Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) celebrated the official opening of Áras Geal, a new state-of-the-art teaching facility at its Blanchardstown campus. The new building was officially opened by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD. Designed to advance practice-led and employer-engaged education and research in one of Ireland’s fastest-growing regions, Áras Geal marks a major milestone for the University and the wider community.
The launch event brought together students, staff, graduates, key stakeholders, government officials, public representatives and members of the local community to mark the occasion. The project was developed with the support and guidance of the Higher Education Authority and the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science and will serve as a cornerstone for TU Dublin’s future in Blanchardstown.
In line with TU Dublin’s commitment to sustainability, Áras Geal features a highly insulated fabric and is powered by air-source heat pumps, entirely eliminating the use of fossil fuels. Rooftop photovoltaic panels further reduce the building’s carbon footprint, setting a new benchmark in green campus infrastructure.
President of TU Dublin, Dr eirdre Lillis, welcomed guests and shared her vision for the future of the Blanchardstown campus: “TU Dublin’s core mission is to deliver accessible pathways to high-quality employment for students of all ages and backgrounds. We are committed to providing world-class, practice-led and employer-engaged education and research in the heart of one of Ireland’s fastest-growing regions. Áras Geal literally translates as ‘Bright House’ or ‘House of Light’, symbolising the energy, ambition and openness that will define our University’s future. This reflects the very best of what TU Dublin stands for – excellence, accessibility, employability and engagement. From the graduates who helped design it to the students who will thrive within it, this teaching facility will serve as a beacon on our Blanchardstown campus and a milestone in our ongoing journey as Ireland’s university for enterprise, talent and innovation.”
Notably, several TU Dublin graduates played a pivotal role in the creation of Áras Geal, from the design phase to final construction, highlighting the University’s reputation for producing highly skilled professionals who make meaningful contributions to national development projects.
Elliot Ballam of BDP Architects, Lead Architect on the project and graduate of TU Dublin stated: “The Aras Gael Building is a fantastic state-of-the-art facility which provides a range of new teaching and administrative spaces to support the continued growth and expansion of TUD’s Blanchardstown Campus. Acting as Design Architects and Technical Advisors, we adopted a flexible and agile approach to the building design to ensure highly utilised and adaptable teaching spaces throughout which deliver for today’s needs and will keep pace with changes in pedagogies. Universal design principles have been embedded throughout to ensure inclusiveness and accessibility, with all teaching spaces, lecture theatres and offices arranged around the central social hub which spans across all floors and creates a vibrant and active centrepiece to the building. This student-led, collaborative environment encourages project-based and applied learning and creates a destination that students can enjoy whilst enhancing the overall sense of community and connection to the University. The digital rich and technology enabled teaching spaces provided will support the adoption of new and emerging technologies, and the building as a whole contributes significantly to the decarbonisation of the existing university estate and enhances the campus’s sense of place into the future.”
The building was delivered as part of a wider Higher Education Public Private Partnership (PPP)under the management of the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA), as part of the National Treasury Management Agency, alongside five other higher education projects nationwide. Construction was led by JJ Rhatigan & Company, with facilities management by Sodexo Ireland Ltd., and equity provided by Macquarie Capital Group Ltd. A sister building is also under construction at TU Dublin’s Tallaght campus and is due for completion later in 2025.
TU Dublin graduates are the most employable of any university in Dublin, with employer engagement a defining hallmark of the University’s distinctive learning experience. Áras Geal represents a major investment in practice-led and employer-engaged education and research in the North-West Dublin region. The 4,067m² facility is a multipurpose, future-focused space designed to support students across all disciplines, featuring lecture theatres, flexible learning environments and multimedia laboratories. It will significantly expand the University’s capacity, enabling TU Dublin to accommodate an additional 600 students at the Blanchardstown campus, bringing the total student population there to almost 3,600. The project is part of Project Ireland 2040, which recognises that investment in education is key to building a strong, balanced and future-proofed economy across all regions.
The launch of Áras Geal marks a transformative moment for the Blanchardstown campus, which serves a diverse student population from Dublin and surrounding counties, including Meath, Kildare, Louth and Cavan. With growing demand for higher education in one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, this new facility will ensure that TU Dublin continues to lead in delivering accessible, practice-led and employer-engaged learning.
