Index
Educational Projects
The funeral offices of memory: a home for dead dogs KU Leuven: year 2 semester 2 2022
Gent, Belgium
Clogrennane Pool House DIT: year 4 Semester 1 2019
Fethard, Tipperary, Ireland
Waiting Center KU Leuven: year 1 semester 1 2020
Brussels, Belgium
Silver tower KU Leuven: year 1 semester 2 2021
Brussels, Belgium
Office Headquarters DIT: year 3 semester 2 2018
Drogheda, Louth, Ireland
Market Hall & Accommodation HSLU: year 3 semester 1 2017
Horw, Lucerne, Switzerland
Professional Projects
Self Build
Shantalla, Galway, Ireland: On going
Apartment Design
Changzhou, China 2019 CDG
AAI Poster
Competition entry 2018
Architecture Exhibition
DIT 2017
mrfiachra@gmail.com
Fiachra McCarthy
Information Contact
(+353)870933665
Galway, Ireland
Brussels, Belgium
Instagram: fi_arch_addict
Experience
jun-aug 2019/2021 Stephen Walton Design Services
Architectural Assistant: Galway, Ireland
My role involved residential design, commercial fit-outs, interior design and client meetings.
jan-april 2019 CDG Co-operative Design Group
Architectural Intern: Changzhou, China
The Internship involved client meetings, design exercises and drawings in 2D/3D.
jun-dec 2018 Optimise Design
Architectural Assistant: Dublin, Ireland
My role in the firm included site visits, client meetings and producing design drawings in 2D/3D. MD Denise O’Connor.
june 2017 Maximo Nivel
Volunteer Construction Program: Cusco, Peru
The volunteer program resulted in the extension of a two story maternity wing to a small hospital in the outskirts of Cusco city
feb 2014 Simon J Kelly Architects
Placement: Galway, Ireland
Architecture Part Two 31.07.96
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/fiachramccarthy
Portfolio: https://issuu.com/fiachramccarthy4
Education
KU Leuven 2020/22
Masters of Architecture: Brussels, Belgium
Grade average for Masters: Magna cum laude 82%
Barcelona International University of Catalonia 2021
Exchange Semester: Barcelona, Spain
DIT Dublin Institute of Technology 2015/20
Undergraduate degree: Dublin, Ireland
Grade average for undergraduate: second class honors.
HSLU Lucerne University of applied science and Arts 2017
Exchange Semester: Lucerne, Switzerland
Skills
Drawing:
AutoCad, Sketchup, Rhino, Enscape, V-Ray
Adobe:
Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Premiere Pro
Workshops
Negotiating Ungers 2021
Participant: Düsseldorf, Germany
This workshop focused on the legacy and work of the architect Oswold Ungers. It was seven days compiled of lectures and workshops.
Vertical Project Workshop 2019
Student award: DIT, Ireland
An Environment based workshop aimed to design an environmentally conscious, vertical scheme in Dublin.
Peter Rice Summer Workshop 2016
Participant: DIT, Ireland
The Work shop aimed to produce a pavilion design influenced by the life time achievements of Peter Rice using timber construction.
References
Tomas Ooms Senior Lecturer & Curator tomas.ooms@kuleuven.be +32473178902
Stephen Walton iPHA IDI info@stephenwalton.ie +353 87 7993612
Denise O’Connor BArch RIAI RIBA denise@optimise-design.com
Johanna Cleary MA Mriai Bsc Arch johanna.cleary@dit.ie +353 870673719
Reference letter upon request.
Achievements
Negotiating Ungers Exhibition 2022/23
Participant (on going)
A traveling exhibition and future publication. Germany/France
KU Leuven Grand prize Tenja 2022
Publication of works
An annual architecture publication. Belgium
New Spatial Realities of Cities Post Covid-19 2021
Honorable mention
Architectural competition. North Macedonia
Studio For Orbanism 2021
Exhibition of works
Architectural exhibition, De Sengal. Belgium
AAI Poster Competition 2017
Awarded special commendation
An annual 2nd year student competition nationwide. Ireland
Interests
Photography
DSLR/SLR
Art
Graphic design, Sketching, Fine Art appreciation
Hiking
Avid weekend hiker
Traveling
Traveling and living abroad
Montjuic, Gerona, Spain.
