Dublin City Council’s Precinct Improvement Programme has been highly effective in addressing the core underlying issues of anti-social activity, amenity and safe living areas which affect many social housing complexes within the metropolitan area.
This Project involved the re-generation and refurbishment of a local authority flat complex in Dublin’s North Inner City and, as a part of the PIP process, included security design, universal accessibility upgrades at ground level, refurbishment of all below ground services, fire separation of unsafe / unsecured areas, lighting and landscaping as well as refurbishment of decaying building fabric.
The accommodation provided is in 66 units in a range of sizes and with a central ground level unit accommodating an ‘outreach’ Hot Meals unit which caters to the needs of homeless men and women.
Situated on Cumberland Street, in a socially deprived part of Dublin’s North Inner City, Avondale House is a three-part composition in four floors dating from 1936. Originally designed by the City Architects Office, it is one of a series of works credited to Herbert Simms, who appears to have been heavily influenced in his design by the contemporarily published ‘Nieuw Nederlands Baukunst’, of which his personal copy remains in Dublin City Council’s archives.
While not included on the list of Protected Structures, the design of the existing complex is of heritage significance. The design is of two wings flanking a central one, in a ‘stripped’ classical style reminiscent of the early work of Eric Gunnar Asplund, and is reasonably well detailed.
The Site Area is approximately 4,200 sqm and the overall area through the four floors of the complex is approximately 4,200 sqm.
Kelly and Cogan Architects were originally appointed in 2007 by Dublin City Council to act as Lead Consultant to a Team of Quantity Surveyors, Consulting Civil and Structural Engineers and Mechanical and Electrical Engineers. Following a delayed process of procurement due to economic downturn, the project was implemented in 2012 and completed in 2013.
Kelly and Cogan were also appointed as PSDP Consultants and part of our General Architectural Appointment included responsibility for fire safety and accessibility design.
Finally, our experience as Conservation Consultants was of great assistance in sensitively responding to the Buildings themselves.
This type of work requires the establishment of tenant liaison committees prior to completion of design and works are carried out with the tenants in situ.
This is a particular area of expertise for our practice and we have completed several similar projects for Dublin City Council.
Kelly and Cogan Architects were responsible for managing the liaison process with Tenants and Area Management, this included developing a consultation process with Tenants for the agreement of proposals and for the management of the works while Tenants and other users of the complex remained in situ.
The brief required the use of design to prevent and discourage anti-social activities as well as to foster and improve community spirit and neighbourliness.
Limited public finances required stringent budgetary control and the site location meant that the complex (which accommodated a dinner house for indigents as well as housing) remained tenanted and in use during the works.
Proper management of the works during construction (so as to prevent anti-social activity from impeding the process) was critical to the success of this project and the design was developed with these issues in mind. Security, enclosure, and the prevention the use of the facility as a hiding place for drugs or guns was an issue in design.
This project is not untypical of many similar Housing Refurbishment and Precinct Improvement Projects with the added complication of not only having to address the needs of Tenants remaining in-situ during the course of the works but also intervening sensitively in a complex of Architectural significance dating from the 1930’s.
The success of a PIP Project depends upon many factors however design is of the greatest importance and in our experience, those Projects which are of the highest Architectural quality (as in this case) are the most successful. Tenants take ownership of such Projects after completion to a degree that does not happen in more aggressively defensive designed schemes.
The key to this is in the creation of a desirable and attractive but secure, accessible and well-lit external environment, with secure play spaces, ease of access for the elderly and disabled and, at the same time, the removal of through routes or hiding areas. Defensible personal space is also important, with privacy strips to OAP accommodation at ground level and secure stairwells accessed by intercom.
Materials should (as in this instance) be durable, low maintenance and pleasing to the eye.
In Avondale House, new surfaces are of crushed granite aggregate, Wall cladding is of cedar but is out of reach to avoid vandalism, light fittings are of the highest standard affordable, masonry paints are lime based and the general impression is one of secure calm.
Environmentally, materials are, where possible, permeable and breathable and are from renewable resources.
Rainwater run-off is attenuated to minimise onerous impact upon existing overburdened drainage networks and Cost in Use principles are applied to the selection of materials and products to minimise wastage and future expense.
The resultant interventions, completed in 2013, is a highly successful Precinct Improvement Project which has eliminated much of the anti-social activity in the Complex and which has been very well received by residents.
We would regard the completed Avondale House Works as one of our most successful schemes to date.
| Details | |
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Location |
Cumberland Street North, Dublin 1 |
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Date Of Construction |
1936 |
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Client |
Dublin City Council |
Location: Cumberland Street North, Dublin 1
Date Of Construction: 1936
Client: Dublin City Council
