Wexford Civic Office Competition
Wexford Council Civic Offices integrates architecture, landscape and sustainability through a terraced design that responds to the existing topography. The project organises civic, administrative and ecological spaces into a coherent whole, promoting accessibility, flexibility and energy efficiency while strengthening the relationship between the building, its users and the surrounding landscape.
Wexford Civic Office Competition
Wexford Council Civic Offices integrates architecture, landscape and sustainability through a terraced design that responds to the existing topography. The project organises civic, administrative and ecological spaces into a coherent whole, promoting accessibility, flexibility and energy efficiency while strengthening the relationship between the building, its users and the surrounding landscape.
Wexford Council Civic Offices is conceived as a civic building that emerges from the landscape, establishing a seamless relationship between architecture, topography and public space. The existing hillside is transformed into a series of landscaped terraces that accommodate the building’s programme while minimising its environmental impact and reinforcing the site’s natural character. This strategy creates a welcoming civic park connected to the wider green network, encouraging public interaction and providing an accessible setting for community activities.
Wexford Council Civic Offices is conceived as a civic building that emerges from the landscape, establishing a seamless relationship between architecture, topography and public space. The existing hillside is transformed into a series of landscaped terraces that accommodate the building’s programme while minimising its environmental impact and reinforcing the site’s natural character. This strategy creates a welcoming civic park connected to the wider green network, encouraging public interaction and providing an accessible setting for community activities.
The landscape design enhances biodiversity through a sequence of native habitats, sustainable drainage systems and carefully integrated planting that responds to the site’s ecological conditions. The building combines a robust low-carbon concrete structure with a high-performance envelope, allowing flexible internal layouts and future expansion without compromising the overall design.
Environmental performance is driven by passive design principles, including natural ventilation, generous daylight, solar control and the thermal mass of the exposed concrete structure. These strategies are complemented by intelligent building management, biomass heating, solar energy and rainwater harvesting to reduce operational energy and water consumption. Together, these elements create a sustainable civic landmark that balances environmental responsibility, functional efficiency and architectural quality while fostering a strong connection between people, place and the natural landscape.
Assessors comments: “The winning scheme offered an innovative and achievable work of modern architecture. The entry scored very high from a sustainability point of view. The project utilised the site well, making the building at the Southern end and locating the parking behind it. The amorphous external form with projecting tower (which would be visible across the M50) was innovative; the internal layout studded with natural ventilation courtyards was flexible and interesting, offering cross views to landscape. The relationship between the different working areas was appropriate with the sense of a common working environment.”
Wexford Council Civic Offices is conceived as a civic building that emerges from the landscape, establishing a seamless relationship between architecture, topography and public space. The existing hillside is transformed into a series of landscaped terraces that accommodate the building’s programme while minimising its environmental impact and reinforcing the site’s natural character. This strategy creates a welcoming civic park connected to the wider green network, encouraging public interaction and providing an accessible setting for community activities.
The landscape design enhances biodiversity through a sequence of native habitats, sustainable drainage systems and carefully integrated planting that responds to the site’s ecological conditions. The building combines a robust low-carbon concrete structure with a high-performance envelope, allowing flexible internal layouts and future expansion without compromising the overall design.
Environmental performance is driven by passive design principles, including natural ventilation, generous daylight, solar control and the thermal mass of the exposed concrete structure. These strategies are complemented by intelligent building management, biomass heating, solar energy and rainwater harvesting to reduce operational energy and water consumption. Together, these elements create a sustainable civic landmark that balances environmental responsibility, functional efficiency and architectural quality while fostering a strong connection between people, place and the natural landscape.
Awards & Panels
AWARDS
2022 RIAI Triennial Gold Medal:
Shortlisted
2016 Architectural Review:
Winner ‘International Work Award’.
2013 Green Building Award:
Runner-up ‘Best Building’.
2013 Irish Concrete Society Awards:
Winner ‘Best Building Award’ and Sustainability Commendation.
2013 RIAI Irish Architecture Awards:
Winner ‘Best Sustainable Building’ and ‘Best Commercial Building’.
2013 CMG Building and Design Awards:
‘Building of the Year’, voted by the public.
Awards
2022 RIAI Triennial Gold Medal:
Shortlisted
2016 Architectural Review:
Winner ‘International Work Award’.
2013 Green Building Award:
Runner-up ‘Best Building’.
2013 Irish Concrete Society Awards:
Winner ‘Best Building Award’ and Sustainability Commendation.
2013 RIAI Irish Architecture Awards:
Winner ‘Best Sustainable Building’ and ‘Best Commercial Building’.
2013 CMG Building and Design Awards:
‘Building of the Year’, voted by the public.
Access a PDF from Architecture Ireland about Wexford Civic Office Competition project below.