The Island of Cruit is characterised by rocky knolls and wind swept vegetation. It is bound to the west by the wild Atlantic and to the east by a sheltered bay dotted with tiny islands. A short walk in any direction ends at the sea. The house sits atop a granite cliff on the island’s eastern edge. At the base of the cliff is a secluded beach. Errigal Mountain and a 19th century signal tower occupy the horizon line.   

Four generations of the family have enjoyed the site over the past sixty years. Their memories, stories, and dreams for the future have informed the form and character of the new house.

The house hunkers in between two granite rock outcrops. On one side it embraces the massive rock. Views from bedrooms here are dominated by the rock and the sea beyond. On the opposite side of the house a low, long, linear outcrop funnels one towards the entrance, the beach and the bay beyond. The space between the house and the rock has a certain intimacy in which new ‘external rooms’ are created. 

The house is conceived as part of the wider multi-layered landscape. Its roof planes are extensions of the rock outcrops. Monotone, muted tones of roughcast rendered walls and corrugated fibre cement roof panels enable the house to integrate quietly into its geologically rich setting. Grass green windows and doors speak to the island’s Marram grass and chasmophytes.

The road-facing western side of the house presents a solid, rock-like mass, with a deep recess akin to the eroded edges and crevices in the adjacent rocks.  This hard face offers privacy and a sense of protection from the more exposed side of the island. By contrast, a light fully glazed facade overlooks the bay to the east. The living spaces are in the heart of the house. Bedrooms are wrapped around this. The living spaces are designed as a social hub for the multiple generations of the family which will gather together here. The house is designed to be hardwearing like the landscape in which it is set; inviting sandy toes and large post-beach day family gatherings.

Photography: Peter Molloy

At the end of a narrow bog road in County Donegal, life and work have long been inseparable. This cluster of buildings was once the operational heart of the farm: the house flanked by a byre on one side and outhouses on the other. Humans and livestock lived in close proximity, sharing space and routine, with the south-facing yard serving as the central outdoor room.

Over time, these structures adapted. The byre was absorbed into the domestic realm, while the outhouses became the hub of a small-batch jam and chutney enterprise. For more than thirty-five years, art has occupied every available corner—made, stored, and curated throughout the farmstead. These blurred boundaries between living, making, and working have fostered a distinctive richness in both the food and artistic output.

The latest evolution of the site builds on this legacy. The house now operates as much as a gallery and studio as a home, and the new extension reflects these overlapping roles. Its volumes are shaped by the demands of display and making: north light for painting, borrowed light to soften transitions, restrained detailing, and generous, quiet walls for the curation of work.

A sense of continuity is carefully maintained. The original farmhouse remains discreetly positioned at the end of the lane, while the extension is set back at the far edge of the house. This measured approach preserves the character of the existing yard and reinforces the building’s sense of belonging within the wider rural setting. In form and material, the extension draws from the language of the surrounding agricultural buildings, achieving a quiet harmony.

The project unfolds as a sequence of spaces closely connected to the surrounding garden, offering places to pause, sit, and look outward. Within the existing farmhouse, intimate warren-like rooms and their telltale draughts remain part of the building’s character, while the extension introduces volumes that are light-filled, warm, and open, creating a gentle dialogue between old and new.

The interior palette is grounded in clay-toned microcement, raw timber ceilings, and oiled plywood furniture, set against soft neutral walls that allow the gallery spaces to feel calm, tactile, and atmospheric. Functional antiques and decorative collectibles are layered throughout, bringing a sense of history and lived character to the contemporary spaces.

Sat atop a rocky plateau within a bucolic Donegal countryside setting, the house is an ode to the simplicity of agricultural buildings within the Irish rural landscape.

The new dwelling sits within a collection of existing agricultural outhouses. Its asymmetrical form is derived from a desire to be a complementary adjunct to the found outhouses and wallsteads. Its roofline steps in tandem with these structures and its form references that of barns on neighbouring farms. This asymmetry facilitates opportunities to create playful internal volumes, draw in natural light and maximise the efficient use of all available space.

On the edge of one of Ireland’s three glacial fjords this mystical site contains several ruins. Wallsteads and faint remnants of formal landscaped gardens peak through an otherwise wild setting.

