about this space?
The most popular responses are as follows:
The Yard –
Chill out and relax
Fresh air
Break from work
See friends
Spacious and open
Space to have fun
Place for exercise
Around the Bike Shed –
See friends
Sheltered
Warmest part of the yard
More privacy
Computer Room –
Play games
Do projects
Use the Internet
Have fun
Lunch Room –
Be yourself
Relax
Warm and comfortable
It's a sunny space
2. How important do you think the entrance to a school is? Why?
Most people felt the entrance to the school is important because:
It welcomes and entices people to come in
It is an access point
It is also an exit point!! (this is important especially in emergencies)
It is the first thing a visitor sees, it could even be considered as
one of the main attractions in the school!
It acts like a sign, it shows you where to enter the building
A decorated entrance sends out the right signals
Some felt it isn't important because:
It is simply a functional access point
Most action takes place in the classrooms.
3. Do you like the materials used in this school? Inside and Outside?
No. 44%
Yes. 56%
The negative responses are mainly because the materials are old and so
the school can be cold. More modern and contemporary materials could
be used to improve the school.
4. How should a school look from the outside?
Secure and safe
Modern, bright and clean
Welcoming and open
Big and warm
A happy place with lots of windows
It should make an impression and stand out from other buildings
It doesn't matter because it's about what the school does, not what it
looks like.
It should have a big grassy area and sports facilities for the students.
It should be well designed and well organised.
5. Do you like the size of the school at the moment? Would you prefer
it to be larger or smaller?
No. 21%
Yes. 79%
Generally most people are happy with the current size of the school,
particularly for the number of pupils. Here are some of the answers if
there was an opportunity to change the school:
If it were bigger there would be space for more facilities.
If it were bigger it would look out of place.
It should be one big building instead of two.
If it were bigger it would allow rooms for extra subjects e.g. woodwork
6. Can you think of a suitable site for a school in the local area?
Fairview Park
Beside the eye
Off the Alfie Byrne road
East Point
Beside Clontarf DART Station, due to its close proximity to town,
shops, train and gym.
7. Do you have a favourite building in Dublin? Can you name it, describe it?...
GPO – it is an impressive historically important building in the city
Liberty Hall – it is the tallest building in Dublin at the moment
The Docklands area – everything is modern here
Savoy Cinema – it's an old style cinema
Customs House – because of its positioning facing the river
State Street Building – it's a large building which looks as if it is
leaning backwards, covered in glass
Spire – a very tall piece of metal standing out from everything
Ha'penny Bridge – it is old, small and I like its shape and location
The O2 Arena – it looks old on the outside yet it's warm-looking inside.
Christchurch Cathedral
Chapters Book Store
Iliac Centre
UCI Cinema Parnell St.
Jervis Shopping Centre
Central Bank
Some buildings you might be interested in looking at in Dublin:
Trinity College
Bank of Ireland College Green – this was once where the Irish Parliament sat
Leinster House – current seat of the Irish Parliament
Smithfield and the Light house Cinema
Guinness Brewery
UCD main campus
The National Concert Hall
Stephen's Green shopping centre (look at the roof!)
If you are interested you could look at the work of some of the
following international architects.
Alvaro Aalto – Finlandia Hall, Helsinki, Finland
David Chipperfield – Sails and Winds Building, Valencia, Spain
Foster and Partners – Swiss Re London HQ (The Gherkin), London, UK
Frank Gehry – Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain
Frank Lloyd Wright – Falling Water, USA
Gaudi – Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain
Herzog de Meuron – Tate Modern, London, UK
Jorn Utzon– Sydney Opera House, Australia
Le Corbusier – Unite d'Habitation, Marseille, France
Mies van der Rohe – Barcelona Pavilion, Spain
OMA – Hermitage Guggenheim, Las Vegas, USA
Richard Rogers – Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
Santiago Calatrava –Liffey Bridges, Milwaukee Art Centre,
Shigaru Ban – Paper Art Museum, Shizuoka, Japan
Toyo Ito – Sendai Mediatheque, Japan
Zaha Hadid – Bergisel Ski-jump, Innsbruck, Austria
Arup Engineers
Buro Happold Engineers
Peter Rice, an Irish architect originally from Dundalk, Co. Louth who
worked on the Pompidou centre and the Louvre in Paris as well as the
Sydney Opera House.
Some Irish Architects:
Boyd Cody
Donnaghy and Diamond
Grafton Architects
Heghenan Peng
Murray O'Laoire
O'Donnell and Tuomey
Scott Tallon Walker
