The ICSH Community Housing Award sponsored by Allianz Insurance encourages, recognises and rewards excellence in the delivery of social housing. It promotes and showcases how innovative design can help create sustainable communities and impact positively on the lives of tenants and residents, the local and wider community and contribute towards a sustainable environment. The 2013 awards were presented to the winners at the ICSH National Social Housing Conference in Wexford on 18th September 2013.
Housing for Families
Winner: Cork County Council and Túath Housing Association – Gooldshill, Mallow, Co. Cork
The project was commended by our judging panel for “demonstrating excellent social design and masterplanning and amidst the social complexity achieveing successful collaborative working on the ground amongst local Gardai, residents association and community and youth groups”.
Pictured L-R: Councillor Joe Ryan, Deputy Mayor of Wexford; Mary Ryan, Cork County Council; Minister Jan O’Sullivan, T.D., Minister for Housing and Planning; Jennifer Ring, Túath Housing Association and Peter Kilcullen, Allianz.
Innovative Finance Solutions
Winner: Nabco – Auburn Lodge, Killiney, Co. Dublin
The judging panel viewed this project as an “exemplar of imaginative financing solutions with significant potential for replication on other high quality vacant housing stock”.
Pictured L-R: Councillor Joe Ryan, Deputy Mayor of Wexford; Geoff Corcoran, Nabco; Minister Jan O’Sullivan, T.D., Minister for Housing and Planning; Jan Mingle, Nabco and Peter Kilcullen, Allianz.
Collaboration Initiatives
Winner: Wicklow County Council and Sonas Housing Association
The judging panel commended this project for “its outstanding project team collaboration, commitment and determination” and identified the project as “an exemplar for the regeneration of a derelict building with significant benefits for the local urban fabric and community”.
Pictured L-R: Councillor Joe Ryan, Deputy Mayor of Wexford; Maureen Taylor, Sonas Housing Association; Michael Nicholson, Wicklow County Council; Tara Breen, Sonas Housing Association; Minister Jan O’Sullivan, T.D., Minister for Housing and Planning; Anne McKeon, Sonas Housing Association; Peter Kilcullen, Allianz and Margaret Malone, Wicklow County Council.
Housing for Older People
Winner Small Housing Project: St. Killian’s Housing Association – Sonas Housing Project, Mullagh, Co. Cavan
The judging panel deemed the project “a noteworthy example of social commitment within a smaller community and reflects all that is good in the cohesiveness of small rural communities”.
Pictured L-R: Councillor Joe Ryan, Deputy Mayor of Wexford; Leslie Foxe, St. Killian’s Housing Association; Minister Jan O’Sullivan, T.D., Minister for Housing and Planning; Rose O’Reilly, St. Killian’s Housing Association and Peter Kilcullen, Allianz.
Housing for Older People
Winner Small Housing Project: Nás na Ríogh Housing Association, McAuley Place, Sallins Road, Naas, Co. Kildare
McAuley Place, is situated in the former Convent of Mercy site in the heart of Naas and is an excellent example of sympathetic reuse of a heritage building.
Pictured L-R: Councillor Joe Ryan, Deputy Mayor of Wexford; Mark Hazzard, Nás na Ríogh Housing Association; Margharita Solon, Nás na Ríogh Housing Association; Minister Jan O’Sullivan, T.D., Minister for Housing and Planning; David Wright, Nás na Ríogh Housing Association and Peter Kilcullen, Allianz.
Mixed Communities
Winner: Tuath Housing Association – Honeypark, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin
The Judging Panel highlighted the project as being “a most effective example of achieving the right balance of mixed community occupancy in harmony with the surrounding developments” and highlighted the “excellent holistic design for environmental sustainability including a strategy for post occupancy energy and waste management”.
Pictured L-R: Councillor Joe Ryan, Deputy Mayor of Wexford; Marie Egan, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council; Minister Jan O’Sullivan, T.D., Minister for Housing and Planning; Louise Thompson, Túath Housing Association and Peter Kilcullen, Allianz.
Housing for People with Disabilities
Winner: HAIL – Avondale Court, Mulhuddart, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15
The judging panel highlighted “the excellent support services and strategy for integration of residents into the local community, being a very effective solution which delivered a cohesive internal community while linking successfully with the external neighbouring community”.
Pictured L-R: Councillor Joe Ryan, Deputy Mayor of Wexford; David Kavanagh, HAIL; Minister Jan O’Sullivan, T.D., Minister for Housing and Planning; Angela Lynch, HAIL and Peter Kilcullen, Allianz.
Regeneration Projects
Winner – Local Authority Regeneration Projects: Limerick City Council – Cliona Park, Moyross, Limerick
The judging panel commended the project for it’s “exemplar architectural, social and sustainable design for the provision of social housing and viewed the scheme was a great flagship project to kick-start a strategic urban renewal area plan” and added that this scheme of such high quality should be a catalyst for the successful continuation and completion of the other phases of the Regeneration Programme.
