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non-peer-reviewed, The objective of my thesis is to explore the various elements that make structure architecture. Through investigation into thinness, material, span, space and soundscape, I wish to create an architecture which can appeal to the senses and have value form many years to come. I propose to interrogate these qualities with the demanding programme of aircraft cargo and maintenance on the site of Shannon Airport, which is situated on the shannon estuary and to find a unique solution to the current generic nature of the place.

non-peer-reviewed, This journey begins with disparate subjects that may seem unrelated to each other or, indeed, to the field of architecture. However, having begun to implement their development through architectural processes, I have seen that any subtle likenesses between them, and maybe even their very differences, become what activates the communication between them. Let me introduce those interests here: they are skydiving, archaeology and travel writing. These interests should widen my vision for what architecture can be, and for what disciplines it can attract and consider; inducing unfamiliar thoughts in the mind and introducing unexplored perspectives to architecture. I want to know more about these subjects myself and by dissecting them through the lens of architecture, I believe that they can offer further fuel to my creativity and can combine intricately to inform and generate my practice of architecture. This thesis text will explore and revise these three personal interests that I have. They may not necessarily be the interests that have captivated me for the longest time, or that are most immeasurably intertwined with architecture, but they can each offer something unique to my architectural process. This text is a compilation of thought, situating pieces of information alongside each other in a process of discovery. The interests appear here as written fragments. The following fragments are things that I know and things that I have discovered through writing them down. Writing them has allowed me to think specifically and in detail about aspects of my interests. They describe a journey and a progression through perspectives; documenting processes, places, stuff, people, proposals and thoughts. This text is, at times, a travel journal, a proposal, a critical portrait. It is a tool of thought; the remains of a process.

non-peer-reviewed, In Bengal, medieval communities have been plunged headlong into the industrial era and exposed to the vagaries of the world market. From the start to the finish they are victims of alienation. The raw material is foreign to them, totally so in the case of Demra weavers, who depend on thread imported from England and Italy, and partially so in the case of the Langalbund button-makers, who use local shells but also need chemicals, cardboard and sheets of foil. And, throughout the area, production is planned ‘according to foreign standards’, the unfortunate workers themselves being hardly in a position to buy clothes, let alone put buttons on them. Behind the verdant landscapes and peaceful canals lined with cottages can be glimpsed the ugly outlines of an abstract factory, as if history and economics had managed to establish, indeed superimpose, their most tragic phases of development on these wretched victims: the shortages and epidemics of medieval times, frenzied exploitation as in the early years of industrial revolution, and the unemployment and speculation of modern capitalism. The fourteenth, eighteenth and twentieth centuries come together to make a mockery of the idyll implicit in the setting provided by tropical nature.

non-peer-reviewed, A boundary is a real line that marks the limit or containment of something, place or space. A boundary is not necessarily a physical entity. Shannon has both types of boundaries, physical and mental. The physical is in the form of routes and pathways; they can prove to be long and convoluted. The mental boundaries can be more difficult to discover, and therefore more difficult to overcome. Still. Nothing moves. A gap through and noise. A car passes. A child walks by. Still. The path curves around to a slow stop. A car can be heard, but not seen. Black and white, I cross the road. Moving towards the noise, slowly ascending up, across. A rapid descent, the path veering to the right. Still. The cars are gone now, their sound replaced by wind. Movement, caused by wind. No people to be seen. The only sound is the wind. A gap emerges, the wind louder. Black and white, then grey. The leaves whistle nearby. Bang! A car door is shut. Someone passes by, but does not acknowledge me. A drop. Then another. Rainfall. The noise of the wind tries to compete, the rain louder. Still. The rain is gone.

non-peer-reviewed, The aim of this thesis is cohesively question how we build. As a constructed thought it pauses at the moment before the raw matter of the Earth is transformed into sociological object and attempts to extrapolate a broader cultural context for the making of architecture. The argument is generated using both projection and observation as a means of exploring the potentialites within this transformative process. It is a tale of three cities – New City, Non City and Now City. New City is an imagined paradigm, an alternate metropolis built on a culture of material pragmatism, a space where ‘weight’ is the defining scale. Now City is a study of urbanity in its current state, specifically its position as a piece of constructed ground. Finally, Non City theorizes a new typology for civic space that bridges the Now with the New.

non-peer-reviewed, Manufacturing productive land is the basis for this thesis document. The document is split into five related sections each displaying an emphasis on manipulation of ground in a productive manner over time. O rganising land deals with a study based on a farm in Derryleigh, Newport, Co. Tipperary and explores through case study the changing nature of productivity of ground/farmland and the resultant dwellings and sheds which become an extension of such the landscape over time. Productive land is based on the thesis primer project and is set in Drumgeely, Shannon, Co. Clare. This project proposes to examine left over derelict non productive land and proposes an idea of land use in a manufactured productive communal manner. The thesis outline is seen as the introduction to the final thesis work. The section puts forward the study of boglands as a landscape of continued human manufacture. The section examines through sectional drawings the changing nature of such landscapes over time. Manufacturing/Land, the thesis text, investigates manufacturing and productivity in an agricultural, peatland and urban landscape context. The moving bog is examines manipulation of local scaled peatlands at Annaholty and Gouig on the Limerick - Tipperary boarder through models, drawings and text. Site/Brief proposes the continued productivity of manufactured ground through cranberry production on an industrial Bord na Mona raised bog site after its exhaustion, namely Derryville bog located outside Templetouhy, Co. Tipperary.

