Irish Architecture Foundation

21/08/2026

To Not Design Is To Cost The Earth
🗓️ 3-25 September 2026
📍 The Building Centre, London
🔗 https://iaf.ie/events/exhibition-to-not-design-london-2026

This September the IAF brings an expanded version of the exhibition To Not Design Is To Cost The Earth to London.

This exhibition brings together a range of drawings, photographs and films that showcase to an international audience the work and ideas of architects working across the island of Ireland.

First presented at IAF House, Dublin in 2025, the expanded exhibition at The Building Centre, London includes a selection of films on architecture and places commissioned by the IAF in recent years alongside drawings and photographs.

Featuring work by architects across the public and private sectors, To Not Design Is To Cost The Earth demonstrates the essential value of architecture, showing how architects and their design thinking can offer innovative, radical and useful responses to social, spatial and climate challenges.

Read more on our website!

Funding:
The London presentation is supported by Culture Ireland. The IAF is principally funded by The Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon.

Images:
1, 6, 13. To Not Design Is To Cost The Earth, Dublin, 2025. Photos by Ste Murray | Photography & Design
3. Clancy Moore Architects, Arklow Wastewater Treatment Plant
4. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Architects Department with A2 Architects, Dún Laoghaire Baths
5. O'Donnell + Tuomey, Dublin Housing Study
7. Still from The Space Is The Thing, IAF with Valerie Mulvin, produced by Red Pepper Productions
8. Allies and Morrison, Ennis Town Centre Integrated Urban Strategy
9. BDP, Drogheda Civic Offices
10. Hawkins\Brown, Cork Docklands Framework Masterplan
11. Still from Site Specific film Aerial, IAF, produced by Dyehouse Films
12. David Leech, A House within a House, London


London Irish Centre

18/08/2026

Last chance for architecture graduates / early career architects to apply for IAF gapLab 2026-2029 - closing on Friday!

https://iaf.ie/news/gaplab-open-call-2026

17/08/2026

Bog Bothy's final stop this summer, hosted by Cloontuskert Tidy Towns, is off to a buzzing start! 🐝 🐝 🐝

14/08/2026

Announcing New Life Old Buildings 2026!
https://iaf.ie/events/new-life-old-buildings-2026

📍 Limerick 9 & 16 September
💻 Online 22 & 23 October
🎟️ Free - book through the link above

We're excited to announce the return of New Life Old Buildings, our national programme exploring how caring for the buildings we already have can help shape more connected, sustainable and resilient places.

For the third year in Limerick City, this season of New Life Old Buildings continues to focus on building care.

Join in engaging conversations, tours and talks with international and local experts to deepen our shared understanding of the value and potential of existing buildings to provide the rooms needed for community life.

Open to all, New Life Old Buildings also builds knowledge, capacity and networks particularly among individuals and groups interested in actively caring for their buildings now and for the future.

Now booking - check out the full programme on our website (link above)!

Visual credits:
Lead photo by Deirdre Power
Video clips by In-Focus Media
Design and editing by Post Studio

13/08/2026

This summer, the IAF, architects 12th Field and Tóchar Wetlands Restoration are working with communities across the Midlands to explore how architecture, placemaking and collective action can shape new relationships with Ireland’s peatlands.

The Bothy will make its final stop at Cloontuskert, Co. Roscommon, opening on 15 August.

Activity will be led locally by Cloontuskert Tidy Towns, a voluntary community group dedicated not only to environmental improvement but also to celebrating the distinctive heritage of Cloontuskert.

They say, “Our community had been involved at a co-design level in the creation of Bog Bothy and having it now come to Cloontuskert recognises our deep connection to Ireland's national peatland heritage through celebrating our origins as a planned Bord na Móna village.”

For updates on Bog Bothy activity in Cloontuskert, follow Cloontuskert Tidy Towns. And stay tuned here for further Bog Bothy highlights!

Image credits:
Aerial photo of Cloontuskert courtesy of Cloontuskert Tidy Towns. Bog Bothy 2025 exhibition by Shane Hynan. Graphic design by Oscar Torrans.

12/08/2026

The Scale of Distance with Rory Corr
https://iaf.ie/events/the-scale-of-distance

🗓️ Wednesday 19 August, 1-2pm
💻 Online
🎟️ Free, booking required

Join us for conversations with architects of the Irish diaspora on design, distance and what it means to feel at home in the world today.

First up is Scotland-based architect Rory Corr (Office Corr Higgins).

Creative influences can be simultaneously rock solid and constantly in flux. We all have inheritance, strong foundations gained in education, but lessons learned in youth are — and should be — challenged as we grow into our careers. Some drift away, some persist. Some endure despite ourselves. Some are only ever received at one remove, but are equally important.

Rory will take a meandering route through work and life experiences to reflect on these themes and how they impact his work today. By looking specifically at the domestic realm — homes he has lived in and those he has designed for others — ideas of belonging and distance will be explored.

