Category Archives: News

A Pop-Up Park for Dublin, one of our projects of Summer 2012, closes our entries for this year. In collaboration with Upstart and StreetFeast this Summer, A2 Architects developed a temporary park to last a set period of three months in Dublin City Centre. Situated on the proposed CIE Central Bus Station site just south of the busy Jervis Luas Stop, the project sets out both with an ambitious programme and with a light foot: An information portal, classrooms, dining area and exhibition space are housed within a repeating parallel-bay layout of prefabricated and sheathed aluminium poly-tunnels on a square 50x50m mat of conditioned timber palettes. The palettes are arranged so as to allow propogation of existing foundation trenches for food growth. As well as offering rest to park users, seating is designed to collect rainwater from the roof and to provide raised planting beds. It is very much intended to realise this public project in Summer 2013.

Peter Carroll as School of Architecture UL Project Leader leads a collaborative team of SAUL graduates and external consultants to complete a Department of Education and Skills Pilot Inventory Research Project on 18no. schools in Limerick City. SAUL brought an innovative approach to this inventory in both project approach and future potential for post-graduate research at SAUL. The methodology for completing the research was in four stages: 1. general survey of existing schools, 2. options and appraisals study, 3. overview of community assets and 4. school location in the context of the current local authority development plan.

‘Machine Sculpture Pavilion’ in Kistefos, Norway begins construction. Sited outdoors in a former paper mill site outside Oslo, this is a unique commissioned work consisting of a fair-faced concrete pavilion located on a river meadow, open on the approach side as well as to the river. Functional from May through to October inclusive, the pavilion houses a projected virtual art work by John Gerrard, Artist. The pavilion is hydro-electrically powered by the local river. The pavilion is due for completion this winter.  This work represents the third collaboration between A2 Architects and John Gerrard, Artist.

House at Pearl Beach, Australia gets its finishing touches

A2 are invited to lecture at The University of Sydney as part of Masters Studio at The Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning

Tullamore Community Arts Centre is lodged for Part 8 Planning Approval with Tullamore Town Council and Offaly County Council

Extension to Gorey Community School is completed. A science room, arts room and home economics room surround a graveled entrance courtyard to the front of the existing school.

House on Mardyke Walk, Cork City, nears completion

Circular in form, this single-storey fully accessible 1000-pupil post-primary school competition entry for Tallaght has no front or back, leaving it free to be explored from all directions. Compass-like in its orientation, a primary north-south axis is countered by a number of perpendicular axes that run east-west with the site’s existing contour lines to establish the circulation system for the school.

The public rooms of the school (G.P. Hall, Sports Hall, Staff Room, Lecture Theatres) are organised on its periphery to provoke interrelation with the external public spaces encircling the school.

The choice of construction system is made on pragmatic grounds in order to significantly reduce builders’ preliminaries and to shorten the construction timeframe as a result of the extensive use of prefabricated building elements.

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.