Two GMIT Architecture students, Declan Moran from Kilanin in Galway, and Gerard Fahy from Drung, Co. Cavan have made it to the finals of the Student Architectural Technology Awards.
This international competition is organised by the prestigious Chartered Institute of Architectural Technology and is open to any architectural students who don’t have a professional construction qualification.
There are two categories for the students awards, one for a report and another for a project.
Declan’s research is an analysis of all the current building regulations, architecture guidelines, and best practices about making sure buildings are equally accessible to everyone.
While Gerard’s project looks at three different methods to upgrade the roof of a protected structure to bring it up to energy standards to find which delivers the best thermal results.
Irene Hayden, one of the lectures at GMIT who oversaw their work, was thrilled for the two men: “This is an international award and a huge achievement for both students to be named as finalists. It is the first time GMIT students have entered this competition.
“It is a testament to the dedication and hard work of both students that their entries have been successful and a reflection on the diversity and calibre of research conducted in GMIT on the Architectural Technology programme.”
The other lecturers at GMIT who mentored the two students are Siobhan Crawley and Louise Tynan.
The finals of the competition will be held in Shoreditch, London on September 14, when we’ll find out if the Galway students take home a prize.
Mary Rogers, Head of the Depertment of Building and Civil Engineering at GMIT said Architectural Technologists are becoming ever more important as modern building get more ambitious.
“As contemporary building design evolves, the role of the Architectural Technologist has become central to the construction process. Buildings are constructed within a changing technical environment requiring ever increasing specialization.”
The CIAT is one are one of two professional bodies representing architectural technologists in Ireland along with the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland.
