Critical Spatial Practice

Selected Works

Reimagining Elderhood

A co-design and participatory process is underway that considers the potential of Cornmarket Street for future residents and businesses alike. More specifically, with the independent music community of Cork City, in particular with the music community hosted by Plugd Records on Cornmarket Street. The identified group has a professional interest that unites them - the performance and promotion of independent music in Cork City. This cultural community regularly contributes to the city centre but more often than not, due to limited access to appropriate facilities or financially viable living and working spaces, have to commute to and from the city centre. 

During this co-design process these cultural agents become spatial agents. Over the coming months we will consider the question set by SOA:

‘What kind of places do we need to live well as we age, and how can aspects of our neighbourhoods be modified to support ageing well?’   

TEST SITE Project

TEST SITE project is a collaborative art, architecture and ecology project, co-created by architect Ailbhe Cunningham and artist Aoife Desmond, that activates a vacant site in Cork city centre through three core lenses - Biodiversity, Urban Planning and Architectural Heritage. TEST SITE is an applied research project that showcases a design, build, disassemble and reassemble Pavilion at Kyrl’s Quay, Cork City Centre.

Kyrl’s Quay | Cork

AMPLE Space

Founded in 2020, AMPLE space is a creative co-working hub, operated for, and by creative practitioners.

With an interdisciplinary membership of architects, luthiers, food growers and graphic designers AMPLE space is located in the heart of Cork City centre.

Cork Community Land Trust

Cork Community Land Trust (CCLT) is a non-profit, democratic, inclusive and diverse organisation which will provide a structure for local communities to develop affordable, sustainable homes as well as social, cultural and ecological spaces.

CCLT invites collaborators to imagine a resilient, community led future for Cork City.

Dremka

Dremka is a project designed to give participants a deeper, more intuitive understanding of timber’s properties and the value of old-growth knowledge. At the heart of this shelter’s design is a conscious response to nature’s diurnal cycle, more specifically the rhythm of the hiker’s routine – seeking shelter as the day ends, leaving with the rising sun. Built using traditional joinery and nails, the shelter employs old construction techniques to create a modern interpretation of a rural shelter. The shelter is still in place in the National Park today.

Tara National Park | Serbia