This project for 20 sheltered housing apartments on the northern edge of Cork City was submitted for planning at the end of November 2022, and extends an existing complex of sheltered housing for over 60’s. Our proposals develop from opportunities to provide individual living within the context of a collective, supportive environment for residents, and contribute to the ongoing dialogue on how homes for older adults can be imaginatively integrated into the city.

The plot is steeply sloping, as is typical in the north of Cork City, which has a rich heritage of managing level changes of this nature with a series of terraced gardens. It is this strategy that defines our approach to the site, dividing the accommodation into two blocks, which step up the slope, with a lift and stair core in the centre allowing level access throughout.  A communal roof terrace provides expansive views to the wider context.

Generous covered deck access and expanded thresholds around private entrances encourage interaction between residents, in this way an informal social space is created overlooking gardens. All of the apartments are dual or triple aspect, with kitchens overlooking the new shared gardens, and living rooms and bedrooms looking south across the adjacent school playing fields, creating bright and generous apartments.