Practice
Established in 1987, Shay Cleary Architects is a design led architectural practice. The office is involved in a wide range of building types for clients which include government agencies, local authorities, schools and colleges, cultural organisations, commercial businesses and private individuals.
The work of the office has the following aims and aspirations;
-
To provide the highest quality contemporary architecture for all projects.
-
To respond with innovation and imagination to all project requirements.
-
To look beyond current client requirements with forward looking solutions that allow for change and development in the future.
-
To provide an architecture which is responsive to context and culture in a sophisticated manner.
-
To embrace sustainable technologies as an integral component of any architectural proposal.
-
To achieve the highest standard of design and construction detailing.
-
To provide an individually tailored solution for each particular client brief.
The office has many repeat clients and has won numerous awards for excellence in design and construction which reflects our commitment to the production of quality contemporary architecture that answers our clients needs while enhancing and contributing positively to the built environment.

Shay Cleary
B.Arch NUI FRIAI
Graduated with honours from University College Dublin in 1974.
Worked in Paris for both Marcel Breuer Architecte and subsequently Candilis Josic & Woods Architectes (1974 – 1976)
Moved to London to work for Neave Brown at the London Borough Of Camden Architects Department (1976 – 1977)
Returned to Dublin and co - founded Grafton Architects with Yvonne Farrell, Frank Hall, Shelley McNamara and Tony Murphy in 1978.
Commenced teaching as a part-time design tutor at the School of Architecture UCD
(1978 – 1996)
Was President of the Architectural Association of Ireland in 1980.
Having left Grafton Architects formed Cleary & Hall Architects with Frank Hall
(1981 – 1986)
Established Shay Cleary Architects in 1987.
Director of Group 91 Architects, a consortium of eight like minded Dublin practices which oversaw the urban regeneration of the Temple Bar area of the city (1990 – 1998)
Has taught, lectured and been a visiting critic in schools of Architecture in Ireland and the UK and was a visiting professor to Princeton University Graduate School in 1989.
Oversees and directs the design and realisation of all projects in SCA in collaboration with a highly professional, talented and motivated team, the overriding objective being the production of sophisticated contemporary architecture of lasting quality.
The work of the practice has been widely published including a monograph published by Gandon Editions in 2001.

Process + Capability
Shay Cleary Architects is a medium sized RIAI registered practice with the capacity and technical expertise to design and realize projects of large scale, demanding complexity and high profile. The practice comprises a cohesive office organization comprising architectural, administrative and IT personnel.
The office has the capacity to work in a Building Information Modeling (BIM) environment and all new projects employ this software in the production of design and production information in collaboration with other stakeholders and consultants.
The practice operates a quality control system and values its function as a management device. An office Quality Assurance manual has been developed and provides clear parameters for staff activities, from inception to site operations and project completion.
The practice has adopted the RIAI Guide to Good Practice, which will in time lead to a quality assurance scheme for architects with the aim of maximizing the quality and detailed specification of all projects.
The practice utilizes NBS (National Building Specification) specification software and has membership of the Construction
Information Service an online source for standards and codes of practice.
Our policy is to employ personnel of the highest caliber in all disciplines and our staff are encouraged to attend ongoing CPD courses which are run by the RIAI.

