Leighlinbridge Sheltered Housing

PKA’s design consists of two terraces of single-storey houses, aligned along a pre-existing avenue that runs the length of the site from its historic gateway to the former presbytery, now a crèche, at the northern end of the parish property.

Both comprising two-bedroom units, the housing terraces are separated by a freestanding community building which contains dining, office and meeting spaces for the use of residents and the locality.

With a frontage onto the grounds of the parish church and community centre, each unit also has an enclosed patio to the rear that opens onto a communal garden which residents have taken ownership of to cultivate their gardening skills.

Rendered walls, aluminium windows, slate roofs and metal rainwater goods, are combined with a judicious use of colour to create a design that is economic in its use of materials and modest in its architectural expression. Designed ahead of today’s requirement for NZEB compliance, Leighlinbridge used condensing gas boilers and solar water heating to achieve B2 energy ratings.

The scheme is much enjoyed by its residents, and the community-led development won the Best Housing for Older Persons in the 2015 Irish Council for Social Housing Awards.