Housing \ Undergraduate Housing, Trinity College Dublin

Invited competition for undergraduate residence, Dartry Park for Trinity College Dublin, 2018. Unbuilt.

The brief was relatively simple: 300 student rooms arranged in apartments of six. A block of teaching rooms was also proposed along with sports facilities to replace a 1970's sports hall. Our design continued our interest in promoting "sociability" amongst students (see our projects for Queen's Belfast and Edinburgh University along with unbuilt projects at Jesus College Cambridge, Warwick University, Newcastle University and the Kings Cross development) Clusters of apartments were arranged with their kitchens around external walkways and access staircases and lifts. The idea was that the journey to the student room took students past several kitchens, including their own, with all kitchens overlooking each other. The apartments were organised so that in vacation time they could be combined to form quasi-hotel accommodation. The site was very restricted with active and vocal residents all around. Several mature trees existed and the suite bounded a mature arboretum to the north. Our main move was to make a three sided south facing courtyard to the street accessed by a tight passage way guarded by towers of student kitchens. Generally four stories some special penthouse married student apartments were placed on the roof. No significant trees would have been felled.

The project was submitted in association with Taylor Architects of Castlebar.