paul dillon architects 

This is an extension of 140 square meters to Briarhill National School. The original school on the eastern edge of Galway City, had two classrooms and was built in 1953. It has been extended a number of times since, and is now has 16 classrooms and an Autistic Spectrum Disorder Unit. This current extension provides two offices and three resource rooms. It is placed at the end of an existing yard and activates a neglected space at the back of the school to create a welcoming child-friendly new entrance. 

The building starts with the same traditional language and materials as the original 1953 school. However, it extends the type to include concrete canopies, play shelters, and ball walls. It is a robust architecture set at the edge of an expanding city.

Photos by Ros Kavanagh