Pictured L-R: Councillor Joe Ryan, Deputy Mayor or Wexford; Michael O’Kelly, Administrative Officer, Limerick City Council; Jillian Quinn, Architect, Housing Agency; Minister Jan O’Sullivan, T.D., Minister for Housing and Planning; Oliver O’Loughlin, Director of Services, Limerick City Council; Jason Murphy, Senior Executive Officer, Limerick City Council and Peter Kilcullen, Associate Director, Allianz
Regeneration Projects
Winner – Housing Association Regeneration Projects: Clúid Housing Association – St. Michael’s Road, Longford
The Judging Panel considered the project to be exemplar in “undertaking really effective community consultation and partnership delivering excellent local community renewal and integration while retaining the essential character and architectural elements of the original streetscape”.
Pictured L-R: Councillor Joe Ryan, Deputy Mayor of Wexford; Fiona Cormica, Clúid Housing Association; Minister Jan O’Sullivan, T.D., Minister for Housing and Planning; Ben Williams, Clúid Housing Association and Peter Kilcullen, Allianz.
Homeless Projects
Winner: Waterford City Council and Society of St. Vincent de Paul
The judging panel commended this project for its “impressive functional design and sustainability credentials, catering effectively for the needs of the homeless whilst respecting the neighbouring environment”.
Pictured L-R: Councillor Joe Ryan, Deputy Mayor of Wexford; Terence O’Neill, Society of St. Vincent de Paul; Minister Jan O’Sullivan, T.D., Minister for Housing and Planning; Joe Sullivan, Waterford City Council; Colin Falconer, C.J. Falconer & Associates and Peter Kilcullen, Allianz.
Housing Management Initiatives
Winner – Housing Association: Sunbeam House Services – Lucinda Lodge, Bray, Co. Wicklow
The judging panel highlighted the project as an “excellent example of collaborations with local social groups and a very effective model for the provision of housing services to residents with varying needs”.
Pictured L-R: Councillor Joe Ryan, Deputy Mayor of Wexford; Aoife Flynn Kennedy, Sunbeam House Services; Minister Jan O’Sullivan, T.D., Minister for Housing and Planning; John Hannigan, Sunbeam House Services and Peter Kilcullen, Allianz.
Housing Management Initiatives
Winner – Housing Association: South Dublin County Council – Choice Based Lettings Scheme
Overall the judging panel viewed the initiative as an “outstanding example of innovation in the public sector achieving efficiency, effectiveness and value for money”.
Pictured L-R: Councillor Joe Ryan, Deputy Mayor of Wexford; Alison Scanlon, South Dublin County Council; ___, South Dublin County Council; Minister Jan O’Sullivan, T.D., Minister for Housing and Planning; Hugh Hogan, South Dublin County Council and Peter Kilcullen, Allianz.
Overall Winner
Clúid Housing Association – St. Michael’s Road, Longford
Not only an exemplar regeneration project having delivered an excellent local community renewal project whilst retaining the physical character and architectural elements of the original streetscape, but also excels across a wide number of other award categories.
The project demonstrates excellent collaboration – Clúid having worked effectively with Longford Town Council, Longford County Council and the DECLG along with residents demonstrating excellent community engagement and consultation. The project involved working with residents to agree a priority of needs and requirements, managing the expectations of residents, decanting people from properties to facilitate construction, and as a result the project has been a success not only in terms of the regeneration of the physical but also the social fabric of the community.
It also provides for mixed communities, having a range of house types. Phase one of the regeneration scheme provided a mix of three and four bed units for families. The completed regeneration now provides for 2-bed single storey houses, 2-bed 2-storey houses, one- and two-bedroom apartments and one three-bedroom house.
Various elements of the project were delivered using innovative financing solutions including the community centre carpark which Clúid developed after securing grant funding through LEADER.
The project also demonstrates and highlights the benefits of effective housing management with Clúid working effectively with tenants pre- and post-occupancy. Involving the residents in the re-design of the estate encouraged ownership of the problems and the solutions.
Finally the judging panel added that the project is a testament of the eneourmous hardwork and dedication by Clúid with the project being a true success from the point of view of all the stakeholders involved and is a template for future regeneration projects.
Pictured L-R: Petter Kilcullen, Allianz; Councillor Joe Ryan, Deputy Mayor of Wexford; Fiona Cormican, Clúid Housing Association; Minister Jan O’Sullivan, T.D., Minister for Housing and Planning; Brian O’Gorman, Clúid Housing Association and Ben Williams, Clúid Housing Association.
Further details on all the winning schemes can be found here: 2013 Community Housing Award Winners