Project: The funeral offices of memory: a home for dead dogs.
Concept:
The journey in which this thesis reveals itself is divided in two parts. Firstly, the attaining of spatial memory in the fortress of Montjuïc; by which the site’s col-lective memories are gathered through various means. Secondly, the retaining of spatial memory, which is the practice of preserving and recognising the collected memories and offering a perspective by which to register the sublime nature of the fortress.
The relevance of this practice is to pursue a new way of retaining memory and understanding historical sites. It is a reaction to the notion of Hard-Core heritage practiced by RAAAF architects: which is a radical way of approaching historical sites to highlight their history, contemporary restoration in architecture: which is often purely aesthetic based, as well as the human need for plaquing: to erect a plaque to signify a historically relevant past event.
Clogrennane, Carlow, Ireland Project: Public Pool house
Brief:
To restore a building in need of retain while offering the structure a new found function. The design must be environmentally conscious in its approach.
Concept: This scheme aims to utilise a historical structure that has been left to dereliction just south of Carlow town. The Clogrennane house was home to the Rochford family, commissioned by John Staunton Rochfort. The ruins of a five-bay, three-storey country house built around 1815, it is thought to be an early work of Thomas Cobden. The house has a sad history and has been left abandoned by the family in 1923. Now the structure stands with no historical markers, a ruin of what it once was. This project aims to bring the house new life as well as to raise awareness of its history.
The scheme was to approach the house as a ruin and respect its current condition. The idea that the space would be one of leisure meaning the occupants will have time to appreciate their surroundings. Implementing a new monolithic floor plate of limestone throughout the scheme connects all the new spaces and does not touch the existing fabric. The new infill spaces are bright internalised spaces created with hemp and timber.
The water being used in the pools will be clean and environmentally friendly. The water will be cleaned off site, utilising reed beds and UV cells. The water after being used in the pools will then be used to irrigate the proposed hemp farms in the surrounding landscape.
Right: Exploded Axonometric.
Internal/External Renders
Sketchup & Photoshop
Palace of Justice, Brussels, Belgium.
Project: Waiting Center.
Concept:
With the exponential growth of the COVID 19 virus this project explored the future developments of the disease and in turn projected a commercial and state run solution to control the spread. A mandatory waiting center where those with the virus can spend their days in Luxury. The fully automated distopic facility allows a space for fetishes and extremes pleasures to take place away from society. The remains of those less fortunate are used to construct a monument to those lost to the virus in the heart of Brussels.
Brusssels, Belgium.
Project: Silver Tower
Collaberation: Florian MarenbachConcept:
Our project aims to capture the essence of an existing landscape that is the Silver Tower, Brussels. To unlock the intrinsic effects of our emotional intentions we intend to amplify existing features of the structure to express its integrity, and unlock the unknown possibilities within the defined structure. Our designed moments try to evoke universal stimulation on a local level, the effect of this is a deeper understanding of the structure as a landscape, and in turn making the structure equally more approachable and readable. By creating our own architectural language we allow a provocative exploration of the structure in a coherent manor. The moments that we create are structured through the means or a coherent framework that captures the form of the building through a repetitious series of structural elements on the ceiling.
By reducing the material essence of the building to its base element of concrete, it allows us to be materially subjective and to execute a domestication of this material. The new fabric holds the same material quality as the existing structure, yet remains defiantly separate from the existing fabric through its own construction language.
Right: Model photos 1:20
Drogheda, Louth, Ireland
Project: Office Headquarters
Brief: The construction of an office Headquarters for a Tec Company in the Heart of Fethard
Concept: Concept: A structure calm in its presence, hints of transparency diffusing its large mass. Light weight steel structure sitting on top of a heavy concrete and granite base. Internal space separated by light and dark rooms, creating a dynamic working space for employees.
Right: Axonometric demonstrating the separation of light weight steel structure sitting on a heavy mass base structure.
Brief: Office tec company.
Concept: A presence, hints diffusing its Light weight on top of a granite base. arated by light
Left: Structural axonometric.
Sketch: Early
mrfiachra@gmail.com