non-peer-reviewed, This thesis argues the relevance of social spaces for play and free time. Age appropriate design and the design of social infrastructure are important to architecture and urban design. At an age where they are marginalised, disenfranchised, and vulnerable, the quality of the places teenagers hang out and spend free time is a highly important issue. Teenagers don’t readily take part in the activities of younger children and gravitate away from these spaces when they are ill-designed. What is often seen as insubordinate behavior and loitering, is merely a manifestation of their collective boredom. The thesis essay will discuss how teenagers are affected as a group. It explores how the nature of the space they occupy for free time infl uence the quality of their social experiences. The essay explores how programming can improve these spaces for the teenagers and how some spaces are more conducive to play, and attractive to teenagers. This benefi ts them socially and enriches the rest of society by their rejuvenating presence. My site is in Mitchelstown, a town of six thousand in the town proper, and a further population of twelve thousand in the immediate hinterland. Mitchelstown is about an hour’s drive from both Limerick and Cork cities, and situated on the Cork-Dublin road. Originally a planned georgian town built in the 18th century, the streets of the town have a distinctive fabric and density. Large plots of land the former property of the church, schools and other institutions surround this fabric, close to the town centre and the residential streets and estates. In terms of demographics, the types of social space in the town, and the predominance of the car in the town’s development the town is comparable to many towns in Rural Ireland. In the past Mitchelstown was known as the “home of good food”. The area is rich in industry and dairy production. The town produces all sorts of milk, cheese, and meat products. It was found that a more progressive motto or iden

non-peer-reviewed, A boundary is a real line that marks the limit or containment of something, place or space. A boundary is not necessarily a physical entity. Shannon has both types of boundaries, physical and mental. The physical is in the form of routes and pathways; they can prove to be long and convoluted. The mental boundaries can be more difficult to discover, and therefore more difficult to overcome. Still. Nothing moves. A gap through and noise. A car passes. A child walks by. Still. The path curves around to a slow stop. A car can be heard, but not seen. Black and white, I cross the road. Moving towards the noise, slowly ascending up, across. A rapid descent, the path veering to the right. Still. The cars are gone now, their sound replaced by wind. Movement, caused by wind. No people to be seen. The only sound is the wind. A gap emerges, the wind louder. Black and white, then grey. The leaves whistle nearby. Bang! A car door is shut. Someone passes by, but does not acknowledge me. A drop. Then another. Rainfall. The noise of the wind tries to compete, the rain louder. Still. The rain is gone.

non-peer-reviewed, TOC: Introduction / Analysis at the Periphery of Dublin / Why is Public space necessary? / Understanding plazas in the city centre / Volunteering / Site / Primer projects / Conclusion / Bibliography

non-peer-reviewed, Through investigations of local vernacular and historical building along the coast of Ireland, I’ve sought to add new value along the coastal edge. The thesis explores the impact of the natural condition on how manmade structures are constructed at the coastal edge. It investigates flora and fauna indigenous to the coastline whose metaphysics are influenced by the changes in the tide. The area about the coastline has been referred to as an in-between space as it neither belongs to land nor sea and I’ve used architectural precedents of in-between spaces, be they on the coastline or not, to explore this. As the tide moves in and moves out spectacular events occur on large and small scales that draw people to the seashore-this is where man can explore ocean life. The research suggests that by dealing very carefully with a specific natural situation and cultural condition, the identity of a place can be strengthened. The outcome of the thesis is to produce an architectural project particular to a degenerate area along the coastline of Galway City; Lough Atalia. Inspired by a history of harvesting seaweed and an abundance of it on the west coast of Ireland, I seek to enhance an area polluted by poor, stagnant water quality which historically has always been inhabited by those rejected by society., TOC: Introduction / The Irish Coastline and a Global Comparative Study / In-Between Space, Between Landscape and Seascape / A Landscape-Seascape Duality: Architecture and Critical Regionalism / Spectacle and The Sea / Seaweed Stories, Lough Atalia and a New Harbour / Programme / Final Presentation / Bibliography / Models

non-peer-reviewed, I’ve been exploring the movement between and through built forms that can free them from being a spatial limit and instead allow them to become a temporal and spatial experience. This experience includes an awareness of the movement and intensity of daylight and the natural world around us. I am considering the importance of the route or journey, and how this journey might continue into the building. These ideas are manifest in forms that challenge the traditional notions of wall, roof and floor, just as dance, as a particular form of human movement, challenges the notions of the limits of the body.

non-peer-reviewed, TOC: Introduction / Perception of Place / Touch / Materiality / Nature’s Cycles / Framed Views / Constructed Landscape / The Burren: A Layered Landscape / Infrastructural Intervention / Drawings and Models / Endnotes / Bibliography

non-peer-reviewed, Spending so much time by the sea my interests have always lay in the coast and our relationship with these seascapes. As an island nation the coastline is deeply rooted in our society. Personally I have a great association and infinity with the Burren and a small village on the coast, called Fanore. It’s a scenic region with a beautiful sandy golden beach and towering limestone mountains that sink below the water’s edge. It is an area that experiences a shift in conditions. These include variations in the population, the weather and a change in the social dynamic throughout the year. In our society there has always been a connection with the coast and seaside towns of Ireland. We experience them in many ways. Our relationships, associations and perceptions of these seascapes greatly vary amongst different societies. The views of the people who live there are in stark contrast from those who reside there for a few months of the year. Locals see the shortcuts, the fields of agriculture, the roads to school, the routes to access the cattle or livestock, the farm house, the journey home or to the shops. The surrounding landscape has shaped their lives, it has earned their respect and realism. Their view of these seascapes is also quite different to that of the tourist or the holiday home owner, who often hold a view that is somewhat disjointed and there is a detachment between the land, the sea and the viewer. More often than not that experience of the land and the coast is gained from the confines of a vehicle be it a bus or a car. It can be said that this heightens this disconnect. Perhaps there is more of a focus on the destination rather than the journey and the landscape or seascape that is travelled through. Roadways and routes experienced from the car often give the traveller a fragmented experience of the surrounding landscape. The weather and climate also play a huge role in our experiences of the coast. Most recently these conditions have shown the destructive