Awards
The practice has received over thirty five awards in recognition of its design quality and architectural output.
Year
2019
2019
2016
2014
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2003
2002
2000
1999
1997
1996
1995
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
Project
Blackpitts Student Housing
EXO Office Building, Point Square
Office Buildings, City Block 9
Office Building, Point Village
Alto Vetro Residential Tower
Q5 Waltrovka, Prague
Cork County Library Headquarters
Alto Vetro Residential Tower
Alto Vetro Residential Tower
Alto Vetro Residential Tower
Cork County Library Headquarters
Civic Offices Complex
Civic Offices
Central Library Headquarters & Cultural Centre
Cork County Hall Redevelopment
Office Building, Dawson Street
Liffey Trust Enterprise Centre Redevelopment
Northern Gateway Competition
Office Building, Dawson Street
Project Arts Centre
New Galleries at IMMA
Cork County Hall Redevelopment
Temple Bar Framework Plan (Group 91)
Arthouse
Blackrock Education Centre
Arthouse
Blackrock Education Centre
National Gallery, Dublin
Agriculture House, Dublin
Walsall Art Gallery
Irish Museum of Modern Art
Irish Museum of Modern Art
Temple Bar Framework Plan (Group 91)
Houses at Swan Place
Point Depot (NEC)
Mercer Street Offices
Awarding Authority
Irish Building and Design Awards
Chicago Athenaeum
NAMA / Deloitte
NAMA / Grant Thornton
Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI)
Red Group Prague & RIAI
Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI)
Chicago Athenaeum
Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
Opus
Opus
Meath County Council & RIAI
Roscommon County Council
Dunlaoghaire Rathdown County Council
Opus
An Taisce
The Liffey Trust
Ballymun regeneration
Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI)
Architectural Association of Ireland (AAI)
Architectural Association of Ireland (AAI)
Cork County Council & RIAI
Fundació Mies Van Der Rohe Barcelona
Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI)
Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI)
Architectural Association of Ireland (AAI)
Architectural Association of Ireland (AAI)
National Gallery of Ireland
Architectural Association of Ireland (AAI)
Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council
Architectural Association of Ireland (AAI)
Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI)
Temple Bar Properties
Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI)
Architectural Association of Ireland (AAI)
Architectural Association of Ireland (AAI)
Award Type
Student Accommodation Project of the Year
International Architecture Award
Competition Winner
Competition Winner
RIAI Silver Medal for Housing
Competition Joint Winner
Public Building Commendation
International Architecture Award
International Award
Building of the Year 2009
Building of the Year 2009
Competition Finalist
Competition Finalist
Competition Finalist
Building of the Year 2007
Urban Infill Award
Competition Winner
Competition Winner
Regional Award
Award
Special Mention
Competition Winner
Shortlist
Regional Award
Special Mention
Special Mention
Special Mention
Competition Finalist
Special Mention
Competition Finalist
Award
Regional Award
Competition Winner
Medal for Housing Special Mention
Downes Medal
Award
Clients
A C Forde & Co
AMP Capital
Ballymun Regeneration Ltd.
BAM Property Ltd.
BNP Paribas
Bruce Shaw
Campion Properties
Convention Centre Dublin
Cork County Council
Davy Group
Davy Hickey Properties
Deloitte
Department of Education & Science
Dublin City Council
Dublin City University
Dublin Docklands Development Authority
Dun Laoghaire IADT
Eircom
Ellier Developments Ltd.
EY
GEM Group
GSA Group
Grant Thornton
Green Property
Hardwicke
Hibernia REIT
Hollybrook UK
Horse Racing Ireland
IDA Ireland
Kendlebell Midwest Ltd.
Kennedy Wilson Europe
KPMG
Leopardstown Race Course
Mountbrook Homes Ltd.
NAMA
P.Elliott & Company
Pierse Group
Point Depot N.E.C.
Port of Cork Company
Project Arts Centre
PWC
Red Group, Prague
Ronan Group Real Estate
Temple Bar Properties
The Liffey Trust
Touchstone Healthcare Group
Treasury Holdings Ireland
University College Dublin
Walls Construction
WK Nowlan
Collaborators
Since 1987:
Cormac Allen
Pia Becker
Janine Bourke
Dermot Boyd
Lennart Breternitz
Noreile Breen
Karen Brownley
Carlus Buckley
Eva Byrne
John Callan
Peter Carroll
Andrew Clancy
Peter Cody
Philip Comerford
Ronan Costelloe
Aoife Cox
Martin Cox
Kathleen Creed
Angus Denvir
John Dobbin
Stephen Doherty
Marcus Donaghy
John Dorman
Fergal Doyle
Mark Elliott
Jennifer Fay
Shane Fitzpatrick
Michael Frain
Sam Gaine
Jonathan Garvey
Ronan Halpenny
Mark Halpin
Paul Healy
Eoin Healy
Anne Henry
Joe Hogan
Dáire Kelly
Hugh Kelly
Justin Kelly
Des Kennedy
Ciara Keohane
David King-Smith
Steve Larkin
Tom Larkin
Markus Lassan
Caroline Lawlor
Colin Markey
Nicola Masterson
Dermot McCabe
Tiernan McCarthy
Brian McClean
Eavan Meagher
Jesmond Meli
Mark Monaghan
Colm Moore
Catherine Moran
Aisling Murray
Cornelia Murphy
Stephen Musiol
Esmonde O'Briain
John O'Callaghan
Aoife O'Donnell
Eilis O'Donnell
Cormac O'Droma
Seán Antóin Ó Muiri
Antoinette O'Neill
Melanie O'Reilly
Eoghan O'Shea
Tim O'Sullivan
Adam Peavoy
Sinead Pickett
Natasha Premjee
Suzannah Potts
Niamh Redmond
Kate Rhatigan
Dominic Stevens
Birgit Sunkel
Peter Tansey
Seamus Thornton
Karl Tobin
Des Twomey
Simon Walker
Andrew Walsh
Brian Ward
Lesley-Anne Whelan
Elizabeth Wheeler
Sonia Webber
Kevin Woods