Santry Community Quarter

Developed in collaboration with Hausman Design, The Santry Community Quarter is a vision for creating a vibrant new civic heart for Santry on a 4.2-hectare publicly owned site on Shanowen Road. Commissioned by the Santry Forum Group, the proposal responds to the area's rapid population growth by delivering the community, cultural, enterprise and public spaces needed to support both existing residents and future generations.

Central to the approach, the masterplan embraces the adaptive reuse of existing buildings, transforming them into a dynamic mix of digital enterprise, arts and cultural facilities, community services, healthcare, childcare and flexible workspaces. New homes are carefully integrated throughout the development, creating a balanced neighbourhood where people can live, work, learn and socialise.

At the heart of the proposal is a new public square, connected by tree-lined streets, parks, cycle routes and pedestrian links that improve accessibility and encourage active travel. New green spaces, biodiversity measures, renewable energy, rainwater management and low-carbon construction techniques demonstrate a commitment to creating a sustainable and resilient urban environment.

Inspired by Santry's industrial heritage and its surrounding neighbourhoods, the design combines the preservation of familiar buildings with contemporary architecture to create a distinctive sense of place.

The result is a welcoming, mixed-use Quarter that strengthens community identity, supports local enterprise and provides a model for sustainable, community-led regeneration. 

The Santry Community Quarter demonstrates how thoughtful planning can deliver lasting social, environmental and economic benefits while creating a thriving destination at the centre of the community. By combining new homes with employment, culture, education, public spaces and sustainable design, the proposal offers a compelling vision for a thriving mixed-use neighbourhood that could become the new heart of Santry and a model for community-led urban regeneration across Ireland.