KPMG Irish Independent Property awards night honours excellence
THERE is no doubt that the KPMG Irish Independent Property Industry Excellence Awards, only in its third year, has already become a firm fixture in the end of year awards calendar.
The black tie gathering held in the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) on Thursday was attended by the great and good of building, construction and property sales, but there was also room made for the other side of property: homelessness.
A moving address from Michael Horgan, ceo of the Daisyhouse housing charity, showed all present that challenges still remain despite their 28 years helping women in crisis find accommodation.
He spoke of the particular issues with domestic violence, addiction and poverty that laid their problems bare and especially called for more landlords to engage with the HAP scheme and put out a hopeful request to the room to join the INM Pinergy Cycle challenge in 2018.
Tuxedos and sparkles rather than lycra were the order of the day, but a few brave souls might heed the request and get on their bikes.
Cairn Homes was a popular winner in the Excellence in Planning category for its impressive Marianella development in Rathgar. The former monastery is partly a listed building and the citation noted the empathetic way the layout was designed with this in mind, while also hitting the remit of providing top quality, modern housing.
Cosgrave Developments always seem to carry away gongs when it comes to their eco-first approach and this year was no different.
Michael Cosgrave stepped up to collect the Energy Efficiency award for the Cosgrave brothers’ development at Cualanor, which boasts huge green spaces, woodland and walkways for residents.
It also features electric-car ports while cost neutral energy solutions are the norm.
Design Project of the Year went to Hentry J Lyons Architects for its work on the Central Bank’s new headquarters at North Wall Quay.
The financial regulator’s new office is now housed ironically in what was to have been the new headquarters of the now defunct Anglo Irish Bank.
Hooke & MacDonald picked up the coveted Residential Agency trophy, which is a fitting testament to their 50th year in business.
Grafton Architects took both the Overall Winner award and the award for Outstanding Contribution to the Property Industry. Founders and directors Shelley McNamara (developer Bernard’s sister) and Yvonne Farrell stepped up with their colleagues to the stage to make a brief, but positively compelling, speech about how well Ireland is perceived abroad.
McNamara and Farrell have been chosen as curators for the prestigious Venice Biennale next year which they acknowledged as an honour. The lighter side of the evening was provided by Oliver Callan who brought much of what’s left of the Cabinet with him: he welcomed the Taoiseach to “Dublin and the horsey bits of Kildare and Meath” and apologised for the fact that Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald was supposed to attend, “but she didn’t read the email”.
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe appointed himself ‘ReadyBrex’ for the UK’s leaving of Europe while colleague Shane Ross, finding himself in unfamiliar territory north of the river in Dublin 1, claimed not to have realised the capital came “in odd numbers”.