This presentation goes over who built the Regional Technical Colleges and what influences they drew on to design them.

1. The Building of the Regional
Technical Colleges

2. The people who built them
Those selected to build the colleges included Michael Scott the architect who
brought modern architectural design to Ireland, Arthur Gibney of Stephenson
Gibney and Partners who later become the president of both the Royal Hibernian
Academy and the Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland, Richard Mayne of
Hooper and Mayne and Partners, Jack Harbison, Ove Arup and Partners whose
first job was with Michael Scott in building Busaras, Coleman Healy of Chartered
Accountants and Eoin Kenny of J. A. Kenny and Partners and they were led by
Desmond McGreevy of Desmond McGreevy and Partners. (Healy 1988, p.43)
They formed the Building Design Associates to construct the colleges. The
scheme was the biggest multi site construction project in Ireland, it had a three
year timeline and aimed to save 20% over traditional methods. (Thorn 2018, p.29)

3. Michael Scott one of the architects on the project
(James Joyce Tower
and Museum 2018)

4. According to the Steering Committee on Technical
Education in 1967
“It had already been decided to build eight Regional
Technical Colleges at Cork, Limerick, Waterford,
Galway, Sligo, Dundalk, Athlone and Carlow. We
established liaison with the consortium of
Architects, Engineers and Quantity surveyors which
had already been appointed to design the colleges
at Waterford, Sligo, Dundalk and Galway and to act
as advisers to the architects appointed by local
Vocational Education Committees at the other
centres.” (Steering Committee on Technical
Education 1967, p.5)

5. The problem of demand
The committee stated the problem of demand: “In the course of our deliberations
we were repeatedly faced with problems arising from the spareness of
information on which adequate projections of the likely demand for places in the
Regional Technical Colleges and of demand by industry and other sectors of the
college could be based.” (Steering Committee on Technical Education 1967, p.9)

6. The Steering Committee’s Vision for the Buildings
“We therefore consider that the building design must take two important variables
into account; firstly in regard to size since only a general approximation of the
numbers required can be offered at this stage and secondly in regard to mixes i.e.
the relationship in number between those those pursuing the various courses.”
(Steering Committee on Technical Education 1967, p.10)
For that reason we suggest three cardinal points in the building plan, namely (1) that
the sites chosen for the colleges should be large enough to accomodate a very much
larger complex of buildings than at present envisaged, (2) that the type of building
design should be such that each college can be extended readily and easily without
interfering with its essential unity and coherence, and (3) that the basic services
providied initially should be capable of supporting a building complex of twice the
size suggested in the interim report. Supervisory staff should be appointed at least a
year in advance of the opening date of the college. (Steering Committee on
Technical Education 1967, p.10)

7. Photo of DKIT Building (C 1975)

8. Building Design Associates
In 1966 a consortium of architects (Building Design Associates) was appointed to
build the college. The chair of the consortium was Demond McGreery. Their role
was to acquire land, design buildings and supervise the building.
Donogh O’Malley, Minister for Education (1966-68), ignored normal practice and
handpicked this group to build the new colleges. (Thorn 2018, p.30)

9. Donogh O’Malley, Minister for Education
(Irish Historian 2016)

10. Other influences included
The IT Wishnick Hall in 1946 [?] influenced the facade of the 1967 RTC Buildings
in Ireland. Wishnick’s flat facade has an expressed molecular grid with textured
cream brick and glazed infill panels. (O’Rian et al, 2015,32)
Similarly through fact finding trips the commission took inspiration from the Metal
and Metallurgy building in Birmingham and the LCC in London. (O’ Rian et al,
2015, 34)

11. Sites visited by the Building Design Associates
(One Club for creativity, 2014) (University of Birmingham, 2018)
London College for Communication
Metal and Metallurgy Building Birmingham

12. IIT Wishnick
Hall today.
(Flickr 2008)

13. Cutbacks
When the plans for the building were presented to Government, cutbacks were
made to the design. Precedent brick internal walls were replaced with fair faced
concrete blocks. Linoleum was used instead of parquet floors. The independent
structures would now be cast together abandoning the architectural ethos of unity
and flexibility. (O’Rian et al 2015, p.35)
The design has serious faults regarding energy consumption because of sealing
issues between the construction panels. (O’Rian et al 2015, p.38)

14. Building Chronology
● 1966 A consortium of architects appointed to build the colleges.
● 1967 Report of the Steering Committee on Technical Education includes
specifications for the building.
● 1969 Donogh O'Malley, Minister for Education, announces that building will
commence in spring.
● 1970 Colleges open in Sligo, Athlone, Waterford and Dundalk.
● 1971 State receives world bank loan to build an RTC in Cork.
● 1973 State receives second loan to expand RTCs.

15. Chronology of RTC Establishment
● 1963 Doctor Patrick Hillery, Minister for Education, announces the
establishment of the Regional Technical Colleges (RTCs).
● 1963 County Louth Vocational Education Committee (VEC) proposes the
establishment of an RTC in Dundalk.
● 1966 Steering Committee on Technical Education established.
● 1967 Steering Committee on Technical Education report.
● 1969 Brian Lenihan Minister for Education states that VECs will be
responsible for managing RTCs.
● 1969 Higher Education Authority recommend that a council for national
awards be established to grant awards in the RTCS.
● 1970 Colleges open in Sligo, Carlow, Athlone, Waterford and Dundalk.

16. Bibliography
Arup. (2018). Ireland [online]. Available from: https://www.arup.com/offices/ireland. [accessed 14 August 2018]
Flickr. ( 2008). Wishnick- corner of newly-restored Wishnick Hall [online]. Available
from:https://www.flickr.com/photos/reallyboring/2500855010/in/set-72157605113753335 [accessed 15 August 2018].
James Joyce Tower and Museum. (2018). Michael Scott 1905-1989 [online]. Available from: http://www.joycetower.ie/our-
stories/michael-scott/ [accessed 15 August 2018].
O’Rian, M., McCarthy, K., Harrison, J and Corria, L. G. ( 2015). The forces that shaped the Irish Regional Technical College
buildings. Iterations, 6(2), pp.30-35.
ABC Global. (2014). School Spotlight: London College of Communication... at
Steering Committee on Technical Education. (1967). Report to the Minister for Education on Regional Technical Colleges.
Dublin: Stationery Office.
Healy, J. ( 1988). The wild one. Magill, 11(8), pp. 39-44.
University of Birmingham. (2018). Our History [online]. Availbile from: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/metallurgy-
materials/about/met-mat-history.aspx [accessed 14 August 2018].
University Of The Arts London [online]. Available from: http://adcglobal.org/school-spotlight-london-college-of-
communication/ [accessed 1 August 2018]