non-peer-reviewed, The west coast of Ireland is a space with an elemental pull that attracts people to this territory. Each successive generation has reimagined its relationship with the coast, from intensely controlled and surveyed militarized space, controlling access to and from the sea, to physically engaging with the raw power of the Atlantic ocean. The coast has become a space for invention and development, expressing an evolution in coastal culture and the needs of urban centres for recreational space. Through active engagement with the coast my own understanding of this landscape has evolved, the tidal zone now representing to me a territory for shared experience and spectacle. My territory is a challenging one, a space without architects, and the architecture I do find is subordinate to the fluid mechanics of water. This thesis sets out to explore how our interaction with the coast is an ever evolving process of re-imagining it spatially and physically. Through focusing on a research territory located on the Iveragh peninsula in south Kerry I hope to establish an architectural methodology which develops from a deep understanding of this dynamic environment. Solid footing needs to be found when exploring ways in which architecture can provide spaces which work to engage the body and create a deeper awareness of the landscapes we inhabit.

non-peer-reviewed, By the beginning of the twentieth century, 1% of forested landscape was left in Ireland. It consisted of ‘native’ and ‘naturalised’ species. Since then there has been an effort to bring forest cover back. (currently at 10.15%)I A mixed opinion has arisen about a variety of ‘new’ species that have been introduced throughout the last two hundred years. Recreating the forested landscape that once clothed the rolling hills and valleys of our island has many consequences. Apart from ecological positives and negatives, human inhabitation and societal activities must be considered. The landscape of Ireland is much more than a protector of its inhabitants; it is a provider of economic stability. The creation of forestry could be considered as a ‘productive surface’ for our landscape. ‘The productive surface is a constructed terrain that has the ability to simply put, yield something’.II However a landscape of trees can be about much more than a crop yielder, it can also create a highly complex spatial system. This spatial system can be eminently varied as the future choice of species could be endless. The following document includes an essay debating the meaning of ‘landscape’ and ‘nature’, studies of the landscape of Ireland, studies of timber abilities and a proposal to develop the landscape of Ireland for a future generation.

non-peer-reviewed, TOC: Introduction / Layers of Understanding / SNN+ / The “Industrial Park” / The Colosseum: Urban Sink / Of Aqueducts and Co. Down / Statement of Intent / Thesis Drawings / Bibliography

non-peer-reviewed, My main interest i s fashion. It always has been. When thinking of how I could begin a thesis in archi tecture I started cutting, folding and pleating a piece of paper as if it were material. Where better to begin than physically changing the state of an obsolete object? It then struck me, fundamentally archi tecture and fashion are the same. We wear clothes to cover our bodies and to stay warm. From the beginning of time animal hides were used for clothing and for their housing just at different scales. The clothing(hide) covers the body and the tent houses the person. One might have to wear certain types of clothing for professional or cultural reasons. Or we may choose a certain way to dress to form our identity. There are various reasons as to why we choose how we dress ourselves, but in most cases it comes down to aesthetics. Today there is certainly no lack of diversity within the clothing empi re with new garments in store every week. Thus Fast fashion is created, surrounded with all i ts ethical problems. Unfortunately their problems not imprinted on the label. I then began to think about the simi larities between the two disciplines(archi tecture and fashion) but also the differences. What can each adopt from one another? The idea of immediacy and obsolescence within the fashion world is something which rarely, i f ever occurs within architecture. Buildings have to satisfy an idea of sustainabi lity of their design. Projects can takes many years to plan and construct. However a fashion house has to create numerous lines within a season. Decisions have to be made quickly and manufacturing has to happen even quicker. Does architecture need to adopt these trai ts of fashion? Architecture does not have the abi lity to continually create new surfaces like fashion does, however can archi tecture learn to resurface itself? Can it have a continuous fashionable dialogue that can be some what less superficial? It is true certainly of clothing, that one can not simply

non-peer-reviewed, The underlying question of this thesis is concerned with the place of architecture in extreme environments. It is about designing a typology for living in a destabilized and uncertain environment. It is about designing the capability of living somewhere else. In its own right this thesis is an exploration in itself. An exploration of what is possible, and more so, what could be probable. It is a critical response to the question of how we might both construct and live in the near future.

