Leading multidisciplinary design practice, BDP’s work in Ireland has been recognised with seven awards across two prestigious national ceremonies, the Building & Architect of the Year Awards (BAYA) and the Irish Building & Design Awards (IBDA), for its innovative designs at TUS Coonagh Engineering Campus in Limerick and Drogheda Civic Offices in County Louth.
The Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) Coonagh Engineering Campus and the newly redeveloped Drogheda Civic Offices were both honoured in multiple categories, highlighting BDP’s excellence in educational design, sustainability, heritage-led regeneration and adaptive reuse.
A brand-new engineering-focused campus for the Technological University of the Shannon, Coonagh Engineering Campus opened its doors to students in April 2024. The campus delivers 5,700 square metres of teaching and learning facilities, social spaces, staff accommodation and student support areas, along with extensive public realm and car parking. Developed as the first phase of a wider masterplan by BDP, the brief was to create a landmark place that would set the standard for future development at the university’s expanding campus.
This transformational project has now received four national awards. At the Building & Architect of the Year Awards, the campus was named Educational Building of the Year and received the Sustainability Award for a Single Building or Development. At the Irish Building & Design Awards, it was honoured as Sustainable Building Project of the Year and Education Project of the Year.
In Drogheda, BDP has sensitively restored and reimagined two unoccupied Protected Structures to create a new civic heart for Louth County Council. The Drogheda Civic Offices project involved the creative reuse of the former Borough Chamber and Community Services Building, located within the Architectural Conservation Area of Fair Street, and the construction of a new glazed link building that brings these heritage assets together into a modern, fully integrated civic complex.
This 2,000 square metre development includes a renovated Borough District of Drogheda meeting chamber, a large multi-use public exhibition space, a new public foyer and counter, conference facilities and a number of administrative offices and meeting rooms. Designed and delivered to the highest standards, the buildings incorporate energy-efficient systems including photovoltaic panels, heat pumps, LED lighting and solar shading, as well as a sedum roof that improves biodiversity and helps the building blend into the urban landscape. The revitalised public plaza and entrance create a welcoming gateway and valuable civic space for the community.
The Drogheda Civic Offices received three major accolades at the national awards. It won Building Refurbishment for a Single Building or Development at the Building & Architect of the Year Awards, and at the Irish Building & Design Awards it was recognised as both the Heritage & Conservation Project of the Year and the Retrofit / Renovation Project of the Year.
Elliott Ballam, Architect Associate at BDP, said: “Winning these prestigious awards is an incredibly proud moment for our multidisciplinary design team at BDP. Our Drogheda Civic Offices project sensitively restores two protected structures which are now connected by a contemporary new link building and public realm. Significant embodied energy and carbon benefits were achieved. The project exemplifies the power of adaptive reuse in architecture, demonstrating how we can reduce environmental impact while honouring our cultural heritage. This is not just a win for the design community but for Drogheda itself, as the refurbished buildings rejuvenate the civic heart of the town and provide a modern, sustainable workspace for Louth County Council.”
Michael Mullen, Principal and Head of BDP’s Dublin studio, added: “The Drogheda Civic Offices project showcases our commitment as a practice to sustainability and our ability to design and implement innovative approaches to deliver exemplar adaptive reuse projects. This project is a true reflection of the collaborative effort between our multidisciplinary design team and Louth County Council, whose vision for sustainable, adaptive reuse has been key to its success. We believe this project sets a new benchmark for how heritage buildings can be thoughtfully reimagined for the future, and we are truly honoured to receive this validation for the thought leadership displayed by our client, partners and our incredible design team.”
This latest round of recognition underscores BDP’s leadership in designing progressive public and education buildings in Ireland, and the value of sustainable, context-sensitive architecture that brings lasting benefit to students, communities and local authorities.
