Mr Fintan Duffy

I am an architect with many years' experience in teaching and practice. I have always used my practice as an architect to inform my teaching while benefitting from the energy that teaching brings to developing my own ideas in practice. 

Every architectural project, be it a 'real' one in the practice context, or an 'ideal' one in the context of the design studio, is a research opportunity. No two project briefs and sites are ever the same so every project is unique. All projects must begin with two parallel research strands: an  understanding of the tangible and intangible qualities of the site and an understanding of the users' requirements. These needs are not limited to their functional requirements but must include a blueprint for better living both within the functional envelope of the building as well as the wider world outside. 

My experience in the area of architectural conservation has provided me with many opportunities for academic research, as well as researching new ways of using materials and detailing. I have been a member of the EAAE's Conservation Workshop group for many years and our office's research on important conservation structures has translated into sensitive design interventions on projects that have been cited in peer-reviewed journals.

More recently my teaching and practice emphasis is being redirected towards meeting the challenges of climate change and resource depletion. Building conservation is the perfect vehicle through which to develop new architectural practices which are both socially useful and ecologically positive.