non-peer-reviewed, In this essay I will examine human’s historical interpretation of nature and how this may have influenced our modern day relationship with nature. I am intrigued by nature’s ability to benefit health and well being in us humans, as proven by the success of open air schools and tuberculosis sanatoriums at the turn of the century. The need for open air schools and sanatoriums has now thankfully passed due to the improvements of modern medicine. However I can’t help but wonder is there a way of incorporating some of the benefits of this type of school into modern day architecture. Would teaching spaces in an open air environment help solve today’s problems of obesity perhaps? Contact with the elements is a motivator. It engages the senses with sounds, colours, textures and smells and is calming which encourages relaxation and positive thinking; these are directly attributed to higher concentration levels leading to steady progress in education. The social aspects of a classroom environment are important. Communication is a key factor in education and character building. The ability to share triumphs and failures with peers impacts students greatly, it can be a major deciding factor in which student success or failure is based. It is easier to share a concern or problem in a less pressured and more relaxed environment, for example a non typical classroom setting. I will review our understanding of the supernatural and the ways I believe we can incorporate the supernatural into current day architecture, through the use of new technologies realised in building skins. I will portray my interests and discuss the findings of research I conducted into Open-Air Schools in the eighteenth century and how we can use some of the positive aspects of their designs combined with main stream schools to create a hybrid school of sorts which may be informed by some of the new building skin technologies that are being developed. I state why I believe there is a need for change in the arc

peer-reviewed, For most the heart of the city of Chicago is the loop district, the central business district where by all the different city transit lines meet in a loop fifteen foot above one’s head. For me it is a place much more detached from, yet completely surrounded by the city, the confluence, the point at which the three branches of the river meet. With my back against the ten to fifteen foot corrugated steel river wall, bobbing gently in my kayak, the essence of an extraordinarily vibrant city can be felt. From here, the three branches of the river meet like an upside down letter Y placed out in front of you and flattened. Behind me I can hear the great Metra on its final approach into the city’s ‘Union Station’ as it completes its journey from the far outer reaches of the greater Chicago area. On my right, the bare aluminium skin of the red-line, transit train is glistening in the sun as it crosses the ‘Lake Street Bridge’ over the southern branch of the river. From that bridge panning left toward the direction of the bow of my kayak is the main stem of this great river. Throughout the day a parade of endless water taxis, tour boats and recreational boats, head towards this confluence of river branches and either go south, under ‘Lake Street’ bridge to my right, or north towards my left under what Chicagoans would call ‘Viagra’ bridge, the name being a touch of humour towards its current state in a permanent upright position. Its monumental state is paying tribute toward the industrial age of Chicago where the train was of vital importance to its prosperity, the bridge being the last physical piece of evidence of a past infrastructure. All of this added to the sound of cars in rush hour traffic is a vibrancy of transport infrastructure any city would thrive upon. Although, completely forgetting the canyons of glass and steel towering left and right of the river, adding a whole other layer of fabric to a feeling of wonder and awe just bobbing in the water.

non-peer-reviewed, My thesis project is exploring the way we live today. In our Irish context the suburbs have been spreading out from the cities like a virus, each development clothed to the next as the life-line of the roads deteriorates and clogs. Now that our developments have slowed down we have time to reflect and rethink our form of living before our economy turns around and the pace picks up again. I am questioning our current individualistic mode of consumption exploring the possibilities of bringing our social and living selves back into harmony within society. We need to live on this earth interdependently, so we can rely on our neighbours, our good will as humans to make this earth a place that we can share and pass onto all the generations. I have chosen Milford Grange , a suburban estate of Limerick to test my desires. My project will be a new form of living recycling the existing materials to create this architecture which will be the frame work to support this new form of living.

non-peer-reviewed, In January 1957 Ives Klein exhibited eleven monochrome canvases in Milan. Each canvas was mounted twenty centimetres in front of the wall as if to comment on the very emptiness of the space itself. The canvases, seen in this context, seemed weightless as if suspended in the space of the room itself. As such, the boundaries between subjective and objective were subtly blurred. For Klein each of these blue canvases “presented a completely different essence and atmosphere. None resembled any other”. However, Klein had begun painting similar monochromes as early as 1947, considering them to be a way of rejecting the idea of representation in painting and therefore of attaining creative freedom. Although it is difficult to date many of these works precisely, the early ones have an uneven surface, whereas, those painted later, are finer and more uniform in texture. For Klein blue was dimensionless. Blue was a unification of heaven and earth, the sky and the ground. Gone is the dividing line of the horizon. These monochrome canvases were to form a fundamental concept for much of Klein’s art. Within this setting the paintings appear to take on a life of their own. The singularity of colour dissolves any notion of the edge as a condition. As such the known merges with the unknown. Outside, Klein had hoped to illuminate the obelisk at the Palace de la Concorde in blue floodlights, while the base was to remain in total darkness. Like the canvases inside, the column would appear to float in mid-air as if suspended above the city.

non-peer-reviewed, We as architects tend to avoid the question of the act of building, the motion of machines the action of cranes, the force of trucks and the labour of people, in this act we manipulate nature to fit our needs as a society to make the spaces in which we live. In the image above the artist is portraying a world free of fossil fuels it is a speculation based on an alternate history where the industrial revolution as we know it never happened, to me it begins to demonstrate the spatial implications of power in this world. We live in a time where energy is a real concern and has a future which is relatively uncertain.

non-peer-reviewed, This thesis argues the relevance of social spaces for play and free time. Age appropriate design and the design of social infrastructure are important to architecture and urban design. At an age where they are marginalised, disenfranchised, and vulnerable, the quality of the places teenagers hang out and spend free time is a highly important issue. Teenagers don’t readily take part in the activities of younger children and gravitate away from these spaces when they are ill-designed. What is often seen as insubordinate behavior and loitering, is merely a manifestation of their collective boredom. The thesis essay will discuss how teenagers are affected as a group. It explores how the nature of the space they occupy for free time infl uence the quality of their social experiences. The essay explores how programming can improve these spaces for the teenagers and how some spaces are more conducive to play, and attractive to teenagers. This benefi ts them socially and enriches the rest of society by their rejuvenating presence. My site is in Mitchelstown, a town of six thousand in the town proper, and a further population of twelve thousand in the immediate hinterland. Mitchelstown is about an hour’s drive from both Limerick and Cork cities, and situated on the Cork-Dublin road. Originally a planned georgian town built in the 18th century, the streets of the town have a distinctive fabric and density. Large plots of land the former property of the church, schools and other institutions surround this fabric, close to the town centre and the residential streets and estates. In terms of demographics, the types of social space in the town, and the predominance of the car in the town’s development the town is comparable to many towns in Rural Ireland. In the past Mitchelstown was known as the “home of good food”. The area is rich in industry and dairy production. The town produces all sorts of milk, cheese, and meat products. It was found that a more progressive motto or iden

