Cornamona Court

Cornamona Court won the Public Housing Award at the RIAI Irish Architecture Awards 2024.

Cunningham were appointed by Dublin City Council to deliver the 61-unit Cornamona Court residential development, on a city-centre brownfield site.

The project involved demolition works and basement construction interfaces; multi-storey apartment and duplex development arranged around a shared landscaped courtyard over a basement car park. In the early stages of the project, it became apparent that ground conditions were not as the reports had identified. Work for the basement entailed 8-metre-deep digging, which at times during construction was only 1 metre above the water table. In pursuit of a workable solution to ensure the scheme remained on track, Cunningham and the project team devised a solution that included a reduction in CFA Piles in conjunction with a reduction in rock anchors. Such was the success of this innovative and timely response; it resulted in cost savings for the client and enabled the project to remain ahead of the works programme.

Cornamona Court comprises of three housing blocks, including 16 two-storey terraces (Block C) and two blocks (A & B) across four and five storeys. Blocks A & B feature 12 three-bedroom, five-person duplex units at ground floor level, with individual stepped own door access from the street level and a second access level access from the courtyard at the rear through private gardens and terrace spaces. The upper floors comprise of 29 one bed and 4 two bed apartments, all of which are specifically designed for senior citizens.

A cooperative and inclusive programme of engagement with the client and end users resulted in a building design that enables tenants to overlook a landscaped courtyard garden complete with planting, seating areas and play equipment. Further still, following close consultation with the client, project designers and stakeholders, the buildings were designed to have a simple rectangular geometry, animated with large windows and screens, balconies and access galleries, and the two-storey houses were designed to have simple mono pitch roofs to reduce their height and impact on existing neighbouring houses at the rear of the site

The project utilises strategies such as self-condensing boilers, PV solar panels, heat recovery systems, and a highly-insulated fabric to achieve an ‘A’ building energy rating, as well as compliance with NZEB regulations.

Cornamona Court development for Dublin City Council won the Best Public Housing Award at the 2024 RIAI Awards and mentioned in global architecture magazine Dezeen’s list of 50 architects who are at the forefront of the social housing resurgence taking place around the world today. Commenting on Cornamona Court’s win the jury said: “Cornamona possesses a robust quality that typically characterises public housing, but also demonstrates how some carefully considered decisions can elevate a scheme beyond its own constraints. This housing project answers the needs of its community while making a sophisticated contribution to the city.”

Project Specifics

City-Centre Brownfield Site – Ground Remediation I Densely Populated Area Near; Educational and Community Facilities and Live Residents I Service Diversions I Multi-Storey I CFA Piles I Reinforced Concrete I Rock Anchors I Busy Public Road Requiring Intensive Traffic Management I Modern Method of Construction