DUBLIN CITY Council’s redevelopment of Seán Treacy House in Buckingham Street has won the top prize in this year’s Irish Council for Social Housing awards – and will be open for public tours on Saturday as part of Open House Dublin.
Designed by Paul Keogh Architects – Keogh is current president of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) – the 53-unit scheme of duplexes and apartments won both the regeneration category and the overall award. The latter is for “excellence in the delivery of social housing, showcasing how innovative design can help create sustainable communities and impact positively on the lives of residents, the local and wider community, and contribute towards a greener environment”.
The €11 million scheme replaces 1950s walk-up flats with a new three, four and five-storey perimeter block enclosing a landscaped courtyard containing dedicated children’s play areas and a residents’ community room, with car parking at basement level.
The high density scheme (54 units per acre) uses self-condensing gas boilers, solar water heating and a highly-insulated fabric to achieve building energy ratings up to A3 – which means that tenants’ heating bills will be much lower than in most apartment blocks.
There will be tours of Seán Treacy House led by Paul Keogh Architects as part of Open House Dublin on Saturday from 2pm, with the last tour at 4pm.
** Barbershop singers will be cutting their stuff at the art deco Waldorf Barbershop at 13 Westmoreland Street as part of Open House, but if you want to see the building, note that the Open House booklet has visits listed for Saturday but it is actually open to visitors for tours on Sunday at 12.30pm, 2pm, 3.30pm or 5pm. Only go on Saturday if you want a haircut!
