Introduction
The theme of Adaptation is an intrinsic part of the Assembly. It aims to deal with both subjective and abstract ideas at a variety of scales, from countrywide to individual projects.
From decades of fiscal and economic penury, Ireland has emerged over the last fifteen years as a tiger economy on the Atlantic rim with the lowest unemployment rate in Europe and the highest rate of immigration. Clearly such economic changes are not exclusive but accompany major changes in the social, cultural, political and environmental mindset of the nation.
Ireland is a country of approximately 4.5 million inhabitants; a conservative estimate of
70,000 immigrants arrive in Ireland every year. There are now an estimated 167 languages
in everyday use, whereas previously they could literally have been counted on
one hand. Society is increasingly secular, in what was once one of the most Catholic
states in Western Europe.
40% of all housing has been built in the last 15 years, at a rate 5 times that of Italy,
6 times that of Britain and 7 times that of Germany. In 1995 the average price of a
new home was €77,994; by 2004, it was €249,191. Productivity growth in that decade
(1995-2004) was twice that of our nearest EU competitor (Finland).
Ireland has clearly undergone massive changes. As architects, urbanists and planners,
it is vital to actively analyse the adaptations and changes that have come to pass in the
space of a generation.
Particularly relevant is the explosion of growth in and around Dublin, a city which has
doubled in population over twenty years. Given this increase in population and size,
and despite the influx of genuinely vast sums of money, the city is identified with a
distinct lack of urban planning and conscientious development to the point where it has
been identified by the EU as an example of how not to develop cities.
The Section Through Ireland exposes participants to the existing models of development,
rapid suburbanisation and subsequent sprawl. The journey from Dublin to Letterfrack
gives an observable visual transition, an urban, economic, cultural and social section
of the country. It examines the trend of one-off rural housing as an unsustainable model,
depriving the country of an effective system of public transportation. As once-thriving towns
become engulfed by the sprawl of Dublin, communities become mere dormitory towns. In
towns such as Naas and Navan, which have been consumed into the growth area of Dublin,
new civic architecture holds the potential to re-invigorate the community, and instill a
sense of identity.
Potential workshops could propose new solutions for living in the Irish countryside, more
suitable models for its development, new ideas on developing public transportation and
even cautionary tales of what could come to pass should development continue in this
form.
Taking the village of Letterfrack as our location, we will study how successfully it has
adapted to the economic, social and cultural changes that have swept from the Eastern
urban centres to Western edges over the last 25 years. The sense and pride of community
and of place in rural societies is unachievable in urban centres, in part due to a strong
sense of identity and its transfer through generations – be it in craft, language, even stories.
The attractions of landscape, tradition, culture and community are a constant draw
to these regions. What has Letterfrack lost? What has Letterfrack gained? Are local crafts
dying or have they met the challenge of the modern world? How have the lives of the locals
changed? Furthermore, how has the composition of the local population changed? Finally,
what does the future hold for Letterfrack and similar rural communities?
Letterfrack has an admirable history of self sufficiency and community-based entrepreneurship,
adaptation and re-use, specifically concerning the buildings that now compose
GMIT Letterfrack. Having started as a Quaker Workhouse, the building came to be used
as a Christian Brother’s Industrial School for a long period before its current incarnation
as a secular furniture college. Participants can learn from this example, whilst proposing
ideas and projects that continue this adaptive process, ensuring that the village remains
compact, coherent, lively and sustainable.
