The Aughrim project is one of five around the country selected in 2023 for the Irish Architecture Foundation’s Reimagine Hometown Architect initiative, a programme which focuses on the revitalisation of Ireland’s towns and villages.
The “Suppose a Stone” project in Aughrim explored ways to make “The Granite City” of Aughrim, Co. Wicklow more accessible for all ages and abilities, including for users of buggies, wheelchairs and other walking aids. Through a series of activities, the team undertook an all-ages, interspecies accessibility audit of the town of Aughrim.
This community project was launched as part of Aughrim’s St Patrick’s Day Parade on 17 March 2023. Visitors to Kunstverein Aughrim were invited to complete a worksheet, aimed at discovering and uncovering some of the successes and challenges of Aughrim’s built environment. Based on these findings, the team devised a series of workshops on specific issues within the local built environment, to develop and test potential solutions.
Deploying creative processes such as a sensory walk with choreographer Aoife McAtamney alongside a walkability study with Age Friendly Ireland and a community survey and activity map, they have charted accessibility challenges and opportunities in the town. The final event will take place April 2024 with a workshop and findings presentation to residents.
In the video below you can watch a work-in-progress presentation by the Aughrim team during a Reimagine Café held in August 2023.
Hometown Architect is part of the Irish Architecture Foundation’s Reimagine programme, which aims to connect communities with architects to co-design and improve their local built environment. The Reimagine programme believes that local insight and tacit knowledge from all stakeholders are integral to developing solutions for our urban spaces, fostering a sense of agency, ownership, and pride among participants.
Funded by the Arts Council and Department of Rural and Community Development, with additional support to the Irish Architecture Foundation from the Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage. This project aligns with the national Town Centre First policy, which aims to revitalise towns across Ireland, building and sustaining vibrant town centres where communities can flourish.
