Based in Kinsale, Co Cork, OR Construction provides top-quality architectural design, planning and construction services for its clients. Building Ireland spoke with its Managing Director Brian O’Regan to hear all about the company – from its origins to the projects it has on-going at the moment.
Over two decades on from its inception and OR Construction continues to lead the way as quality design and building contractors down south.
Operating from Ardbrack in Kinsale, Co Cork, the company employs four full-time staff and is headed by Brian O’Regan who has both his father and brother alongside him in the business.
Brian’s dad Bernard is 74 years old and, as the former himself puts it, still works on Saturdays and Sundays as he remains as dedicated to quality work as ever in his fit and hearty state.
Building Ireland touched base with Brian recently to learn all about the ins and outs of OR Construction and what its hopes and ambitions are going forward.
“We specialise in design and building one off houses and extensions here, along with bespoke and one off stuff like that,” he outlined.
“We do concept design to completion finishing houses. It’s more or less contemporary and one-off designs is the speciality. We do it all here – a one-stop shop as they call it.
“Mostly, the work that we do here is around Kinsale and the surrounding areas.”
Through Bernard and Brian O’Regan, OR Construction has years of experience in designing, planning and building and can offer clients a wide range of services for residential, commercial and industrial projects.
It also provides professional, impartial advice regarding all aspects of architectural design, deep retro fit and planning applications
As for the company’s roots, they date back more than two decades ago when the O’Regans brought together their skills and past experience to set-up their own venture.
The rest, as they say, is history.
“My father had the construction side of it and I had the design side of it,” said Brian.
“I was actually working with a couple architects in the Cork City and I was unhappy with the direction they were going in with the designs, so I went on my own.
“Starting this company, I brought the design side and my father had the construction experience so we amalgamated the two and, thankfully, we’re still going to this day.”
When it comes to construction, ‘ORC’ provides clients a full construction service from site clear out right through to final finish and furnishings.
On the design end, the company’s consultancy has been in operation since 2000 and has an extensive experience in the planning and building sectors which provides the business with the experience to advise clients on the best way to approach their project.
While business at the moment is “very cautious”, as Brian puts it, the company is currently immersed in several projects in and around Kinsale.
“It’s very cautious at the moment, I’ll be honest with you. I’d say I got about five jobs stopped this year because people are worried about the whole economy and the way all the energy and interest mortgage rates have gone up through the roof as well.
“I’m still doing alright here but, with the prices, I don’t see it coming down at all unfortunately. It’s only going one way.”
On current projects, the Corkonian added: “There’s a one-off house we’re on at the minute that I got planning permission for during the lockdown. It’s a nice house that we’re on and it’s coming to completion at the moment.
“We’re starting a modern extension in Kinsale as well and we finished off an ice cream shop along with a one and two-bed apartment in Kinsale as well.
“We’ve been busy for the last few years now and, hopefully, it’ll continue to stay that way for us here.”
So, all of that considered, the burning question is what has been the secret behind OR Construction’s success to date?
How has a small start-up grown into a thriving construction business which holds a golden reputation among its clients?
“One of the things would be that we give them (the clients) more freedom to actually change their mind during the construction and save cost then as you’re going along,” Brian pointed out.
“The freedom to actually move a wall two or three feet that way to make a bit more space in a living room or whatever.
“That’s probably the main thing – the flexibility to actually change your mind in the construction if we see a better way – because there’s no way in the world that you’d actually get all the information in any drawing. A drawing is a drawing, but everyone has their own interpretation of the drawing and they do their own thing most of the time. It’s almost impossible to detail every different junction on every different building.
“I suppose, the most important thing is that I start from scratch on every design. It’s way more interesting that way. I probably never worked a day in my life because I love what I do.”
Looking at the months ahead for OR Construction, Brian says he’s very much optimistic for what’s around the corner for the business.
With full construction services on offer, clients know what they get from Brian and his team and the Kinsale native is positive about the future as another year nears closer.
“The hopes are very bright and optimistic. Hopefully, the government will actually give people low interest rate loans for renovating their houses.
“I think if you took the VAT off insulation and timber it would be a major plus. Insulation is the most expensive of the whole lot and if they gave us some leeway on that, I don’t think it’d be out of the way,” he concluded.
OR Construction
Ardbrack
Kinsale,
Co Cork
Tel: 021 477 3080
Mob: 087 283 5709
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, December 2023, Vol 9 No 12
