Four Designers Transforming Spaces in the West: From Regeneration to Sustainability
ACT Studio, Ciara Petty Design Studio, Studio Saol and Kevin Callaghan share case studies of client work they’re proud of, discuss the challenges they encountered, and explain their specific design disciplines and areas of focus.
Based in Ballina, ACT (Accelerating Change Together) is a social enterprise comprised of architects, designers, and policy specialists, established in 2021 to accelerate the green transition in both the built and natural environments.
Ciara Petty Design Studio is a full-service interior design consultancy specialising in the food and beverage, retail, and hospitality sectors based in Ennis, Co. Clare.
Studio Saol is a strategic design and innovation office based in Limerick City who believe design in all its forms has a collective role to play in driving the transition to more a sustainable future.
Kevin Callaghan is a full-time designer, artist, and craftsperson based in Donegal, and the founder of Condie Design, a product design company, and Kevin Callaghan Pottery (KCP), a shop and studio in Donegal town.
ACT Studio, Ballina, Mayo
Who are we?
Based in Ballina, ACT (Accelerating Change Together) is a social enterprise composed of architects, designers, and policy specialists, established three years ago to accelerate the green transition in both the built and natural environments. The construction industry has significantly contributed to the climate and ecological crisis through unsustainable land use, use of carbon-heavy materials, and the immense waste it generates, underscoring the need for large-scale change. Our projects aim to demonstrate that change is not only possible but that, through innovation and collaboration, we can create a world that is healthier, more natural, ecological, inclusive, resilient, diverse, and beautiful.
We work across various scales, from supporting policy development — such as our contribution to the national Climate Action Plan — to co-creating future visions and strategies, designing resilient urban spaces, and realising impact architecture. This multidisciplinary and multiscale approach enables us to deliver holistic solutions that strive to be regenerative, having a net-positive impact on both people and the planet.
A project we’re proud of
One of our projects, Scotch House in Ballina town centre, exemplifies this approach. This design residential, mixed-use development incorporates many of these scales within a single project.
Our client, inspired by a green town vision that ACT created for Ballina, asked us to develop a design that would unlock the potential of the town centre site.
The existing three-storey 1920s structure, which faces Pearse Street (the main street), has commercial spaces on the ground floor, vacant above-shop residential units, and underutilised backlands used for storage. Their primary challenge to us was to develop a proposal that would make rural town centre living attractive to both young and old. This challenge prompted us to consider the qualities that draw people from town centres to the suburbs — open green spaces, direct access, room to play, room to grow — and whether we could develop a design that combined the best aspects of suburban and urban living.
Our approach involves retaining all the existing structures, repurposing them, and creating a new public access laneway that will increase pedestrian permeability through the town. New residential volumes, constructed with lightweight straw panels that sequester carbon, are stacked on top of the existing buildings to densify the site while also creating stepped shared garden spaces connected by paths for residents. The design is circular, applying principles of deconstruction; biodiverse, resulting in a net biodiversity gain; energy-efficient, aiming to generate more electricity than it uses; and social, fostering interaction between residents and providing a new, activated connection through the town.
Some challenges...
The ambitious nature of this project has presented numerous challenges, from constructability to regulatory compliance, but the most significant hurdle so far has been the planning process. The site's location in an Architectural Area of Conservation made this process even more difficult. After initially being refused permission at the Local Authority level, we set out to convince An Bord Pleanála on appeal that this project — which aligns with, and in many cases exceeds, the objectives of national policy on climate action, housing, and urban regeneration — should be realised.
A good result...
Following a two-year planning process, we recently received a decision from the Board granting permission, noting that this "innovative" approach would add to the "vibrancy and viability" of the town — something the ACT team and our client are proud of. We are now moving forward to the detailed design stage and hope to deliver a model that reimagines town centre living in the near future.
Ciara Petty Design Studio, Ennis, Co. Clare
Who are we?
Ciara Petty Design Studio is a full-service interior design consultancy specialising in the food and beverage, retail, and hospitality sectors. Based in Ennis, Co. Clare, we pride ourselves on our strategic, brand-focused design approach, working collaboratively with our clients to create environments that are not just functional but truly memorable.
Our founder and director, Ciara, brings a wealth of global expertise from her work with large international brands, a background that fuels her passion for delivering high-calibre design solutions to the SME market. Innovation, creativity, and a deep understanding of retail strategy are the cornerstones of Ciara Petty Design Studio. Our experience spans across international retail projects, allowing us to infuse global insights into the Irish and international retail and hospitality markets.
A project we’re proud of
One of our standout projects is The Well, the latest addition to the BEO enterprise in Ennis, Co. Clare. This is far more than just a coffee shop; it is a community-centric hub that seamlessly integrates a café, retail outlet, and studio space. Our design goal was to create a space that radiates natural aesthetics and warm, welcoming tones.
The concept for The Well was rooted in a ‘Refined Rustic’ design aesthetic, which aimed to strike a perfect balance between organic elements and more polished, contemporary finishes. The brief required us to craft a space that would serve as a gathering point for the community, embodying the spirit and values of the BEO brand. Since its launch in May, The Well has become a vibrant success, not only as a meeting place for locals but also as a destination for visitors, reflecting the essence of the BEO enterprise.
Some challenges...
The most significant challenge we faced with The Well was the condition of the site. The building, steeped in history, was in a severe state of disrepair, with crumbling stone walls, rotten beams, and dark, confined spaces. However, we saw this as an opportunity rather than an obstacle. We focused on preserving and enhancing the building's original charm, repointing the stone walls to restore their former glory.