Bio:
A native of Clones, Co. Monaghan, Rory Corr studied at the Mackintosh School of Architecture, Glasgow, before 10 years in London working for Baynes and Mitchell Architects and 6a architects. Here, Rory formed a great interest in material research and sustainability, buildings for the creative arts and working with existing, often historic, fabric, developed through senior roles on some of the practices’ most prestigious projects.

In 2021 Office Corr Higgins was established to explore these interests further through built projects and research. Rory leads the Glasgow office of OCH, with fellow Mac alumnus Brendan Higgins running the Bristol office. OCH is currently working on residential and cultural projects across the UK and Ireland. Most notable is Timespan, won in an open competition in 2024 with Assemble. OCH was part of a team shortlisted for the Irish Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2023.

Rory also teaches at the Mac and contributes regularly as a guest critic to educational institutions across the UK.

Series:
This is the first in a new series of webinars, The Scale of Distance, produced by the IAF and hosted by Peter O'Grady.

Read more and book through our website (iaf.ie) or on Eventbrite!

Images:
Photo of Rory Corr by Laura Meek
Design by Post Studio

10/08/2026

Volunteer for 2026!
https://iaf.ie/news/volunteer-ohd26

🗓️ 10-18 October
📍 Dublin city and county

Have you attended Open House Dublin festival in the past? Want to experience it from the inside?

Every year, over 300 volunteers help us to steward events, host tours, assist with administration and ensure the smooth running of the festival programme. In short, our incredible volunteers make Open House possible!

We welcome volunteers from all backgrounds and levels of experience. You don't need to have a background in architecture. If you are reliable, friendly and interested in the built environment, we would love to have you join us.

Why volunteer? Priority entry to Open House Dublin sites Accessibility and awareness training delivered in collaboration with the National Gallery of Ireland Specialised tour guide training if you are chosen to lead tours References CPD points for architects The opportunity to develop teamwork, communication and leadership skills A chance to meet like-minded people and network while exploring Dublin A dedicated volunteer party on Sunday 18 October

Head to the link above for further details and to sign up!

(Photo by Tra My Hoang)

07/08/2026

Reminder: Applications are open for an Architect in Residence on How We Move, an exciting new partnership between Kildare County Council Arts Service and the IAF.

Read the full Open Call details on our website, and apply by 31 August.

https://iaf.ie/news/how-we-move-architect-in-residence

Calling architects interested in community-led practice!

Applications are open for an Architect in Residence on How We Move, an exciting new partnership between Kildare County Council Arts Service and the IAF.

Working alongside artists, communities and project partners, the Architect in Residence will help explore how movement, creativity and public space can support healthier, more connected places across Counties Kildare and Offaly.

If you're passionate about collaborative design, placemaking and architecture's role in health and wellbeing, we'd love to hear from you.

Applications are now open and close 31 August.

Supporting architects to work with communities and shape healthier, more connected places.

https://iaf.ie/news/how-we-move-architect-in-residence

Photo: choreographer Cindy Cummings, by Roisin Loughrey, courtesy of Kildare County Council

06/08/2026

Reminder: 2 weeks left for graduate/early career architects to apply for gapLab, for 3 years of creative support from the IAF with a cohort of peers! Apply by 21 August.

https://iaf.ie/news/gaplab-open-call-2026

05/08/2026

Introducing The Scale of Distance, an exciting new IAF programme!
https://iaf.ie/events/the-scale-of-distance

How can we reach out and connect with the thousands of architects from this island now building their lives around the globe? How can we give them a place to share their unique architecture stories with those back home? And what does home mean when you live and work in more than one place?

Join us for our exciting series The Scale of Distance and find out!

The Scale of Distance is a brand new conversation series gathering together architects from the Irish diaspora to explore architecture, identity, belonging and the meaning of home.

These intimate and unique conversations will take place online, making them available to people around the world and across the island.

Over four live webinars hosted by architect Peter O'Grady, we'll hear from Rory Corr (Scotland), Elspeth Lee and Donn Holohan (Hong Kong), Déirdre McKenna (Switzerland) and Ray Dinh (Australia), exploring how movement, memory, climate and culture continue to shape their work and the places they call home.

Join us and discover what we can learn from these brilliant architects as we draw their knowledge and influence back to the heart of our conversations on architecture, its value and our culture for those of us back here on this island.

First conversation: 19 August, 1-2pm

Read more and book through the link above.

Connecting Irish architecture with ideas, voices and experiences from around the world.

Images:
1. Design by Post Studio
2. Photo of Rory Corr by Laura Meek
3. Photo of Elspeth Lee by Raffaella Endrizzi
4. Photo of Donn Holohan by Superposition
5. Photo of Déirdre McKenna by Giulietta Margot
6. Photo of Ray Dinh by Thurston Empson
7. Photo of Peter O'Grady, courtesy of Peter O'Grady