Mayo project wins national award
ACT Architect and Director James McConville is presented with the award by Eimear O’Reilly of sponsor Everrun.
A Ballina architects firm has won a Gold All-Ireland Sustainability Award for an innovative town centre residential construction project that will be located on Pearse Street.
Accelerating Change Together (ACT) was hailed for its "innovative and inspiring" Scotch House, a planned residential building in the heart of Ballina town centre. The company is headquartered at Ballina Innovation Quarter, which was officially opened recently by Minister Dara Calleary.
The All-Ireland Sustainability Award for Housing, Buildings and/or Construction Initiative of the Year recognised ACT's commitment to creative interpretation and innovation in the use of materials, space and nature in accelerating the green transition. Judges said Scotch House championed sustainable urban living for everyone.
“With its vibrant mix of five new town centre homes with their own door access, shops and office space, it is an award-winning example of how to revitalise town centres. In providing multiple green spaces on different upper levels for open-air recreation and biodiversity enhancement, Scotch House combines the aspirational attractiveness of the suburbs with the best of town centre living.
“Carbon-reducing measures include circularity in design and use of materials, modularity in construction and biodiversity net gain for nature, while also generating renewable energy and water conservation in this mixed-use multi-generational urban living community.”
Scotch House was granted planning permission by An Bord Pleanála last May. The planning permission includes five apartments, two retail units and a number of unique residential amenities such as a greenhouse and communal space.
Scotch House owner PJ Hennigan is hoping the project can help revitalise the town centre.
“Until recent decades, Ballina like other urban town centres was bustling with life and activity of all description. But with time it became easier and cheaper to expand into suburbia and hinterlands, all to the detriment of the town centre.
“In recent years, I have been fortunate enough to acquire town centre property that was once the footprint of Scotch House and its lane. It is my hope to develop this site enhancing existing buildings and adding new commercial and residential units with a view to recreating new town centre life reminiscent of its glorious past.”
ACT project architect and director Kevin Loftus hopes Scotch House can become a blueprint for similar town centre projects throughout the country.
“I see great potential for our rural towns and villages to be a key tool in tackling Ireland’s housing crisis and the battle against climate change, while also bringing vibrancy back to our communities.
“To unlock this potential, ACT sought to combine the qualities of open green space and own door access that people aspire to with the best of town centre living to create a hybrid which offers the best of both.
“We hope that the model we've developed in the Scotch House project will be repeated across the country, accelerating the regeneration of our town centres."