non-peer-reviewed, My thesis entitled “Reclaiming | constructed Wilderness”, looks simultaneously at the notion of wilderness and of the construction and preservation of such; to create a better reality for our country through proposed architectural intervention. I analysed my interests in the relationship of nature and architecture ; at places constructed by man which were inevitably being reclaimed by the overpowering force of nature. I am fascinated by the edges of our architectural interventions, of the boundaries that they create within the context of their siting and how we can blur such so that we may achieve a symbiotic relationship with nature. The ecotones between habitats and biomes both those real and constructed were where my interests lie. I read a number of sources around the topic, authors including : Gilles Clement, Arundhati Roy, Rachel Carson, Ian Mc Harg, Eugene Odum and Aldo Leopold. In reading on disintegration and natural processes in biomes, I was inspired to create architecture which may pay homage to these natural occurrences all around us. I used reed beds to further cleanse water in the lake within the site and proposed to farm and feed the land so to validate living in this place. The final paper goes through my theoretical written idea and also aims to illustrate and annotate my design process. Finally it shows the drawings and architectural models which I constructed to represent my final thesis proposal and physical representation of the theoretical standing. My thesis project is about using architecture to reclaim wilderness in a place seemingly natural but that in truth is created from a number of unnatural processes, sited to the West of Limerick city within the Irish cement factory compound, my project emerges from the soil. The buildings act as a new topography on the site, one to be walked over; to allow people to experience what is there in a new way. They also act as a framework for nature and would allow for the eventual reclamation of wilderne

non-peer-reviewed, In the following text I explore the unique qualities of an Irish landscape with a particular interest to me. The study of architecture has enhanced my understanding and appreciation of the meaning of place. In attempting to convey that meaning to others it is important to create an awareness of our everchanging landscape and its effects on our coastline. Landscape for me is no longer stagnant but constantly changing and evolving - something that must be recognised in the design process. I have always had a particular interest in our seascape especially along the west coast. Having spent many years on the Aran Islands I developed a greater awareness and respect for the sea and its potential and influence. In relation to landscape and its dynamics it is fair to say that Aran is a microcosm of Ireland. As a result of this liaison I achieved competence as a swimmer and lifeguard, thus allowing me indulge further with the sea and its power. For six summers I was employed as a beach lifeguard for Galway County Council patrolling various beaches. My duties required me to be vigilant and constantly aware of the dangers of the sea. I saw at first hand the movement of tides, currents and swells and their pervasive power over the coastline. Built edges have been designed and constructed to enable us access and enjoy our seashores in a safe and healthy environment. These built edges have in turn shaped the coastal landscape in their manipulation of coastal processes through either reducing the seas erosive power at one point but amplifying it elsewhere.

non-peer-reviewed, Port na bPúcai literally translated as the ‘tune of the ghosts’ or also known as the ‘music of the fairies’ is a traditional Irish slow air, associated with the playing of the uilleann pipes, the fiddle, flute or tin whistle. It is no coincidence that the tune finds favour with these instruments, as its name gives clues to the evocative aura it imbues through its haunting air, the instruments suitably adept in replicating its spectral melody. The story of how the tune came into being is strongly rooted in the folklore associated with Irish traditional music. The tune locates its origins off the south west coast of Ireland from the waters between the mainland coast of west Kerry and the island of Inishvickillane. The storey goes that three islanders were rowing back from Kerry to Inishvickilane one night in their traditional currach, when they began to hear strange sounds emanating in the air and from the waters that surrounded them. One of the islanders, a fiddler, picked up his bow and began playing along to these eerie sounds, thought to have been made by the fairies (púcai), by the time they reached the island, a new tune had been added to the fiddlers repertoire. Many years later a possible connection was made between the tune and the communicating sounds of the humpback whale. Perhaps what the islanders heard that night were the sounds of the humpbacks making their way south to the breeding grounds around the Cape Verdes, but then again, perhaps it was simply Port na bPúcai.

non-peer-reviewed, By the beginning of the twentieth century, 1% of forested landscape was left in Ireland. It consisted of ‘native’ and ‘naturalised’ species. Since then there has been an effort to bring forest cover back. (currently at 10.15%)I A mixed opinion has arisen about a variety of ‘new’ species that have been introduced throughout the last two hundred years. Recreating the forested landscape that once clothed the rolling hills and valleys of our island has many consequences. Apart from ecological positives and negatives, human inhabitation and societal activities must be considered. The landscape of Ireland is much more than a protector of its inhabitants; it is a provider of economic stability. The creation of forestry could be considered as a ‘productive surface’ for our landscape. ‘The productive surface is a constructed terrain that has the ability to simply put, yield something’.II However a landscape of trees can be about much more than a crop yielder, it can also create a highly complex spatial system. This spatial system can be eminently varied as the future choice of species could be endless. The following document includes an essay debating the meaning of ‘landscape’ and ‘nature’, studies of the landscape of Ireland, studies of timber abilities and a proposal to develop the landscape of Ireland for a future generation.

