Ailish Drake, Architect, founded Drake Hourigan Architects with Conor Hourigan in 2007. Based in Limerick, the practice focuses on adaptive re-use of existing buildings, conservation, and landscape design and see meaningful community engagement as integral to the design process. The practice won the RIAI Public Choice Award in 2019 for An Ríocht, a special needs extension to a national school.
Ailish holds a Masters in History of Art and Architecture (18th Century Designed Landscapes) from University of Limerick and an RHS Certificate in Horticulture. She won a silver medal at Bloom in 2014 for her medieval garden sponsored by Limerick City of Culture.
Ailish is Chair of the Limerick Chapter of the Irish Georgian Society which curates an annual lecture series, promotes the protection of Georgian Limerick and supports the restoration of Georgian railings with a grant scheme.
As the national spokesperson for the Irish Pedestrian Network, Ailish initiated a national response to Covid-19 by bringing together cycling and pedestrian advocates in seeking more space in towns and cities for people, which in Limerick became the #WeNeedSpace campaign.
Ailish was selected for the jury panel for the RIAI Awards 2020 and the Arts Council Architecture Grant Award 2020. She attends as a guest lecturer in the School of Architecture in UL and at UCD School of Architecture and regularly contributes to the discourse around architecture, public realm and place-making and the importance of people first design in both print and broadcast media.

www.drakehourigan.com
twitter.com/AilishDrake