UCD Health Sciences Centre receives High Commendation in Prestigious Architecture awards
The UCD Health Sciences Centre has been highly commended in the RIAI 2008 Irish Architecture Awards. The 20th anniversary of the awards saw a total of two hundred and seventeen entries across twelve different categories.
Chairman of the Jury, Joan O’ Connor suggested that the nominated buildings are “the products of the creative and considered interaction of client and architect in relationships of mutual respect”.
Designed by Murray O’Laoire Architects, the UCD Health Science Centre was highly commended in the two categories of ‘Sustainable Projects, and ‘Best Educational Building’. This building was designed to host several constituent disciplines whilst simultaneously allowing them their individuality within the building.
The building offers a multi-disciplinary environment where students of diagnostic imaging, medicine, nursing and physiotherapy train and develop together. The provision of a truly unique Health Sciences Library acts as the focal point to the new Centre.
The building has very strong sustainable characteristics, such as the use of large open spaces as “lungs” for it to breathe, wrapped around the library as the heart of the building. The design of the building takes into account sustainable and environmental aims by maximising natural ventilation and day lighting, and by optimising the energy performance of the building for various times of the year.
The UCD Research Building, located adjacent to the lake was also selected for exhibition at the awards ceremony. Designed by RKD Architects this building was completed in early 2007 and acts as a high profile research administration hub for the university.
The inclusion of university buildings in these prestigious awards highlights the commitment that UCD has in providing its students and staff with a high quality, world-class built environment.