non-peer-reviewed, My thesis investigations are based on ideas of threshold and mediation in architecture. Movement or mediation between distinct places implies thresholds; skin, walls, doors, bridges etc. This mediating geography describes the physical conditions of the elements that enclose, separate and negotiate between us and the surrounding world. These elements have a duration and an intensity of experience as we pass through them or a power and significance as they enfold. Exploring mediations at various scales, from the city to the house, and the door to the skin, further the ideas of an architecture of reconciliation (reconciling between two or more specific places). This is about finding an architecture based on the meeting place between conditions; light and dark, public and private, fast and slow, which might become more than an object building, to be a geography of mediation which meaningfully describes the spaces, structures, programmes and experiences of inhabitation. The first part of the project consists of an essay entitled ‘Mediating Geography: Threshold places’, in which these ideas are outlined and explored at a conceptual level, engaging with other texts, images, buildings and experiences to highlight areas of testing. Some of the ideas are then tested on a specific site, creating an architectural project which begins to question the thesis at a small, easily digestible scale. Abstract The second part is a more developed site specific architectural project. This allows the thesis to be tested using physical parameters of local environment and geography, social and economic conditions, programme and users experience to enhance the possibilities of the exploration. Following my investigations in mediation and the space between conditions, the programme for the project developed as a place of performance including making, movement and learning as part of performance. The traditional thresholds between actor and spectator are questioned and spaces of circulation (pr

non-peer-reviewed, My thesis investigation focuses on identifying the qualities, potential and possibilities of ‘in-between’ spaces. The purpose of this investigation is to challenge the notion of ‘non-place’ with which these types of spaces have become associated. I believe that in-between spaces have the potential to function as places of inter-connection, exchange, public space and hybrids, when considered and designed appropriately, thus, these spaces play a vital role in the fabric of towns and cities. My interest in this field of study was born out of observations made in earlier studies. Site analysis in my previous projects led to an observation that large scale transport infrastructure in Ireland (while linking areas on a larger scale) carve apart the landscape at a local and human scale. What results is a separation of landscape by elaborate, single function infrastructure. This example of an ‘in-between’ space does not optimise the potential it possesses as place- as a place positioned between and influenced by its surroundings, a place of co-existence and interchange, a place with potential for multi-function or hybrid situations and, most importantly, a space that functions as a series of moments working together for the experience of the individual. My project is located at the site of Colbert Station, Limerick City’s train and bus terminal. The presence of the railway has brought about a distinct separation of the unique cluster of education building to the north of the site and the sports facilities and public park to the south. The result is an impenetrable and under-valued area of the city which does not successfully respond to, or integratewith, its surrounds. My proposal is to build on the existing transport, education and sports facilities and to focus on the overlap of programme and use within this brief to create hybrid situations and public space. In addition to the existing facilities to be built upon, I propose to create facilities for the Education Departmen

non-peer-reviewed, Moments of disorientation are something I relish. That instant when you know nothing about your surroundings. I look at these moments as a challenge, a test of my spatial awareness and navigational skills. I would describe myself as one of those people who refuses to ask for help when negotiating my way around a new city. This is not because I am too proud to admit when I am lost but because I enjoy finding my way back. That feeling of heightened awareness when one is looking for even the smallest fraction of something that is familiar. This is one of the many reasons why I love to travel. Over the past few years I have travelled to 4 continents, exploring different cultures and architecture. Regardless of where I am in the world, every time I travel to a new place I always find myself doing the same thing upon arrival. I stand still and imagine where I am in the city. I find myself drawing up a mental map that I fill with all the details I already know about the city and as I am walking down the street I am constantly adding to this map. I am aware that I am doing this but I do not know how or why I obtain certain information and not other details. This makes my mental map invariably incomplete and partially distorted, but yet I can find my way around the city with reasonable ease.

non-peer-reviewed, Within our current modernized age, there is a need to reunite the collective through place, in an increasingly individualised society. This essay is an analysis of how social interaction can be created in a town through place; by studying why we live in an increasingly individualised society; how to create a social network; and who benefits from these social networks? The social places will connect people to their local town, and to one another. Social networks can be sustainable in the sense that they will remain even if the town changes over time, if they connect a diverse collective which is inherently connected to the town and places within it.

non-peer-reviewed, Spending so much time by the sea my interests have always lay in the coast and our relationship with these seascapes. As an island nation the coastline is deeply rooted in our society. Personally I have a great association and infinity with the Burren and a small village on the coast, called Fanore. It’s a scenic region with a beautiful sandy golden beach and towering limestone mountains that sink below the water’s edge. It is an area that experiences a shift in conditions. These include variations in the population, the weather and a change in the social dynamic throughout the year. In our society there has always been a connection with the coast and seaside towns of Ireland. We experience them in many ways. Our relationships, associations and perceptions of these seascapes greatly vary amongst different societies. The views of the people who live there are in stark contrast from those who reside there for a few months of the year. Locals see the shortcuts, the fields of agriculture, the roads to school, the routes to access the cattle or livestock, the farm house, the journey home or to the shops. The surrounding landscape has shaped their lives, it has earned their respect and realism. Their view of these seascapes is also quite different to that of the tourist or the holiday home owner, who often hold a view that is somewhat disjointed and there is a detachment between the land, the sea and the viewer. More often than not that experience of the land and the coast is gained from the confines of a vehicle be it a bus or a car. It can be said that this heightens this disconnect. Perhaps there is more of a focus on the destination rather than the journey and the landscape or seascape that is travelled through. Roadways and routes experienced from the car often give the traveller a fragmented experience of the surrounding landscape. The weather and climate also play a huge role in our experiences of the coast. Most recently these conditions have shown the destructive