Endeavouring to celebrate the discreet and hidden character of the existing collection of buildings the new extension nestles within the confines of the wallsteaded courtyard; a discreet and sympathetic addition within the yard arrangement.

We approached the design of the existing cottage as that of a museum piece, restoring it to its original character. The contemporary form and materiality of the extension contrasts and complements the historic structures and in doing so facilitates a simple chronological reading of the collective.

“The project really demonstrates how those small ruins can be brought back into something extraordinary…something with huge history…something that has a lot of emotion in it but delivers for all the modern needs that we have.”

Kathryn Meghen, CEO RIAI

RIAI Awards 2022 - Highly Commended

Photography: Peter Molloy

Hilltop house nestles in below a quiet rural road, one mile outside a picturesque coastal village. The house occupies a small corner of the site. The remainder of the site is to be left in a natural meadow state. The upside-down house is entered at mid-level. Upon ascending a half flight of stairs into the main living space, guests are presented with spectacular framed views across lush pasture lowlands and a sea lough.

Living, cooking, and eating spaces are organised around a southeastern covered terrace with views of the landscape. Light travels through these spaces throughout the course of the day.

The mono-pitch roof and timber fin clerestory reference the slatted timber ventilation walls of local farm sheds. A reading room occupies the highest point of the site. It faces west; an elevated evening room in which one can enjoy sunsets. It is designed as a place of solitude.

Glebe House was built in 1877 as a rectory for the Templecrone parish. The eight acre site upon which the house is situated is bounded by a picturesque coastal village to the west and a lough to the east. The house, and its extensive networks of stone boundary walls, play an important role in shaping the character and appearance of the small village which it bounds.

The house and its well appointed interiors are relatively unaltered since 1877. Its east facing rooms enjoy beautiful views across a lough and towards distance hills and Mount Errigal.

Pasparakis Friel has been appointed as architect for the conservation and redevelopment of this important piece of Donegal’s social and architectural heritage. The site was the birthplace of the pioneering marine biologist Maude Delap.

Photography: Peter Molloy

A red carpet meanders its way between An Grianan Theatre, Regional Cultural Centre and the Donegal County Museum. it unlocks latent potential by stitching together existing spaces and proposing a shortcut between three existing cultural institutions.

The proposals make reference to the architecture of cultural buildings; the red carpet, amphitheatre seating, stage lighting.

By creating more direct routes between existing communities, and improving their connectivity to cultural, educational facilities the proposal aims to create positive social and economic impact.

As the crow flies the buildings are located very close to each other however the current route between is long and arduous. We wondered how the process of getting from A to B could be more efficient and a more joyful experience. We questioned how we might create the sense of a cultural district rather than a route; a place which in itself was part of the cultural experience.

The project highlights the value role of architect as inventor and negotiator. We reinterpreted the original brief and proposed an alternative long term solution. The linchpin to the project was our negotiation of a new route through a tract of private land.

Pasparakis Friel led a multi disciplinary team in the development of a regeneration strategy and action plan for Ireland’s premier fishing port; Killybegs. The harbour town is located at the tip of a deep fjord-like inlet and at the base of a vast mountainous tract on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. Our team worked with the Killybegs Regeneration Group, Donegal County Council and the local community in creating a 2040 strategic vision for the town.

Killybegs already has many of the critical ingredients which make it a great place to live in and an exciting and memorable place to visit. Through an intensive consultation and research and analysis based process we identified opportunities and unlocked the critical issues to create a 2040 vision to make Killybegs one of Ireland’s most unique and vibrant coastal towns.

Our considered rethinking of Killybeg’s public realm holds the ability to better connect the town and its people with its key asset; the Atlantic Ocean, Ireland’s blue beating heart. The plan prioritises retrofitting of existing buildings before building anew. An intriguing structure which was once an ice plant is proposed for reuse as a black box theatre. A fish auction hall is partly diversified in use to host a craft beer brewery. These new uses within existing structures form a necklace of activities for the community and visitors as they traverse Killybeg’s proposed new waterfront boardwalk. A new linear river park intersects with the boardwalk; drawing people between the historic town centre and the waterfront.

Killybegs 2040 is a place of opportunity. One which offers opportunities for education, recreation, employment, and an immersive marine experience.

