Prestigious sustainability award for Dunloy brother-and-sister architectural firm

Marshall McCann Architects, run by Martin Marshall and Roisin McCann, recently won the ‘Sustainability Award’ in the recent Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) Awards 2023.

Specialising in high-end, contemporary passive and energy efficient homes, the north coast family team have been winning awards for their designs since they established the business, with a focus on the environment and sustainability.

Collecting the award, Roisin said: “As the cost of living continually increases, we are looking at ways we can save money, protect the environment, and live in a thermally comfortable home, in all weathers.

“Our first commission won ‘Single House of the Year IE 2019’, with a consecutive win in 2021, and a Royal Institution of British Architects (RIBA) regional and Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) Design Award in 2022. This recent win is an exceptional achievement for a company so young, proving that our business focus in design, aligns with the judges, and the environment.”

The award-winning project ‘Silver Bark’ house is a beautiful energy efficient, low carbon, five-bedroom home in County Down, nestled among the trees.

Roisin continued: “We achieved the criteria which included very low running costs, meeting and accelerating past the RIBA’s environmental targets set for 2030. We are not aware of any other house in the whole island of Ireland which meets this. The home is low in embodied carbon, low operational energy use, it is low in usable water per person, its daylighting is good, low chances for overheating, so it is a healthy house to live in – both on a human level, but also for the environment.

“We are ambitious and passionate about architecture and design because we believe that quality architecture can inspire and help transform our lives. To do this we have to make quality architecture affordable in design and construction; we believe buildings should be efficient and beautiful. Efficient in terms of space, thermal and construction; allowing us to approach space and problems differently.

“When designing homes, we see this as part of a life plan, helping design how individuals and families want to live their life, how they are going to live and work, and, helping them to achieve their beliefs and dreams. As an architect, it’s easy to say that all buildings should be beautiful; but they must also work beautifully for the new owner, the inhabitants, and the environment.

“We don’t preach an environmental or sustainable message, being thermally comfortable, and energy efficient should not be an add-on to any building. It needs to be intrinsic, and winning this award is a great achievement for us all at Marshall McCann Architects.”

As a brother and sister team, Marshall McCann Architects say they dare to design what others may not and winning these awards is testament to their vision for a better future – one that is necessary and affordable on all levels. For more information and to see the award-winning ‘Silver Bark’ house, log on to Marshall McCann (mmccarchitects.com)