non-peer-reviewed, Days go by and everything changes. The weather controls our emotions, and our emotions control us. We control everything else. This is a natural occurrence, like the tide changing the water levels. By ‘everything’ I mean the inanimate, the living, and the landscape. Landscape is the largest example of something that is a direct result of the actions of our society. The moment humanity feels apathetic towards the land and pushes its used gum into the pavement; we are allowing this gum to become part of our landscape, and with it, our apathy. This power to change the landscape is a form of authority which I feel begs further exploration in the design world. While architects are trained to make positive impact on the built environment, there are restrictions to what they can do. These include various regulations such as; planning regulations, building regulations, and fire safety regulations etc. The realisation of the architect’s work comes after a project is designed, carefully considered, gone through planning, constructed, and then finally open for use. Contrasting this, a citizen’s input is realised immediately after the gum is stuck on the pavement. Reflecting on this led me to an exploration of nostalgia. Nostalgia is an emotion responsible for our society’s reluctance to change the existing landscape. It seems that we make systems to control and limit the impact an architect can have on the landscape, meanwhile the landscape is forever changing, one piece of gum at a time. We are conditioned to give things that were there before us the privilege of being part of our everyday world. Time gives these things power. Juhani Pallasmaa once stated “We are what we remember”2 . It is this thought that protects every disused farmhouse, shed, ditch, water tower, well, castle and alls for a medium/form/an architecture that represents who we are now, and how we came to be. The aesthetic of the built fabric in Irish towns and cities is predominantly historic; however we have

non-peer-reviewed, The aim of this thesis was to thoroughly immerse myself into the liminal space that lingers between our initial thoughts and realised visions. The shadow, as it were, was the elusive subject I have chased since my childhood. It is an experience, it is the multitude of experiences that make up a lifetime, my driving force. In a literal sense, it is the darkness resulting from placing an agglomeration of matter in the path of light. This is where the idea meets the reality, in the attempt to create these experiences, to allow others to occupy this intermediate space in our minds by bringing it to life. This piece of writing is an attempt to put into words the places and experiences that have shaped my understanding of space. Some are merely fleeting memories, yet these fractions, these series of brief experiences come to my mind with such blinding intensity that they momentarily disarm me. For a brief instant I remember that such intensity of emotion exists, and there is nothing else but shadow, light and silence.

non-peer-reviewed, My thesis began with an interest in finding various differences and commonalities in the fields of science and architecture. I have always been interested by the seemingly fast paced progression of science and technology in comparison to other creative fields. There appears to be a constant stream of discoveries and new technologies. And so I wondered if there was anything about the way the scientist works that the architect could learn. I began by reading books about “the role of the scientist”, and books written by scientists. I have also tried to explore a lasting interest in energy and the cycle of energy on the planet and will hopefully look at new types of cyclical energy consumption as opposed to the more linear energy consumption that we have operated for years as one of the new proposed answers to climate change in my design project. My writing has become a background as to how I may approach this. I think now is the time that architects must seriously try and remove themselves from the romanticism that can sometimes cloud the vision of the architect and consider the serious impact that they have on the planet.

non-peer-reviewed, The objective of my thesis is to explore the various elements that make structure architecture. Through investigation into thinness, material, span, space and soundscape, I wish to create an architecture which can appeal to the senses and have value form many years to come. I propose to interrogate these qualities with the demanding programme of aircraft cargo and maintenance on the site of Shannon Airport, which is situated on the shannon estuary and to find a unique solution to the current generic nature of the place.

non-peer-reviewed, My thesis investigation involves developing a process by which one could derive meaning in the threshold space of an edge condition to which the border is not explicit. In investigating the social and ideological aspects of movement in line with infrastructure, the project aims at reworking our perception of spaces created by transport infrastructure, dealing predominantly with speed, scale, roads and landscape in the play between linear and polar movement. My focus deals with the relationship between the City of Galway and the Town of Oranmore, investigating the changing dynamic of the Irish Town developing a place for lived experience and heritage in future development. The program incorporates a more multi-functional framework, looking at roundabouts, motorway exits and flyovers as nodal points for social interaction between different territories.

non-peer-reviewed, Ground is fascinating in that it is something that every single person in the world experiences every day of their life in some form or another. For this reason it is crucial that architects have a clear understanding of ground. We came from a time where we placed objects (houses etc) on the ground. But there is another type of construction that can occur where the ground itself can be manipulated through cutting, levelling and raising. This can achieve a lot of results such as linking space and creating space, creating renewable energy, and providing irrigation for agriculture, to name a few. The essay sets out to examine and discover the various advantageous ways of manipulting ground through exploring a range of projects and texts.

non-peer-reviewed, The aim of this thesis was to explore how one can create a more em-bodied experience of a landscape. This subject is explored in an essay and architectural project. The essay examines how to create an em-bodied experience. It draws from a wide range of authors from different disciplines, who have dealt with similar subjects. The project itself then draws on the information and conclusions made in the essay to pro-duce a building produces more meaningful and embodied experience of itself and the landscape.

