Madam, - Kevin Gartland (May 12th) questions the decision by the jurors of the Architectural Association of Ireland to "exclude all one-off houses in the countryside on principle". He cites the example of a recent one-off house in Donegal designed by the esteemed (and previous award-winning) practice Donaghy Dimond which he feels was unfairly omitted from the scheme given the house's skilful design and sensitive response to its rural location.
The AAI agrees with much of his argument in relation to using the awards as a platform for debate on such contentious architectural and planning issues as one-off housing in the rural context or the lack of significant public building by small or younger architectural firms. However, we must be clear now in elucidating the meaning of this 23-year-old award scheme, which we present on behalf of the architectural community of Ireland.
In response to the age-old dearth of critical analysis within the culture of Irish architecture, we have become increasingly convinced of our role as facilitators of discussion and criticism; the unique system of the AAI Awards is a direct expression of this. Each year we appoint a wholly autonomous set of assessors of international/national and architect/non-architect status. This means that we have become "hosts" of the awards, enabling rather than predicting a critical process otherwise largely lacking in contemporary Irish architecture.
Inevitably the outcome may surprise, dismay, hearten, enrage or encourage; but importantly, the assessors of the AAI Awards in 2008 - just like those in 2007, 2006 and back to the late 1980s - are responding to the projects within an architectural climate which is presented to them. Their decisions are not prescriptive but reactive.
As such, it is interesting that in 2007 two important one-off rural houses - Mimetic House by Dominic Stevens Architect and the House at Aill Breac by de Paor Architects - won awards while the jury of that year made the controversial decision notto award the first-prize medal to any scheme.
We welcome further debate on the issue and invite readers to view this year's AAI Awards Exhibition at the Irish Architecture Archive, 45 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. - Yours, etc,
DAVID SMITH,
(On behalf of the AAI committee),
Architectural Association of Ireland,
Temple Bar,
Dublin 2.