RIAI Annual Awards Universal Design / Building for All Category

Since 2013, the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (CEUD) at the National Disability Authority(NDA), has supported the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) Universal Design category as part of their annual awards. The aim of the award is to promote excellence in Universal Design among the architectural profession in Ireland. As part of its support for the award, CEUD invites a national or international architect to chair the jury for the award and to present a lecture related to Universal Design to RIAI members.

RIAI Universal Design Award Winner 2021

The National Rehabilitation Hospital by O’Connell Mahon Architects

The National Rehabilitation Hospital, Winner at the 2020 RIAI Awards

RIAI Universal Design Award Winner 2020

Rochestown House Phase III, a housing development by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Architects’ Department.

Rochestown House Phase III, Winner at the 2020 RIAI Awards

RIAI Universal Design Award Winner 2019

Brickwork – London by Brady Mallalieu Architects

Brickwork – London,Winner at the 2019 RIAI Awards

RIAI Universal Design Award Winner 2018

Newry Leisure Centre – Kennedy Fitzgerald Architect

Newry Leisure Centre,Winner at the 2018 RIAI Awards

Highly Commended 2018 

26 York Street, The Royal College of Surgeons, Henry J. Lyons Architects

26 York Street, The Royal College of Surgeons, Highly Commended at the 2018 RIAI Awards

RIAI Universal Design Award Winner 2017

Joint Winners:

Central Bank of Ireland, North Wall Quay, Dublin by Henry J Lyons Architects

Central Bank of Ireland, North Wall Quay, Joint winners at the 2017 RIAI Awards

Elizabeth’s Tree House at Barretstown Castle, McCauley Daye O'Connell Architects

Elizabeth’s Tree House at Barretstown Castle, Joint winner at the 2017 RIAI Awards

Universal Design Award Winner 2016

Linn Dara, Child & Adolescent In-Patient Unit by A&D Wejchert and Partners Architects 

Linn Dara, Child & Adolescent In-Patient Unit winner of the Universal Design Award at the 2016 RIAI Awards

Highly Commended 2016 

Margaret Aylward Centre Glasnevin, Dublin – MOLA Architecture

Margaret Aylward Centre Glasnevin, Dublin, Highly Commended at the 2016 RIAI Awards 

Commended 2016 :

St Sylvester's Parish Pastoral Centre, Malahide Dublin Seán Harrington Architects

Commended of the Universal Design Award at the 2016 RIAI Awards

Universal Design Award Winner 2015 

Restoration of St. Mel's Cathedral, Longford, by Fitzgerald Kavanagh and Partners 

Restoration of St. Mel's Cathedral, Longford winner at the 2015 Awards

Commended 2015:

Athlone Community College by McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects

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Athlone Community College, Commended at the 2015 RIAI Awards

RIAI Universal Design Award Winner 2014:

Residential extension and adaptation by Justin O’Callaghan, Architect

Residential Extension and Adaptation, Winner at the 2014 RIAI Awards

Commended 2014:

Coláiste Ailigh, Letterkenny by McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects

Coláiste Ailigh, Letterkenny, Commended at the 2014 RIAI Awards

Commended 2014: 

Saw Swee Hock Student Centre, London School of Economics by O'Donnell + Tuomey Architects

Saw Swee Hock Student Centre, London School of Economics Commended winnner of the Universal Design Award at the 2014 RIAI awards

RIAI Universal Design Award 2013 Winner

UCD Student Centre, by Fitzgerald Kavanagh and Partners

UCD Student Centre Winner of the Universal Design and Public Choice Awards at the 2013 RIAI Awards, Photo by Donal Murphy, courtesy of Fitzgerald Kavanagh and Partners

Commended 2013:

Ballybay Community College by McGarry Ní Éanaigh Architects

Ballybay Community College, Commended of the Universal Design award at the 2013 RIAI awards

CPD Opportunities for Architects:

As part of its continued support for the award, CEUD invites a national or  international architect to chair the jury for the Universal Design award and present to RIAI members on their work.

• In 2019, Ali Grehan, MRIAI, Dublin City Architect, was the Jury Chair. Ali leads a multi-disciplinary team in Dublin City Council responsible for developing a broad urban design agenda including the delivery of diverse projects in relation to housing, public realm, community and cultural infrastructure. Her career has spanned private practice in Dublin, London and Bilbao, and in the Public Sector; where her particular focus has been on large-scale urban regeneration. Prior to becoming City Architect in 2008, Ali was Chief Architect with Ballymun Regeneration Ltd, then the largest public regeneration project underway in Europe. She also worked with the RPA (now TII) delivering Dublin’s first LUAS Light Rail system. Ali devised and coordinated Dublin’s bid for World Design Capital 2014, now continuing as the design promotion platform, PIVOT Dublin.

• In 2018, Peter Crowley B.Arch Sc, Dip.Arch, MRIAI was the Jury Chair. Peter studied at Dublin Institute of Technology and during this time he spent periods working in both the Netherlands and Ireland. Prior to forming PAC Studio, Peter also worked as a project architect with Bucholz McEvoy Architects for seven years. Peter was awarded the RIAI Deirdre O’ Connor Medal for Professional Practice in 2005 and is a member of the RIAI. He currently tutors in the 4th Year Architecture Studio at the Dublin School of Architecture, DIT.

• In 2017, Merritt Bucholz was the Jury Chair. Merritt is founding Professor of Architecture at the School of Architecture University of Limerick (SAUL) and has been leading SAUL since its inception in 2005. Bucholz McEvoy Architects are noted for award winning low energy designs, and have twice represented Ireland at the Architecture Biennale in Venice.

• In 2016, Diana Anderson, MD, March was the Jury Chair. Diana is a licensed architect (Order of Architects of Quebec, Member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, LEED AP) and a Physician trained in Internal Medicine. As a "dochitect", Dr. Anderson combines educational and professional experience in both medicine and architecture in order to truly understand what is involved in medical planning and working within the healthcare environment. Dr. Anderson spoke about Evidence-Based Healthcare Design. How can hospitals and healthcare buildings be designed from a Universal Design approach.

• In 2015, the Jury Chair was Ed Steinfeld, ArchD, AIA SUNY Distinguished Professor - Department of Architecture University of Buffalo, USA. Ed gave a lecture on Universal Design at the launch of CEUD’s Universal Design Guidelines for homes in Ireland

• In 2014, Lebanese architect Stephanie Akkaoui Hughes presented to RIAI members on ‘Designing Contexts to Human Interactions’. Viewing this presentation on-line entitles RIAI members to 1 unstructured CPD point.

• In 2013, Emeritus Professor Hubert Froyen presented a lecture ‘Universal Design in Architecture, its application in practice’.