Opening the door for charity

Book a consultation with an architect and get advice on building or renovating, writes Tommy Barker, all in aid of the Simon Community.

SOME 35 Munster architects are among the dozens of Irish designers giving freely of their time next month, on behalf of homeless association Simon.

May 10 and 11 sees the 10th anniversary of the Simon Open Door project, where — for a €50 donation — members of the public get an hour consultation with an RIAI architect to discuss new builds, extensions, renovations, interior changes, and energy efficiency improvements. To date, the annual event has raised €350,000 for the Simon Community — the price of a good house. Simon assists more than 5,000 people annually, through its eight communities.

By now, there’ve been over 5,800 Open Door consultations with RIAI registered architects, and the meetings have resulted in hundreds of satisfied clients — and led to many delivered projects after bright ideas sparked committed builds. The theme for this year’s 10th anniversary is ‘Don’t be afraid to renovate’, pointing to how properly done upgrades add value to homes.

In Munster, Cork has 20 participating architects, Limerick has seven, Waterford four, Kerry three, and Clare three, and venues are diverse — one in Dublin is Ikea, with several architects setting out their advice stalls there.

Among those who had Ikea as a base last year was Cathy Dalton, former principal with Dalton + O’Donnell and now a sole trader, she has just completed the first PhD in architecture in UCC/CIT School of Architecture, after more than 20 years practice. Her specialities include inclusive/accessible design, healthcare, design for people with dementia and older occupants and fit-out/interior architecture.

For details and to book an hour-long RIAI consultation on May 10 or 11, log onto www.simonopendoor.ie