Established in 2018, D/RES Properties Ltd has quickly distinguished itself as a major force within Ireland’s residential construction sector, combining decades of building heritage with a progressive approach to sustainability, innovation and large-scale delivery.
Backed by over 50 years of Durkan family expertise, the company has built a reputation for delivering high-quality homes while embracing modern construction techniques and environmentally responsible design principles.
Operating in a market under increasing pressure to deliver housing at scale while meeting stringent climate targets, D/RES Properties has positioned itself at the forefront of sustainable housebuilding. Its integrated model—developing its own sites, investing in innovation and fostering close collaboration with design teams and consultants—has enabled the company to expand rapidly while maintaining a clear focus on quality and performance.
This commitment to forward-thinking construction is evident not only in its growing portfolio of residential developments across Ireland, but also in its willingness to explore new materials, technologies and methodologies that can improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact. From embracing modern methods of construction to advancing the use of mass engineered timber, the company is actively contributing to the evolution of Ireland’s built environment.
Recognition of these efforts has come in the form of a nomination at the upcoming Irish Construction Excellence Awards, where D/RES Properties has been shortlisted in the ‘Innovation in Construction – Company T/O €20m to €200m’ category.
The nomination highlights not just a single project, but a broader philosophy centred on delivering sustainable, future-ready buildings.
At the heart of this strategy is Head of Sustainable Design, Brett Chrystal, whose international experience continues to shape the company’s direction.
“At the moment, the company employs have 65 staff. I’m Head of Sustainable Design and I’m working with the company four years,” he told Building Ireland.
A native of South Africa, Chrystal brings a wealth of experience to the role, having spent 25 years working as an architect prior to joining D/RES Properties.
“I was an Associate Director of a company of about 50 architects in South Africa and we concentrated mainly on apartment buildings, hotels and retail,” he said. “That’s my background and I got into project management while I was there as well.”
His move to Ireland in 2022 proved to be a pivotal moment in his career. Initially seeking architectural opportunities, Chrystal found a more dynamic role within development.
“When I came across to Ireland, I was looking for a job as an architect, but when I spoke to the recruitment agents, they said that there might be a space available with a developer. So I met with D/RES in the first two weeks I arrived here in 2022 and got a job literally straight away and I’m here ever since.
“I also head up the innovation cluster here where we have a group of three or four people—our COO (Kevin Durkan), myself and one or two others—who look at new and innovative materials, just seeing what new technology is on the market to try and improve efficiency on our sites.”
This emphasis on innovation is closely tied to the company’s strong growth trajectory.
“Business has been good for us. We’ve got a lot of planning in the pipeline. We develop our own sites, so we’ve got about 500 units in the pipeline in planning,” Chrystal noted.
“If I think about when I first joined the company, we were doing 160–180 units a year and I think last year we did 445 units, and we’d be aiming for 750 units in the next two years and by 2030 we want to be at 1,000 units a year.”
Supporting this growth is a series of major residential developments in collaboration with local authorities. Among these are two key projects for Kildare County Council.
“I’m involved in two projects for Kildare County Council; one in Kilcock and one in Maynooth,” he explained. “The one in Maynooth is circa 600 units and it’s a housing development across apartments and duplexes, which has just gone back in for planning now. We’d anticipate probably being on site with that in Q3 of this year.
“Kilcock is another development which is another 270-odd units and it’s a similar kind of timeframe where Q3 we’ll probably be on site.”
Beyond Kildare, the company is also delivering projects for Dublin City Council in Fairview, a 1,000-unit development in Tallaght for South Dublin County Council, and a further scheme in Edmondstown.
While scale and delivery are central to its operations, it is D/RES Properties’ commitment to sustainability that has attracted particular attention within the industry. This is exemplified by the project underpinning its Irish Construction Excellence Awards nomination—the Net Zero Carbon MET Crèche and Community Centre at Altidore Gardens in Newtownmountkennedy, delivered for Wicklow County Council.
Set for completion and handover in April, the project represents a significant advancement in low-carbon construction in Ireland. Designed as an exemplar building, it demonstrates how renewable materials and innovative construction methods can be combined to reduce environmental impact while enhancing building performance.
The use of mass engineered timber plays a central role, enabling carbon sequestration and reducing the building’s overall global warming potential. At the same time, the facility delivers strong operational performance through high levels of insulation, improved air quality and reduced energy demand. The adoption of Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) principles has also improved construction efficiency, resulting in shorter programme durations and increased precision.
Equally important is the impact on end users. By incorporating biophilic design principles associated with timber construction, the building promotes enhanced wellbeing, comfort and user experience—factors that are particularly relevant in an educational and community setting.
For D/RES Properties, the project is not an isolated achievement but part of a broader vision. The company’s long-term ambition is to accelerate the transition of Ireland’s built environment towards net zero carbon buildings through the use of sustainably sourced timber.
In this context, the Altidore Gardens development serves as both a benchmark and a blueprint for future projects.
Collaboration remains a cornerstone of the company’s approach.
“From our perspective, we have a good working relationship with a lot of our consultants,” Chrystal said. “We’re open to new ideas, we’re open to innovation and people feel that we’re approachable.
“It’s a cohesive effort and I think people appreciate the fact that we’ll go the extra mile to ensure that we talk to them and consult with them before making decisions.”
This ethos underpins the company’s ability to deliver complex projects while continuously improving its processes.
As D/RES Properties continues to expand its operations and refine its sustainable construction model, its recognition at the Irish Construction Excellence Awards, which take place on May 28th at the Convention Centre Dublin, reflects both its achievements to date and its potential to shape the future of housebuilding in Ireland.
D/RES Properties
Donnybrook House,
36-42 Donnybrook Road,
Dublin 4,
D04 E6X0
Tel: +353 1 231 0096
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, August 2026, Vol 12 No 8
