UCD Student Centre Dublin wins Public Choice Award at Irish Architecture Awards

The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) today announced that University College Dublin’s (UCD) Student Centre, is Ireland’s favourite new building in the 2013 Irish Architecture Awards.

The UCD Student Centre, designed by Fitzgerald Kavanagh & Partners and built by Walls was voted for by the Irish public in the Public Choice category, also won in the Best Universal Design category. Fourteen awards were presented at a ceremony held last night in Dublin. Full details and images of all the winning projects are available on www.riai.ie. The project also received the Best Universal Design award.

The RIAI received 12,500 votes for this years’ public choice award.  The winner, University College Dublin’s Student Centre, won with 18 per cent of the vote followed byContemplation Space, Mater Hospital designed by Architect, Michael Goan and coming in third place the Temple Bar Umbrellas by Séan Harrington Architects.

Eddie Conroy, Chairperson of the Judging Panel, said, “We continue to see a very high standard of projects entered in to the awards each year. It is most encouraging to see an increase in the number of domestic projects being entered, showing us that Irish people are spending and investing in their homes. The UCD Centre, winner of the public choice and best universal design, demonstrates this dynamic piece of Irish architecture. The judges felt the use of colour, choice of materials and the simplicity of its layout contributed greatly to its ease of use to the students and staff of UCD as well as to members of the public, regardless of age, size, ability or disability.”