RIAI Awards 2022 - Highly Commended

The receiving site is a rich, highly cultivated basin of an Atlantic blanket bog valley. This would once have been a busy place of small farmsteads and their large families. Census records show that James, John, Daniel, Anne, Fanny, Bridget, Nicholas and Edward lived here during the late 1800’s. The stone ruins of six farm cottages is all that is left. The project seeks to respect the history and character of the place whilst allowing visitors to immerse themselves into this remote, idyllic setting.

We looked to traditional landscape forms and tones in the design of the structures. We felt it was important that they should be quiet, calm forms in the landscape. We looked to Paul Henry’s turf and haystack paintings. The form of the huts is derived from these haystacks and turf stacks that would have once dotted this landscape. The tone and materiality of the huts takes cues from the colour palette of the landscape. The form and accommodation of the hut references that of tents, yurts and Irish cottages.

The topography of the site has been studied in detail to identify appropriate locations for each of the huts. Some of the huts hug existing stone walls, others nestle beneath ridges and step down the natural terraces to ensure they collectively sit in harmony with their context. The ruins of a farm cottage and wallsteads are the framework around which other huts are arranged. The stone structures remain the dominant entity in this landscape. The new structures complement and celebrate the historic structures. Visitors follow historic paths once trodden in the 19th century by The Gallaghers and The O’Donnells.

This long low form occupies the middleground of a long field. It overlooks a lough and landscape. A heavy masonry plinth supports a sinusoidal metal roof. We enjoyed how the barn in the neighbouring field does this.

The house is a simple form. It is a hybrid between a bungalow and a storey and half dwelling. It references both these common, modern, local typologies, whilst also containing characteristics of the traditional Irish longhouse. Its horizontal banding takes cues from corrugated metal barn forms which dot the rural Irish landscape. Form, tones and materials are utilised as unifying elements and to create a house which is a calm and complementary addition to its landscape context. A wall links the house and an outhouse. The outhouse structure occupies the foreground and provides a sense of enclosure and privacy. Its roof is brought to the ground by slender columns.

The entry hall is conceived as a gallery; a place to host large format art. Lofty living spaces and snug sleeping spaces are orientated towards dramatic views of the lough and the landscape. A band of rooflights allows for playful light from above during the day and stargazing at night.

The Rathmullan Community + Heritage Regeneration project includes a new community hub, a heritage museum and interpretive centre as well as urban realm works. We are delighted to be working on this project with Robin Lee Architecture for Donegal County Council and Rathmullan the Way Forward Group.

Pasparakis Friel are collaborating with The Irish Architecture Foundation and Donegal County Council in the development of a Cultural District for Letterkenny; Donegal’s largest and most populous town.

By reimagining a district the project seeks to connect three existing institutions; An Grianán Theatre, The Regional Cultural Centre and Donegal County Museum, and serve as a catalyst for the growth of culture and arts in the spaces between.

As the crow flies the buildings are located very close to each other. We wondered how the process of getting from A to B could be more efficient and a more joyful experience. We questioned how we might create the sense of a cultural district rather than a route; a place which in itself was part of the cultural experience.

Creating a sense of commonality between the three buildings became important to us; a Trinity. In order to celebrate the prospect of a new cultural district in a physical sense we developed a temporary installation to kick start the endeavour. Scaffold poles were used to suggest a district ‘under construction’. These scaffolds support triptych banners. Each of the three institutions is represented within this triptych by a colour. The three sided, 3m tall structures are situated in front of the three locations creating a visual link between them. Fifty ‘breadcrumbs’, placed on the ground along the route guide people between the three institutions; a touch of Hansel and Gretel.

These installations are the first phase in a larger body of works focused towards creating a new culturally infused urban realm.

Photography Paul McGuckin

Graphic Design Lisa Gildea

The new house is set within the existing cluster of buildings on the site. It seeks to reinforce the farmyard plan by flanking the existing yard. The courtyard arrangement, pitched roof forms and gable walls are derived from traditional farmyard layouts and agricultural building forms. The low lying form endeavors to hug the landscape.

An elegant limestone standing stone occupies a ridge on the highest part of this intriguing site. It is aligned north-south. Its top edge is beveled. The stone is accompanied by a lone Blackthorn tree; a special tree. Together they command 360 degree views of the hills, lough and peninsula beyond.

