Marianella is an exemplary residential project, strongly grounded in its context. A new public park is created on Orwell Road, which incorporates the existing mature trees, and reads as an extension of Rostrevor Park. To the east of the new park, the project is arranged as a series of terraces and linear buildings, interspersed with landscaped courtyards and routes, all of which have a strong visual connection back to the public open space on Orwell Road.
A street of three storey houses backs onto the existing houses of Orwell Park, creating a respectful back-to-back condition, with dwellings of similar scale and typology to the existing houses. The apartment buildings are arranged so that all units overlook the landscaped courtyards, which are connected via a pedestrian pathway through the eastern end of each block. The brick facades provide a continuity of materials throughout the public realm, and the zinc treatment to the roofscape ties in with the framework that surrounds the metal balconies. The landscape design unites the scheme, with strong pedestrian permeability throughout, and clear definition between private, communal and public areas.
Marianella was awarded the RIAI Silver Medal for Housing 2018-2019, Ireland’s highest accolade for a housing project. The following is an extract from the jury citation:
“The architects should be applauded for achieving this result. This project is an exemplar of successful consolidation and intensification of a low-density suburban area, creating a sustainable community that integrates and complements the existing context, while also creating a strong sense of place and identity.”