Dublin Percy Place Development Granted Prestigious Design Accolade

Dublin's Percy Place development has been recognised with a coveted award for housing design.

The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) presented David O'Shea, ODOS Architects, with the RIAI Silver Medal for Housing, recognising the company's work on the scheme.

It is a biennial award made to encourage excellence of design in housing. The medal is awarded several years after completion of a project so that the success of the building can be confirmed by the passage of time. This year's award is for projects completed in 2015 – 2017.

The award-winning development, a former coal yard, has been described as a best-in-class exemplar of high density, mixed-use development on a challenging urban site. 

Standing at four stories tall, the Percy Place development has a basement below with 12 apartments above a ground floor retail unit and canal-facing restaurant. The development also includes three upper floor office suites overlooking Haddington Road. The ingenious planning of the individual units is a model for high quality apartment living in busy urban locations. Percy Place is a reconfiguration of an earlier planning permission, and an exemplar of what can be achieved in the regeneration of brownfield sites. 


The Medal was presented to Architect David O'Shea of ODOS by Minister Darragh O'Brien, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, at the Joint Housing Conference hosted by the RIAI and Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government in Limerick.

Speaking at the presentation, Minister Darragh O'Brien, said: "The Percy Place development is a well-deserved winner of this prestigious award from the RIAI. In the heart of Dublin this development made use of innovative planning to provide a multipurpose development where people can eat, work and live in the heart of the city. As we continue to tackle housing challenges it is more important than ever that we have a range of housing which is appropriate for the needs of individuals and families who may want different things at different life-stages. I'm delighted to say Percy Place goes some way toward meeting those challenges. A well-deserved winner to whom I was delighted to present the RIAI Silver Medal for Housing to."

Charlotte Sheridan, RIAI President, commented: "Year after year we are impressed by the talent, the innovation and the commitment our members show to solving Ireland's housing challenges. The development at Percy Place shows how in a small space we can provide mixed-use buildings right at the heart of Dublin's city centre. The project is an excellent example of place making and makes an important contribution to the wider city. We congratulate ODOS and David O'Shea whole heartedly for this stunning development."

David O'Shea (Founder + Creative Director ODOS) added: "I'm delighted our work on this landmark project has been recognised by the RIAI as it is rare that a developer is as focused on design as the architect, as was the case with Percy Place. It demonstrates how high-quality residential developments can fully utilise space and architectural potential when more time and consideration is given to design. More developers need to know and understand how good quality architecture not only enhances the built environment and the experience for those living in it, but also adds commercial value."

The jury also awarded three Highly Commended awards to Dunluce Anglesea Road by DTA Architects, Grattan Court East by Ailtireacht Architects/DTA Architects and Clancy Quay by OMP with Lindsay Conservation Architects.