Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara founded Grafton Architects in 1978, after they met each other at the School of Architecture at University College Dublin. The practice, named after the street where the duo's first office was located, has been awarded this year’s prestigious 2020 Pritzker Award. Grafton's built work reflects the continued search of architectural excellence, in buildings ranging from small scale housing to large public volumes.
Farrell and McNamara have an extensive architecture portfolio that tackles various aspects of the field. Among other outstanding activities, they were both teachers at University College Dublin, contributing to the upcoming generations in architecture. They have traveled internationally giving lectures and taught in other institutions including the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and Accademia di Architettura di Mendrisio in Switzerland.
In 2012 they received the Venice Biennale Silver Lion Award for their exhibition "Architecture as New Geography", and were appointed co-curators of the 16th edition of La Biennale di Venezia in 2018, under the theme FREESPACE.
Their portfolio features a variety of built projects mainly located in Ireland, alongside works in Italy, France, and Peru, which resulted from winning competition commissions. With a sensitive approach to geography, culture, and context of the building sites, Grafton has realized numerous educational buildings, housing, and cultural and civic institutions. Here is an impressive list of projects the practice has produced in over four decades.
Built Works
2019 Town House Building, Kingston University, Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
2015 University Campus UTEC Lima, Lima, Peru
2012 Medical School, Student Housing, Piazza and Pergola, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
2008 Universita Luigi Bocconi, Milan, Italy
2008 Waterloo Lane Mews, Dublin, Ireland
2007 Solstice Arts Centre, Navan, Ireland
2002 Urban Institute of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
Complete List
2019 Institut Mines Télécom, Paris, Saclay, France
2019 Université Toulouse 1 Capitole, Toulouse, France
2011 Ashford Social Housing, Dublin, Ireland
2009 Offices for the Department of Finance, Dublin, Ireland
2008 Drogheda Fire and Rescue Services Station, Drogheda, Ireland
2008 Philibin Bowman Extension, Dublin, Ireland
2008 Greenfield House Extension, Dublin, Ireland
2006 Extension to School of Mechanical Engineering (Phases II and III), Dublin, Ireland
2006 Loreto Community School, Milford, Ireland
2005 Dalkey, Social Housing, Dublin, Ireland
2003 Ardscoil Mhuire Ballinasloe, Galway, Ireland
2003 North Kildare Educate Together School, Celbridge, Ireland
2003 Coláiste Eoin agus Íosagáin, Dublin, Ireland
2001 Office Infill, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
2001 Civic Offices Public Building and Public Space, Dunshaughlin, Ireland
2001 Hanlon House, Dublin, Ireland
2000 North King Street Housing, Dublin, Ireland
2000 Landscape and Infrastructure Project, Dublin, Ireland
2000 South Earl Street Housing, Dublin, Ireland
1999 Denzille Lane Cinema, Dublin, Ireland
1998 Office Building, Little Strand Street, Dublin, Ireland
1998 Motorway Bridges, Ireland
1998 Gill House, Westport, Ireland
1998 Mara House, Kinvara, Ireland
1998 Dix House, Howth, Ireland
1999 Hall House, Dublin, Ireland
1996 The Department of Mechanical Engineering (Phase I), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
1992-99 Oughterard, Castleblayney and Celbridge Schools, Oughterard, Castleblayney, Celbridge, Ireland
1996 Temple Bar Square, Public Space and Mixed Use Building, Dublin, Ireland
1995 Gray & O’Connell House, Doolin, Ireland
1992 Boland & Kane Mews Houses, Dublin, Ireland
