St Kevin’s, Cork

This is a regeneration scheme of a former mental hospital site for the Land Development Agency that provides homes in a variety of typologies including townhouses, duplexes and apartments, located 2.5 kilometres from Cork City Centre. The development is arranged over the 5.7 hectares (14 acres) site in a series of streets and terraces to take advantage of its south facing sloping topography with views over the river Lee and Cork city beyond.

The site section profile is utilised to provide active frontages to both sides of the duplex and apartments buildings providing dual aspect and own door access at different levels on alternative sides.

The former St Kevin’s Hospital, a late Victorian Mental Hospital, suffered major fire damage in 2017 and the building facades will be retained and restored as part of a new apartment building and creche. The St Kevin’s Chapel will also be repurposed as an Office Enterprise Centre to serve the community.

The development landscape masterplan is based on a steeply sloping challenging site and includes for woodland walks, play areas, multi-purpose games areas, parkland and terraces for viewing over the city all linked by a series of pedestrian pathways.

The concepts of urban form, sense of place, focal points, permeability and legibility, character areas, architectural heritage, aspect and views have been incorporated in the urban design masterplan that creates a sustainable land use composition, built form, layout design and sustainable density.