notice labour, only when we work ourselves…Once something connects with the scale of the human body and the effort, maybe there is a kind of joining, a small sense of proportion and relief”.2 The sculptures are juxtaposed in interesting configurations.

A series of five beautifully cut pieces of polished limestone occupy the floor. These are curved in a gradated form with Holds 2022 - Beech, steel - 340 x 30 x 40 cm Perspective 75 PAGE74-76.indd 3

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ART REVIEW FEATURE

Shelf 2022 - Beech, glass, steel - 1555 x 2245 x 102 mm Holds 2022 - Beech, steel - 340 x 30 x 40 cm

we are encouraged to look closely and take our time; O’Malley displays her ‘absorption with substance and finish, as antidote to a fast-paced world’.3 Through looking at the unexpected in detail, the viewer brings subjective narratives and resonances into dialogue with their experience of the work.

The artist has made a series of works that are akin to sculptural paintings, wall works that line up a series of shapes and forms to create the piece. One work, entitled ‘Shelf’, 2022 includes polished wood that provides a partial frame with an upright to the left and a horizontal bar on which the other elements rest, including another wooden upright with curve extending at the base. Along the wooden base, there are translucent shapes, clear, yellow, clear punctuated by a group of grey pieces that rest at the end of the work in accordion-fashion.

This is like a landscape or still life of abstracted materials. As Aidan Dunne has observed, ‘Often O’Malley’s sculptural pieces refer to framing and screening, and ‘Shelf’ is a kind of still life, as though she is disassembling and rearranging the stuff of framing, representation and perception.’4

Shelter 2022 - Steel, glass - 1040 x 2200 x 1200 mm Drain 2021 - Limestone - 60 x 1100 x 2500mm

The exhibition is as much about what is happening in between works in that space where the viewer walks from one work to the next. These are the moments to gather and reflect on resonances and import of individual works. As Kate Strain has written, ‘Full of reflection, both literal and metaphorical, filled with absence and framed by negative space, O’Malley’s work asserts something unstoppable about the human spirit, something that neither distance nor death can extinguish.’5 Each work is highly finished and polished to the artist’s exacting standards. The exhibition is a meditation on place and architecture, where O’Malley creates totemic sculptures from enduring materials. 

Marianne O’Kane Boal A selection of work by Niamh O’Malley will be on exhibition at Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast from 29 April - 24 June 2023.

1. RTE Radio, Sunday Miscellany – Making a space – A quiet revolution 10th July 2022.

2. RTE Radio, Sunday Miscellany – Making a space – A quiet revolution, 10th July 2022.

3 Aidan Dunne, The Irish Times, September 2019.

4 ‘Art in Focus’, The Irish Times, August 2019.

5 Exhibition text by Kate Strain, Grazer Kunstverein, 2018.

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BOOK

REVIEW

Architects of Ulster 1920s – 1970s

by Paul Larmour

A

s the journal of the Royal Society of Ulster Architects, Perspective showcases new buildings in Northern Ireland and those executed elsewhere by architects from the region. It prospectively catalogues the development of the Northern Irish profession when considered as a complete body of work. Since 1997, Dr Paul Larmour - former reader in architecture at Queen’s University, widely-published and celebrated architectural historian and honorary member of both the RSUA and the RIAI - has been quietly building a series of articles looking at notable Ulster architects over the proceeding century; an otherwise undocumented retrospective of architecture in the Northern Irish state. Occurring only occasionally and often nestled in the latter half of the journal, these articles were tonally different; densely packed academic pieces that were as compellingly and passionately written as they were researched.

I always looked forward to these, slicing them out of past issues to collect in a binder when the demands of office space dictated a clear-out. I recognised the academic rigour of Dr Larmour’s

Bus Station, Oxford Street, Belfast, 1959-60 by Ben Cowser.

approach and the value of these articles as a documentation of Northern Irish architecture to be found nowhere else. You can imagine my satisfaction, therefore, to learn that these articles were being revised, expanded, and collected in a single volume; I can now retire the binder and its increasingly ripped and dog-eared contents (although I think I’ll hold onto it for old times’ sake).

