Conserving a Dublin Town House: 30 Parnell Square

Half-Day On-Site Seminar and Tour

10:00-13:15

Led by DMVF Architects

Date: Saturday 17th May 2025

Time: 10:00-13:15

Location: 30 Parnell Square West, Dublin 1, D01 X682

Price: €95

Structured CPD Points: 3

Format: Site visit with seated presentations and tour. Mid-morning refreshments included.

Recording: No recording will be made of this event. Attendance is required.

Access and attire: PPE is not required as the building is fully operational. Wheelchair access is possible to the basement and ground floor only. Lift access is provided to the upper floors of the building but cannot accommodate wheelchairs.

SEMINAR CONTENT

This stimulating Saturday morning seminar will provide a unique opportunity to inspect a newly refurbished mid-18th century Georgian building in Dublin city centre. Led by the architectural design team and conservation contractors who delivered the project over five years, the event will showcase this beautifully conserved town house which has been adapted to office use for the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO).

30 Parnell Square is a four-storey over basement Georgian house constructed in the 1760s. It forms part of the longest surviving mid-18th century terrace in Dublin that encloses the western side of Parnell Square. Much of the significance of this and adjacent houses stems from their notable large scale and the high quality of their decorative interiors, but also their coordinated urban setting, originally designed to overlook and frame the former Pleasure Gardens of the 18th-century Rotunda Hospital. Number 30 has the added advantage of embracing Palace Row on the north side of Parnell Square, the site of the planned Dublin City Library that is due to break ground shortly.

Over recent years, DMVF Architects has led the refurbishment of Number 30 to provide design-focused office accommodation while respecting and conserving the historic fabric of this Georgian building. Aspects of the project have included structural repair, façade conservation, floor strengthening, repair of lime plaster – both decorative stucco and flatwork – extensive joinery conservation, integration of mechanical and electrical services, and providing additional floor area in a rear extension. This has included all necessary certifications for planning and building regulations compliance – including conservation oversight by David Slattery Conservation Architects.

This seminar will guide attendees through the planning and design stages of the project, and the detailed implementation of repair methodologies and new interventions at construction stage. Speakers from DMVF Architects, Nolans Group and Lambstongue will showcase the works from the perspectives of design specifiers and masonry and joinery conservation contractors respectively, with a blend of lectures and tours through the whole building.

Early booking is advised as places are strictly limited. Mid-morning refreshments are provided. Lunch is not included.

PROGRAMME

09:45-10:00
Registration
Entrance through the front door at 30 Parnell Square

10:00
Welcome and Introduction
Graham Hickey, CEO, Dublin Civic Trust

10:10
Project Overview
Lisa McVeigh, Director, DMVF Architects

10:35
Synergising Conservation & Design
Ethna Mc Dermott, DMVF Architects

Q&A

11:10
Tea/Coffee Break

11:30
Brick & Stone Repairs
Shane Nolan, Director, Nolan’s Group Conservation Contractors
Q&A

11:55
Window, Door & Joinery Repairs
Alexander Downes, Director, Lambstongue
Q&A

12:20
Building Tours
2x groups in parallel

13:15
Close

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Lisa McVeigh is Director at DMVF Architects. Lisa studied Architecture at Queen’s University, Belfast from 1993–1999. Upon graduating, Lisa worked for Campbell Conroy Hickey Architects (CCH) from 1999 to 2005 in Dublin. Lisa has extensive experience leading design teams on projects in the residential, commercial, leisure and hospitality sectors both in Ireland and internationally.

Ethna Mc Dermott is an architect at DMVF Architects. Ethna has a specialist interest in conservation, working through all eight RIAI workstages from inception to completion & hand-over, with responsibility for project & design management, planning and Protected Structures, contract administration, design team and consultant coordination. Ethna has over 10 years professional experience working closely with clients and stakeholders across projects ranging from restoration and refurbishment of domestic, commercial and cultural buildings, masterplanning, educational and recreational buildings, bespoke interiors, timber & sustainable construction & exhibitions.

Shane Nolan is Director of Nolan’s Group Conservation & Restoration, a specialist Irish conservation firm working in building conservation for almost 30 years. The firm employs a team of highly skilled employees, offering a combination of traditional skills and innovative repair techniques to cater for the conservation and sustainability demands presented by historic buildings. Nolan’s Group has worked on some of Ireland’s largest and most significant conservation projects, ranging from the Victorian McKee Barracks for the Department of Defence to one of the largest Georgian mansions in Dublin, at 3 Henrietta Street. In recent years, Nolan’s Group has developed a specialism producing and repairing fired clay products for the Irish market including terracotta, faience and brick specials, supplying a diverse array of bespoke conservation and architectural products that are made in Ireland for the first time in decades. Shane also maintains a keen interest in the use, development and promotion of building limes, sensitive masonry repair and cleaning techniques.

Alexander Downes is a founding Director of Lambstongue, a Dublin-based company with a strong design and conservation sensibility that specialises in the repair, manufacture and thermal upgrading of traditional timber and metal windows, rooflights, screens and, most recently, the restoration of historic Irish glasshouses. Heritage projects have included the Charles Rennie Mackintosh-designed Glasgow School of Art, Dublin’s Four Courts and Leinster House, 18 Ormond Quay Upper, City Assembly House and Newbridge House glasshouses. Alexander is also Chairperson of Dublin Civic Trust.