To contrast the historical elements, we introduced modern touches like fluted timber and polished quartz, which added a refined touch while complementing the building's rustic features. By creating distinct zones for retail, food service, and studio space, we opened the building and established a natural flow that enhanced the user experience.
A good result...
We are especially proud of The Well due to the collaborative effort involved between our team, the client, and the builders. Overcoming the site's considerable challenges was incredibly rewarding. The building had no right angles or straight lines, yet we managed to highlight its original beauty and historical significance.
Today, The Well stands proudly at the heart of the town, not just as a functional space, but as a destination that resonates with both locals and visitors. It is a project that brought out the best in our team, allowing us to deliver a community hub that truly brings joy to those who walk through its doors. The transformation from a dilapidated structure to a vibrant community space is something we are incredibly proud of, and it perfectly encapsulates the values and vision of Ciara Petty Design Studio.
Studio Saol, Limerick City
Who are we?
Studio Saol is a strategic design and innovation office based in Limerick City. Our team is made up of architects, designers, and strategists working across various industries to enable systems change towards more sustainable futures. We believe design in all its forms has a collective role to play in enabling these transitions and we seek to intentionally shape the organizations we engage with day-to-day in service of this. Although it is not always possible within the limitations of certain client or partner briefs, we are most effective when the opportunity to integrate disciplines emerges.
A project we’re proud of
We had the opportunity to collaborate with the University of Limerick and their Centre for Sustainable Futures & Innovation on a project called Mission Lab. The goal of this project was to create a new sustainability strategy and innovation plan for the university, extending through to 2030.
Traditionally, universities contribute to sustainability through education and research. However, this project aimed to go beyond that, envisioning the university as a “living lab” where sustainability could be actively demonstrated on campus. The idea was to turn the campus into a site for open experimentation, centred around 21 specific “missions.”
Our role in this project was to serve as a design partner. We facilitated participatory workshops, co-developed the innovation strategy, conducted research, provided strategic foresight, and created the brand identity, website, and launch strategy for the new innovation function designed to implement the strategy. Additionally, we designed the studio spaces where this new entity would operate.
Some challenges...
One of the challenges we faced was translating the UN Sustainable Development Goals into actionable targets that the university could realistically pursue and demonstrate progress on.
Also, the need to involve such a broad cross-section of the university community in the process was not an insignificant challenge given the spectrum of disciplines and perspectives it pulled on.
Some of the possibly less obvious challenges in relation to this kind of project and design practice in Ireland is based on the relative lack of design literacy and maturity across institutions at senior levels.
Design is well understood as a marketing and communications input, but when design shows up in what is perceived to be a similar fashion to management consulting – and attempts to shape strategic direction – it needs a sponsor and client that has experience with and understands how to leverage the capability.
This means the project often had invisible work packages which were about navigating the dark matter of the client organisation and supporting the sponsor in keeping the process moving and adaptive.
A good result...
We enjoyed this project because of the ambition of the client, the respect for the frame-creating role of design, the multidisciplinary nature of the effort it took from our team, and ultimately the impact it’s allowing us to have at home.
Any time we are involved in work that allows our team to flex across disciplines together it has a very positive effect on how we understand each other's roles and abilities and encourages us to pursue more opportunities that allow us to do the same.
Kevin Callaghan, Donegal
Who are we?
Kevin Callaghan is a full-time artist, designer and craftsperson. He is the founder of the product design brand Condie Design that makes folded aluminium wall mounted objects and the owner of Kevin Callaghan Pottery (KCP) a shop and studio at the Craft Village in Donegal. He also works in large-scale public sculptures. Kevin has an extensive background in art and design education with a Masters from the Royal College of Art in London 2011/13. He has a permanent collection at The V&A and the Design Museum in London, and has exhibited nationally and internationally, showing at The Royal Academy of Arts London 2023, invited by London architect Peter Barber. Kevin works in multi-disciplinary collaboration with many different organisations and brands. His last artist residency was at The Irish Culture Centre in Paris.
A project we’re proud of
Our largest project to date is a public art commission for Donegal County Council installed in May 2024 at the three roundabouts at Bundoran, Co Donegal. This project was put out to tender in January 2023 with two phases. The brief for three sculptures at the roundabout locations was loosely based around the sea and the surrounding area. These artworks are now visible on the main Derry to Sligo road with the third sculpture at the roundabout entering the town itself.
Our concepts consist of a wind sail, oars and surfboards with a leaf pattern throughout the artwork's theme. The sculptures are made from corten, a metal with chrome and titanium that supports patination with the elements. We worked with QBE fabricators, Donegal, Leon Butler and Deanta Studio, Galway, Aisling Clarke, Artist Bundoran, Fergus Geelan, Sligo and Donegal County Council.
Some challenges...
The main challenges were with the scale of the wind-sail at 6.7 metres, fabricating and welding one side then the other, getting it moved and slipped over to continue the other side. Additionally the structural engineering of a sculpture of this scale will always be demanding in the public arena.
There are a lot of factors involved in getting everything correct, like budgeting, timing and weather to deliver the project on time.
A good result...
We are proud of the three sculptures at Bundoran, as it is our biggest artwork project to date, and we collaborated with some very talented Irish people on this project. These sculptures proudly stand at the entrances to Bundoran, a town with a great history and some of the best surfing in the world.
The feedback for the locals is very positive. We feel these artworks will become more iconic as the years go by. We look forward to working on new projects of this nature in the near future.