Three Special RIAI Awards in TidyTowns Competition
  • 25 May 2021

Three Special RIAI Awards in TidyTowns Competition

Proposal for Dungloe, Co. Donegal, by Pasparakis Friel Architects, Winner of the RIAI Town Challenge Award 2019
Proposal for Dungloe, Co. Donegal, by Pasparakis Friel Architects, Winner of the RIAI Town Challenge Award 2019
Proposal for Dungloe, Co. Donegal, by Pasparakis Friel Architects, Winner of the RIAI Town Challenge Award 2019

We are delighted to support the 2021 TidyTowns Competition with three Special Awards: The RIAI Town Challenge Award, the RIAI Good Windows Award and the RIAI Shopfront Award.

The popular TidyTowns Competition was cancelled last year, for the first time in 60 years, due to COVID-19. Heather Humphreys TD,  Minister of Social Protection, Community and Rural Development, has launched the TidyTown Awards and encouraged the 987 registered groups across Ireland to enter.

The RIAI is supporting towns and villages with three Special Awards:

The RIAI Town Challenge Award

Prize Fund: €5,000
Open: The award is open to the Village, Small Town, and Large Town categories.

The RIAI is providing the services of a Registered Architect to work with a local Tidy Town Committee to create a visionary urban design solution to a problem in a town. The award consists of an architectural commission.

If a town or village has difficulties, for example with derelict sites, signage, lack of public space, traffic or parking issues, this RIAI Award will provide the opportunity to work with a Registered Architect to develop an urban design solution that can solve a problem and enhance your town or village. Registered Architects are trained to develop and deliver solutions for our built environment.

The commissioned Registered Architect will provide an analysis of the problem as initially identified by the local Tidy Towns Committee, in addition to developing a concept to address it. The commission will result in an illustrated Report, which will be made publicly available and a presentation to the local Tidy Towns Committee. This is an RIAI sponsored Special Award to promote good urban design in Irish towns and villages. The award consists of an architectural commission to the value of €5,000.

In order to apply, the local TidyTowns committee will write a short paragraph which identifies the positive characteristics of the town, as well as its problems (see application form). This should be supported with photographs.

Who Can Apply
This competition is open to the Village, Small Towns and Large Towns categories.

The RIAI Good Windows Award

Prize Fund: €500
Open: This award is open to the Village, Small Towns and Large Towns categories.

The RIAI Good Windows Award is a Special Award to promote appropriate windows in Irish towns and villages. The streets of Irish towns and villages are composed of both historic and modern buildings. Well-kept historic windows and well-designed modern windows are equally valid.

There is a prize of €500 for the town with the most appropriate windows as follows:

  • An example of a well-kept historic window in an urban street.
  • An example of a good modern window or fully glazed opening in an urban street.

In order to apply, the local TidyTowns committee will complete the entry form and submit photographs of two buildings which are located in a street and have appropriate windows. The photographs should clearly show the building and the windows.  The awarding committee may share the award between more than one town as appropriate. For more details please visit the application form.

Who Can Apply
This competition is open to the Village, Small Towns and Large Towns categories.

The RIAI Shopfront Award

Prize Fund: €2,000
Open: This competition is open to the Village, Small Towns and Large Towns categories.

The RIAI Shopfront Award is a Special Award, designed to raise awareness and promote good shopfronts in Irish towns and villages. The RIAI Shopfront Collaboration Award aims to support a Tidy Towns Committee who wish to provide guidelines for the design of shopfronts in an historic context with the help of a Registered Architect.

Well-kept historic shopfronts and well-designed modern shopfronts are equally valid. The award consists of an architectural commission to the value of €2,000 for guidelines to support shopfronts in your locality. The commission will result in an illustrated Report, which will be made publicly available, and a presentation to the local Tidy Towns Committee.

For more details please visit the application form.

Who Can Apply
This competition is open to the Village, Small Towns and Large Towns categories.

 

The Awards will be adjudicated by the RIAI Urban Design Committee.

#tidytowns21 and #RIAIUrbanDesign