Modelling kit clicks with buyers
Sean Gallagher meets owners of small and medium-sized businesses and shares the lessons they’ve learnt in building their companies
MANY sectors were hit by the economic downturn of 2008 but few more so than the architectural profession. Many architects were forced to emigrate or change careers. One man who has reinvented himself is Damien Murtagh, who has returned with an exciting architectural modelling range.
ARCKIT, a free-form architectural modelling system that allows users bring design ideas to life with speed and precision, is the brainchild of architect Damien Murtagh. Set up in 2014 and with offices in Dublin and London, the company employs six staff and has an annual turnover of €1m. “We develop and manufacture hands-on architectural model building kits,” says Damien. “Inspired by modern building techniques and using a range of interchangeable click-and-connect modular components, our products now make it possible for anyone to create professional level architectural models,” he adds.
The company is focusing on three key target markets.
“For professional architects and those building their own homes, our kits offer an easy-to-use and affordable hands-on design tools that help communicate design ideas to clients. Model hobbyists, including both adults and children, find them fun to assemble and see them as a step up from traditional building blocks. As an educational tool, our kits are now being used in many schools and universities where they are helping introduce Steam (science, technology, engineering, art and maths) learning through real-world architectural design.
Made in Ireland, Arckit sets are now available in stores throughout the country including Eason, Arnotts, Art & Hobby, Opening Minds, Toymaster, Cogs, Be Cool, and Duffy’s Toyworld. They are also in Harrods, The Conran Shop and the Science Museum in London. In the US, they can be found in over 450 Barnes & Noble stores as well as the Guggenheim, MOMA and Smithsonian museums in New York.
While well on the way to being a great success story, the idea for the business was born out of a combined passion for architecture and the need for its founder to reinvent himself after the downturn that saw his design business evaporate.
Damien Murtagh grew up Kingscourt, Co Cavan.
A member of the well-known family behind Kingspan, business is in his blood. After school, Damien spent the next two years working in the family business before returning to education where he qualified in architecture in the UK.
The next few years were spent working, first with renowned architect Toni Follina in Treviso, Italy and then with an architectural firm in Dublin before setting up his own practice in 1999.
Having worked hard to establish a strong reputation for himself in the sector, his business, like many more in the construction sector, was wiped out during the downturn. In 2013, Damien and his family moved to the UK. It was while working on developing a modular building concept for real houses that Damien first came up with the idea for his new venture.
“I wanted to develop a physical model to present my design ideas to clients but found that traditional cut and glue models were time-consuming and expensive to create,” says Damien. “I began looking for a modern system that was fast, reusable and cost-effective. To my amazement, nothing like this existed. That was the light-bulb moment for me and so I decided to invent one.”
With the support of an Enterprise Ireland-sponsored mentor, Damien set out on the journey to learn about the manufacturing process and how to launch a new product. His journey took him to the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg where he got to meet key industry players.
Encouraged by the response, he developed a number of protoype kits and the following year returned to take a stand there. His first real break came in 2014, when he exhibited at the Grand Designs Live Show in London. “The big ‘ah-ha’ from that event was the level of interest from parents who immediately saw Arckit’s educational benefits, as well as hobbyists and young people who saw the kits as not just a tool for architects but as fun toys and models to be enjoyed by everyone,” says Damien. “By Christmas that year, we were in Harrods in London and soon after, on the back of an email to Barnes and Noble, we were being stocked across the US.”
Appearances on the NBC Today show in the US and the Late Late Toy Show also helped. From just three kits initially, Damien now has 20 different versions on the market — starting from as young as five years with their new Arckit PLAY series. These allow users to create complete towns and cityscapes, all accompanied by booklets of cut-out props that range from football pitches to swimming pools.
“At the outset it was just myself and my wife Shana, who believed 100pc in me and who has been instrumental in guiding the project with me. Today we have six full-time staff and our culture is like a family or community where each brings their own unique skills to the mix,” says Damien.
He is particularly excited by the impact on young users and has developed a Steam-based education programme to accompany his kits.
“Those who buy the kits for schools or colleges also get a free 10-week online course, designed and delivered by top secondary-level teachers. This is ideal for transition-year classes in Ireland, K12 streams in the US and design and tech students in the UK,” says Damien. “What is also important is that the product is gender-neutral and is enjoyed equally by girls as well as boys.”
He sees the business as a platform with significant possibilities. He wants to continue to grow his retail base globally as well as the educational side of the business. His next project will see him launch ‘Infiniti 3D’ — an online store where users can email their bespoke Arckit component ideas and have them delivered within a matter of days.
The proverbial phrase ‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade’ is certainly applicable in the case of Damien Murtagh. Having bounced back from the demise of his practice, he is back with an exciting architectural product that looks set for global success. In doing so, he has moved from a small number of clients he designed homes for, to potentially having an impact on the wider industry and, in particular, the development and future career choices of thousands of young people he will likely never meet.
If you have a business that’s worth talking about, please contact Sean at seangallagher@independent.ie