non-peer-reviewed, Societies in Ireland are at a turning point. The fast and furious economically driven building trade of the past 20 odd years has eventually calmed down. Now we (by ‘we’ I mean people, not just architects) can now move away from building on demand and come up with new methods and motivations for building. While the building boom has meant that some people benefited financially, many people would argue that it has resulted in a regression of society and its values. Going forward we have the opportunity to slow down, look at individuals, how they work as a collective, and come up with ways that the built environment can improve the way that we live. Through the collaboration of people from various backgrounds, professions and with various ideas, we can encourage co-operation so that people within a community can flourish while also allowing the community as a whole to progress. The architect can no longer be seen as the person who dictates how people should live or inhabit a space. Instead the architect should become the coordinator or the gatherer of the ideas that are put forward or proposed by the people who know best what is needed, - the end users. Not only is there a need to change the way that we build but also the way that we, as a society, think and solve problems. Now more than ever we need new, creative thinkers George Land in his book ‘Breakpoint and Beyond’ George land concluded that non-creative behaviour is learned. He came to this conclusion from a test that he developed for NASA. The test was used to select innovative or creative engineers and scientists. In 1968 he gave the test to 1,600 5 year old and 98% of them registered at genius level. He retested the same children aged 10 and 15. At 10 years old 30% of the children registered at genius level and by 15 the number was down to 12%. The same test was given to 280,000 adults and their genius level creativity was placed at 2%! People are naturally creative we just have to give them the freedom to cr

non-peer-reviewed, The ambition of my thesis project is to design civic space, space for civic engagement. Taking inspiration from the various voices who have identified a democratic crisis and who are themselves more civilly engaged, I am designing for a society that has revolutionised itself to be more active in its own governance. I propose an alternative local government whose public face is dissolved into the street into an aggregation of rooms rather than one institutional building. The design is concerned with spaces that have the characteristics of the society inhabiting them, transparency, accessibility and inclusivity. These are spaces for citizenship, spaces to gather and discuss, spaces to argue and debate; but also to celebrate and take pride in shared identity. I propose my design for Limerick City, whose governing structures are being re-evaluated as it is amalgamated with Limerick County. My vision extends further than the line between neighbours being razed, but this move has open up a conversation about what the new entity could be. I propose a space that is common to all, for collective action. A space where public concerns are addressed, with a sense of permanence; an informal noninstitutional space. I imagine large public spaces for gathering but also smaller space for organised and influential groups to meet and lobby. Above all else, I am describing a space for active civic engagement.

non-peer-reviewed, My architectural project investigates spaces of refuge. From an analysis of the organic structure of seashells, I have chosen to work with the sculpted interior of the vacant Jesuit Church in Limerick. In this space I am designing a sheltered public space for the city. Adjacent to this, will be a Women and Children’s Refuge. This will inhabit the surrounding Georgian residences with an extension wrapping around the corner to define the street edge and an enclosed courtyard space.

non-peer-reviewed, This essay initially examines how the body experiences place, and whether through an analysis of this, a new way of adding value to spaces of supermodernity can occur. Spaces of supermodernity include airports, motorways, shopping centres, the virtual world of the internet etc. These are homogenous or ‘parallel’ spaces that have no attachment to the landscape they sit in, yet where people are spending increasing amounts of time; places where you are everywhere and nowhere and which exist only as a result of the spatialities and needs of contemporary society. By analysing place through a temporal lens and exploring the modes of the visual and perception, new methods are suggested as a potential way of thinking about these places differently. There is value in these places and it is through these means that they can perhaps be thought of differently and given an enhanced meaning.

non-peer-reviewed, The aim of this thesis is to re-imagine how to treat the river’s edge and introduce new realistic and thoughtful ideas based on different ways of working with water that can help diminish the damage done by the power of water during bad weather conditions and flooding as well as provide new opportunities for engaging with water. I am working on a scheme based in Limerick City which will strive to forge greater connections between the site and the Shannon River by trying to redefine the practice of building on water allowing for a heightenened sensitivity to the flows of the river. It is a project which aims to specifically address the Shannon River’s currents and cycles and will change and transform with every dynamic shift in the tidal water level. The scheme embraces water and tries to enhance the Limerick city’s interaction with the famous River Shannon., TOC: Introduction / Process - The Shannon Airport primer project - Cultural Sustainability - The Hafencity primer project - Connection to nature - The University of Limerick primer project / Water / History and Context - The Shannon - Limerick City / Speculative Analysis / Design Strategies - The site - Piers and slipways - Wetlands - Islands / Conclusions

non-peer-reviewed, The objective of this thesis is to explore theatrical space and the cultural relationship of materials as they are experienced by people in rural Ireland. The method involved the investigation of five handball alleys in Co.Mayo, the identification of materials and the location of the sources of those materials. The results found that one of these handball alleys was part of an urban arrangement of theatrical spaces. The alley was no longer in use, in a state of disrepair and the materiality experience was lost due to the ivy covering the walls. I propose for this project a reuse of the site as a theatre with poetry with an associated playwright hostel, using this to explore a nomenological approach to design through the relationship of old and new materials with reference to past and present culture., TOC: Introduction / Primer projects in Shannon and Hamburg / Chapter One - Theatrical Space / -Theatre in everyday life / -Three Theatre Experiences / Chapter Two - Material / -Physicality of materials / -Sense of Place / Chapter Three - Investigation / -Learning From Alleys / -Advanced Construction / Conclusion - Final Presentation / Bibliography

non-peer-reviewed, TOC: Introduction / Perception of Place / Touch / Materiality / Nature’s Cycles / Framed Views / Constructed Landscape / The Burren: A Layered Landscape / Infrastructural Intervention / Drawings and Models / Endnotes / Bibliography