Extension to Gorey Community School, Co. Wexford reaches towards practical completion.

House at Pearl Beach, Australia nears completion. Fairfaced alabaster blockwork, exposed insitu concrete, polished terrazzo and sliding hardwood screens are employed.

Gorey Community School extension rises from the ground. Three specialist classrooms (Science, Home Economics and Art) are being added to the front of the existing school thereby making a new entrance courtyard. A pattern of fairfaced smooth and textured white cement blocks are set at different planes to give depth to external facades.

David striking the concrete study model for our latest project in Oslo, Norway

A2 Architects are again supporting The Simon Community’s House of Cards Appeal this Christmas. Money raised during the appeal will be providing much needed emergency food, clothing and shelter for those who have no home to go to this Christmas. We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our respective clients, suppliers and friends a very Happy Christmas and New Year. (www.houseofcards.ie)

Rafael Moneo sketching at A2’s Lucky Lane Housing on the occasion of his recent visit to Ireland. He was the recipient of an RIAI Honorary Fellowship at the recent Annual RIAI Conference in Carlow.

House at Pearl Beach, New South Wales, Australia takes shape.

The structural frame for House on Mardyke Walk is completed.

A2 Architects win ‘Best House’ at the RIAI Irish Architecture Awards 2011 for Seaside House, Co. Louth. Citing the awarding jury, “externally the house responds to the informal nature of its seaside location in its relaxed choice of materials and a witty nod to its caravan-neighbours in its choice of bay-size.  This is counterpointed by the calm grandeur of its interior spaces, capturing poetic sea-views informed by rhythmic control of structure and satisfying detailing.”

Peter Carroll co-directs SAUL IU 2011 (School of Architecture University of Limerick Intelligence Unit 2011) with Professor Merritt Bucholz. The research work, entitled ‘A-political Island: Ireland’s Living Space’ focuses on the counties of Mayo and Fingal. Fundamentally this research project lifts all of the boundaries that define the extent of disciplinary / governance / infrastructure remit, and looks at Living Space the way people experience it – as one continuous place. Lifting the boundaries allows the region to be analysed at a variety of levels simultaneously; movement, energy, education, land use, nature, environment. In this synthetic way of looking at how the physical environment interacts with itself, and society in general, new ideas are being developed. (www.saul.ie/Introduction)

A2 Architects win the open two-stage competition for the new Tullamore Community Arts Centre. The jury praised the design as ‘being permeable, responsive and flexible. It best understood the demands of the brief and the site, finding a balance of ambition and decorum in its architectural language’. Shortlisted practices included Grafton Architects, Lawrence and Long Architects and Robinson McIlwaine Architects. (www.facebook.com/pages/A2-Architects)