Summer Research Series: Daniel O'Reilly - Architecture

Course: Bachelor of Architecture

Supervisor: Associate Professor Peter Carroll

Name of Research Project/Activity: Urbanity & Hinterland: Defining the Modern Irish City

Why did you decide to study Architecture at UL?

I wanted to study a course that was a blend of my creative and scientific interests. For me architecture is a rewarding profession, and work feels quite satisfying and diverse. I really enjoy the varied nature of drawing, model making, writing and computer-based work. You get to work through visual, analytical and physical forms all while improving people's lives through the built environment. There's also a rich culture and history of architecture and it's great finding out the complexity of building.

Architecture in UL has given me many great opportunities to visit new places and meet interesting new people, in the last year Milan & Warsaw on study trips and the opportunity to work in Berlin on my year out.

What motivated you to apply for the Summer Bursary Programme?

I thought it was a great opportunity to investigate trends in urban development that I had noticed during 4th year and my dissertation Public Transport Oriented Development in Irish Cities. During term time, architecture is quite fast paced, not always giving you the chance to investigate a problem thoroughly.

I had previously worked for the School of Architecture, Intelligence Unit - SAUL IU in Summer 2021 and had really enjoyed being able to work on urban design concepts for a local authority. The school has a great culture of supporting summer research, that I hoped to add to with my work.

What are you doing as part of your research here at UL?

I am investigating the nature of growth & development in Irish cities.

Irish cities rapidly expanded during the Celtic Tiger, in often times quite unsustainable ways. With the housing crisis, suburban sprawl starts to switch to a regional urban sprawl, with a normalisation of long-commutes and dormitory towns.

Using a standardised EU-OECD definition of a city and its hinterland, I produced maps showing the suburban and regional urban sprawl that is redefining Irish cities. We have some of the worst traffic in Europe, with Galway and Dublin ranking 3rd & 4th in Europe for hours lost by traffic, just behind Paris and London. (2023, Global Traffic Scorecard)

My work highlights where unsustainable development has occurred and propose an alternative defined by Transit Orientated Development (TOD), that can accommodate the future of Irish Cities, post-housing crisis.

What skills have you developed over the summer?

I've developed a lot of skills in digital drawing, GIS skills, presentation skills and research. I've also learnt about local government, urban history and planning policies.

What has this experience taught you and what would you recommend it to others?

This experience has taught me a lot regarding our cities and how we live. A personal highlight was creating side-by-side drawings of my home city of Galway and my university city of Limerick-Shannon.

I'd definitely recommend it. I felt I have the freedom and support to investigate my own ideas thoroughly. I also received valuable feedback throughout thanks to my supervisor, Peter Carroll.

What are your future career plans, would you consider a career in research?

After my thesis year, I hope to work in a practice and work towards accreditation as an architect. Many practices, however incorporate research into their work and there seems to be a welcome culture of supporting combined practice and research in Ireland.