A practice founded in 1939, Rhatigan Architects’ growth and reputation for delivery has resulted in an award winning service underpinned by professional excellence.
The Sligo based practice, with offices in Donegal and Dublin, work across a range of residential, commercial, healthcare, education and mixed use projects with a reputation for bringing both a personal touch and a wealth of experience to each and every project.
Award-winning and specialising in high quality deliverable design, Rhatigan Architects offer a complete architectural service from inception, concept design, statutory approvals, contractor procurement, to management on-site — all the way to post completion.
Their services include expertise in Architecture, Master Planning, Interior Design, Conservation, Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Sustainable Design.
Their hands-on approach includes managing key stakeholders throughout the project, offering clear direction and driving the project forward through every stage to realise the clients’ vision.
Rhatigan Architects combine high quality deliverable design with commercial acumen and are widely considered to be one of the most exciting architectural practices in business at present.
Associate Director Gavin Phelan spoke to Building Ireland about the company and what he feels sets them apart from their competitors;
“We take great pride in the work that we do and a great deal of satisfaction is taken when a project is completed and handed over. Our portfolio includes many prestigious projects around the country with a diverse portfolio of projects in the residential, education, healthcare, commercial and cultural sectors.”
“Our team are experienced and are well versed in feasibility, design, construction and management of all project sectors. We all share one common goal: to realise our architectural vision and our clients’ design brief on time and on budget.
We work closely with our clients to develop the brief into innovative and cost effective designs that respond to their physical and cultural context.”
Rhatigan Architects are always striving to create elegant designs with conceptual clarity, their design process is informed by both traditional craft based techniques and the possibilities offered by modern materials and fabrication methods.
One of their most recent projects saw them shortlisted for a prestigious award as they were nominated in the category of Education Project of the year for their beautiful upgrade of Blocks C&D and the Aurivo Auditorium within I.T. Sligo at the Irish Construction Industry Awards Ceremony held earlier this year.
The upgrade of Blocks C&D and the Former Foundation Lab were commissioned by I.T. Sligo to facilitate their ever-expanding campus. Built in the 1970’s, the former RTC building had last been upgraded in the 90’s, whilst the area that the Aurivo Auditorium now occupies was a disused double height space in the heart of the campus.
In designing the project, Rhatigan Architects have created a new external identity to the campus and a striking new entrance. The building has been designed and constructed in an energy efficient manner that reduces its environmental impact while maintaining an internal space that is comfortable and enjoyable for students, staff and visitors.
The internal works to Blocks C&D involved the introduction of two large roof lights which bring natural daylight deep into the building. As well as the creation of a series of social learning spaces along the corridors that succeeded in enlivening the atmosphere within the school for both staff and students.
“It was a great honour to be shortlisted in the Education Project of the Year category. It’s fantastic when a project that we took great pride in gets recognised. When coming into Sligo from the North, this is the first public building that you encounter and it is an eye-catching development that sits well within its context and is one that we are very proud of.”
Gavin added that the company was very busy at the moment with a number of projects ongoing across the country.
“We are currently working on a number of social housing schemes in the Dublin region. We have been involved in social housing for a number of years now, with one of our first projects in this area the award winning St Michael’s Road development in Longford town.
In other sectors, we recently received planning permission for a very interesting cultural development in Blanchardstown in Dublin comprising a Mosque, School and Community facilities. We are also doing a lot of work in the healthcare sector and are presently involved in the design and delivery of a new 80 bed nursing home in Ballyshannon, which will be a three storey extension to an important heritage building in the locality.”
Rhatigan Architects have always placed a great emphasis on quality and to continue that trend, they are not afraid to invest in the business.
In the last few years, their design team has transferred from using CAD to BIM, which Gavin revealed has helped improve their service.
“We have been using BIM for about five or six years now and it certainly speeds the design process up. It minimises risk and picks up any potential clashes that may occur, facilitating ease of integration with the designs of other consultants.”
Next year will see Rhatigan Architects celebrate their 80th anniversary. A remarkable achievement for a business that relies on the construction industry which has been through so many turbulent times over the course of those decades, but are still here and stronger than ever.
“The team work very well together, there are 19 here in total and everyone is focused on the same goal which is to provide the best service possible whilst creating architecturally beautiful buildings.”
Rhatigan Architects
Sligo
14 Teeling Street Sligo
071 914 2213
Dublin
77 Sir John Rogerson’s
Quay Dublin 2
01 636 3173
Donegal
Unit 4 Merchant Court
The Diamond, Donegal Town
074 9723591
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, October 2018, Vol 4 No 9
