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This Project involved the development of a Social Housing Masterplan for the Urban Regeneration of Markievicz House, a dilapidated and aging flat complex in local authority complex in a deprived part of Dublin’s South Inner City.
It 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.
Markievicz House is a seven-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 and is a Protected Structure. It is regarded as being of National importance. However, not untypically, it suffers from serious anti-social activity, much of the accommodation is dated and costly to maintain and the surrounding environment is threatening and dangerous.
Kelly and Cogan Architects were appointed in 2007 as Lead Consultant to a Team of Quantity Surveyors, Consulting Civil and Structural Engineers and Dublin City Council’s own Electrical Engineering Section.
Kelly and Cogan were also appointed as Conservation Consultants and part of our General Architectural Appointment included responsibility for fire safety and accessibility design. In addition, our experience as Conservation Consultants was of great assistance in sensitively responding to the Buildings themselves.
Separately, Kelly and Cogan were responsible to the Client for managing the liaison process with Tenants and Area Management, this included developing a consultation process with Tenants for the development and agreement of proposals for the management of the works while Tenants and other users of the complex would remain in situ.
While this Project was placed on hold by DOE at Part 8 Stage in 2009 due to budgetary constraints arising from the poor economic climate, it represents a good example of our design approach and process in complex housing refurbishment projects. While we believe that the skills developed in this process are of relevance to future projects, it is of particular interest because it incorporates proposals for the internal re-ordering of accommodation to bring it into compliance with current standards.
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.
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. The site location meant that the complex was anticipated as remaining tenanted and in use during the works. Security, enclosure, and the prevention the use of the facility as a hiding place for drugs or guns was again an issue.
The accommodation provided is in 169 units approximately in range of sizes giving a total of 367 bedspaces.
The Project developed a number of responses to the re-design of the complex in which a series of optional schemes were developed in detail and costed.
The chosen option was regarded as being most achievable and allowed sufficient space for amenity and the development of the necessary new OPD Accommodation and Community Facilities.
Ultimately this resulted in a coherent and legible Scheme Design for the Complex which balanced the economics of Development with the needs of Occupants and the Conservation sensitivities associated with this very important 1930’s Flat Complex.
Although this Project was placed on hold due to the recessionary climate of the time, we have found it to be a valuable learning process and look forward to implementing the lessons learned from it.
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Location |
Townsend Street, Dublin 2 |
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Date Of Construction |
1936 |
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Client |
Dublin City Council |
Location: Tonwsend Street, Dublin 2
Date Of Construction: 1936
Client: Dubilin City Council