Dr Larmour’s Architects of Ulster: 1920s-1970s was launched in November 2022 by RSUA director Ciarán Fox at an event in the Methodist College’s Chapel of Unity (designed by one of the subjects of the book, Gordon McKnight). It is the first publication to be funded by the late Gordon Wheeler, former chair of the RSUA publications committee, described by Karen Latimer - the current committee chair and editor of Architects of Ulster – as “a committed bibliophile, extremely passionate about architecture…who left a very generous legacy to the UAH specifically for publications.” The book consists of twentyone chapters, each one focussing on an individual architect.

Largely examining these individuals through their work, relevant biographical details are included to contextualise the practitioners and their practice within Northern Ireland as it developed from a nascent state in the twenties to a troubled province in the seventies.

Ulster Bank, Shaftesbury Square, Belfast by Tony Houston.

Those included are architects of the early Northern Irish state, Ingleby Smyth and Thomas Rippingham; prominent church architects, Padraic Gregory, Liam McCormick and Gordon McKnight; champions of Ulster architecture, RH Gibson and Phillip Bell; conservation pioneers, Denis O’D Hanna and Robert McKinstry; avant-garde housing specialists, Henry Lynch Robinson and Noel Cambell; founders and figureheads of one of the biggest local firms, Donald Shanks and Joe Fitzgerald; those who brought national and international attention to the local profession, RS Wilshere, John MacGeagh, Ian Campbell and James Munce; and the designers of oft-misunderstood and

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BOOK

REVIEW

lived beside a McKnight church, attended school prize-givings in a MacGeagh, and so on) are suddenly connected to this web of architectural history. That building was designed by that architect who mentored that architect who designed that building, assisted by that architect who went on to design that building; my surroundings, both personal and professional, suddenly alive with meaning and part of the wider story of Northern Irish architectural authorship.

The text is unpretentious and to the point, dealing largely with the development of the architects throughout their careers in chronological order. The narrative, however, is brought alive

by Dr Larmour’s gift of describing buildings in a passionate and incisive way, making stylistic connections that chart the architectural progress of both the individual and the wider profession. This is further enhanced by the illustrative photography, with images taken by the author over the last forty years alongside new photography by Joe Laverty. The design of the book – deftly executed by Chris Sherry and LA McFall – switches between illustrative images embedded in the text and full-page collaged spreads, occasionally interrupted by stunning individual double-page images providing moments to pause and breathe.

St. Aengus RC Church, Burt, Co Donegal, 1964-1967 by Liam McCormick.

largely uncared for iconic buildings, Ben Cowser, John McBride Neill, Tony Houston and Adair Roche.

While ostensibly a collection of articles focused on isolated individuals, the scope of the work and sweep of architects and buildings covered creates a biography of the Northern Irish profession from the earliest days of the state. While the separate articles occasionally cover similar ground, this serves both the casual reader consulting the book in reference to a specific building or architect, and those wanting to read cover to cover in contextualising and connecting the individuals in one grand narrative. There is a sense of delight in discovering an entire chapter dedicated to a name briefly mentioned in a previous one, or when characters already discussed appear as minor players in someone else’s story.

Similarly, and more personally, buildings that have formed important aspects of my life (I attended a Wilshere school,

I agree with RSUA director Ciarán Fox who, in his address at the book’s launch event, articulated the importance of this book in the context of the contested nature of Northern Irish identity. Just as the value of Northern Irish architectural heritage was realised all too late – with listing legislation only reaching this corner of Europe in 1972 – so too is the value of twentieth-century Ulster architecture woefully misunderstood and criminally mismanaged. This is made all the more important when you consider that Northern Ireland is also a creation of the twentieth century. The key to understanding what Northern Irish identity means must reside within an understanding of the built fabric of the place as it was established and developed; architecture is an expression of who we are and who we want to be. Architects of Ulster is an important step in reaching this understanding. 

Dr Andrew Molloy Architects of Ulster 1920s - 1970s

by Paul Larmour

Ulster Architectural Heritage Society

Hardback, 286 pp ISBN 978-0-900457-85-2

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PARTING SHOT

100 GPS Architect: Doherty Architects Photography: Donal McCann

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