We were curious about the very specific alignment and angular nature of the stone. We placed the house on a north-south alignment too. This time to address light and views. The beveled top edge of the house, in the form of a mono pitch roof, references the beveled edges of the stone. The materials and tones of the house are derived from the surface texture of the standing stone and the colours of the surrounding landscape.

Verandahs on the east and west side of the building flank a ‘T’ shaped plan. These covered outdoor spaces address sunrises and a beach to the east and sunsets and hills to the west. The sloping form of the roof and external staircase weaves the house in with the natural undulations of the landscape.

Dungloe (An Clochán Liath) is a Gaeltacht town in County Donegal. It is nestled between an Atlantic Ocean bay and a network of loughs. A river connects the loughs to the bay. This river flows perpendicular to Dungloe’s Main Street. The Irish version of the town’s name is ‘An Clochán Liath’ (the grey stepping stone). This name is derived from the historical need to use stepping stones to cross the river.

Whilst surrounded by bodies of water the town centre is both physically and visually disconnected from the water. The local community aspires for the town to be synonymous with its coastal and lakeside setting and the associated amenities.

We propose a new set of stepping stones; an intervention which references the historic origins of the town and becomes the starting point for connecting the town centre with its bay and loughs.

Large, rough hewn, Donegal granite ‘stepping stones’ are set flush into the ground alongside the bridge on Main Street. They demarcate routes to riverside walks which lead eastwards to the loughs, and westwards to the bay. Raised granite slabs on either side of the road encourage social interaction as seating and meeting points.

A large untreated granite block sits on the eastern entrance to the riverwalk. Its quarry extraction marks are preserved. The story of Dungloe’s ‘An Clochán Liath’ and a map of its water network is etched onto the smooth sawn surface of the granite block.

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The Saltworks is an immersive cultural and heritage experience set within a 20 acre coastal landscape on the Wild Atlantic Way. The proposal consists of a new interpretive space and an 18th Century saltworks ruins.

Ireland’s fascinating story of salt is yet untold. ‘White Gold’; purity interlaced with stories of smuggling and exploitation. At one stage nearly every port and inlet in Ireland had a facility for producing sea salt. The Saltworks is one of only a handful remaining from over 400 saltworks that existed in Ireland in the 17th/18th centuries. Fewer still in such ‘outstanding state’ or directly on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way.

The Ballybofey-Stranorlar Regeneration Masterplan and Action Plan was commissioned by Donegal County Council in conjunction with BASICC. The study was led by Architects Pasparakis Friel with support from socio economic, cost and environmental consultants.

The purpose of the masterplan was to identify the key priorities and actions in supporting the sustainable regeneration of the Twin Towns up to 2040 and beyond. The masterplan is regeneration focused and considers key thematic areas: infrastructure, natural and built heritage, community provision, tourism, conservation, regeneration sites, commercial/economic development opportunities, parking, access and recreation.

Following our research and needs based analysis during Stage 1 we developed Key Findings. These in turn have facilitated the development of ten Principles of Regeneration. These regeneration principles transcend all interventions and ensure a coherent over arching thematic masterplan.

Stage 2 involved the development of the placeshaping strategy and masterplan strategies. The regeneration strategy is broken down into seven primary districts. These districts address a spread of projects across the two towns whilst focusing in on key areas of vacancy and dereliction.

A range of project typologies are covered within the districts. Specific project types are proposed within each district however the sites are flexible to accommodate other uses as per the changing market/social/economic/cultural demands that might arise over the course of the next twenty years up to 2040.

The Museum of Atlantic Culture and Heritage (MACH) is set within The Battery; a Napoleonic era Gun Fort situated on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. It is a deep dive experience in Atlantic culture, heritage and the natural world.

The new elements of the museum are unashamedly modern, yet their form, siting, and materiality are sympathetic to the historic context. A central courtyard space is designed to host outdoor events and allow an extension of the museum interpretation space.

The intriguing spaces of the existing Blockhouse become a central part of the visitor experience. ‘The Tank’ allows visitors a deep sea virtual reality experience of the Atlantic Ocean. Upon arrival at the rooftop gun platforms visitors are treated to an augmented reality of a notional Napoleonic invasion of the Lough.