Springville House wins ‘City Living’ category at Cork’s Better Building Awards

Tuath is delighted to announce that Springville House has won the ‘City Living’ category at the Cork Business Association Better Buildings Awards.

An innovative and sustainable office-to-residential conversion project, Springville House saw the transformation of a previously derelict office block into 31 homes. Delivered in 2023, this innovative project was completed with lead partner Cork City Council and with support from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Housing Finance Agency and the Housing Agency. The building was converted by developer MMD Construction.

Rightsizing 

As a ‘Rightsizing’ scheme, Springville was developed for residents over sixty years of age looking to move from their current property to one more suitable to their needs. One resident, Helen, a former schoolteacher, spoke about her experience settling into her new home at Springville in the 2023 Annual Report: 

“When the call came to attend a viewing at an open day for a new complex in Blackrock, I was beyond excited. I couldn’t miss out on an opportunity to move back to my own community where I had grown up and lived for so many years. My immediate thought was just how impressive the building was, and what a fantastic idea… I couldn’t be more grateful for my home, but I’m also really proud to live in a place that’s the result of a lot of creative thinking and hard work!” 

Since the residents moved into their homes, a number of initiatives have taken place that have brought the community together, including a recent bike repair clinic in October.

Sustainability 

This retrofit project not only addresses housing challenges but also contributes significantly to the decarbonisation of Ireland’s built environment, with a reduced carbon footprint when compared to more traditional construction methods. This initiative reflects Tuath’s commitment to embedding sustainability into all levels of our practice.

Awards 

Springville House’s recognition at the recent Better Building Awards marks the third commendment received by this award-winning development. The innovative project received the ‘Social Housing Development of the Year’ Award at the 2024 National Property Awards and was overall winner of the ‘Excellence in Housing Innovation’ category at the 2024 CIH Awards.

Partnership 

Springville House is testament to the power of public, private and voluntary partnership, bringing together Cork City Council, Tuath Housing and MMD Construction with the support of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, the Housing Agency and the Housing Finance Agency.

Tuath would like to take this opportunity to thank our project partners for continued support and collaboration at Springville House.