Interview with Dr Marc O Riain

My practice, RUA Architects focuses on Public and Commercial interiors and does a lot of Pro Bono work. This project was carried out for the Department of Architecture, where I now work as a lecturer. It is quickly becoming one of the top College for Interiors in the Country at both undergrad and post grad.

Design is change, but not for the sake of change. We need to improve things when we change not just make them look better. To do this we must design from first principles. Thats how I work.

Work that affects people and improves their lives. I like public work.

Thats hard, I think my favourite changes all the time. Its hard to like your own designs since you only see the flaws. I really like what Thomas Heatherwick and Joseph Walsh Studio are doing right now. I really think that are pushing the boundaries. I hate starchtecture, its too egotistical.

A reception Area, then a toilet. I learned a lot from the toilet!

I work with existing buildings exclusively. I love old industrial heritage, can't get enough of it. We need to start a new dialogue with our existing urban grain before we bulldoze it.

With a pencil in my hand, and a deadline in my face.

The people. The people are the most overlooked part of a design. The design doesn't work without them, even though architects hate to see them in architectural photography; tells a story-that does.

Optimism, its important to start with optimism, action and vigour.

Frustration at the imperfection. Disappointment at the end of the challenge, and an eagerness to find the next challenge. Probably not the best response.

The ability of the designer to deliver on the concept sketch and a design that is actually responsive to the people who use it.

Clarity, attention to detail, complexity of thought, simplicity of delivery.

Don't get me started, 40% of all Co2 comes from building. I think Architects and designers have a big responsibility. We can deliver energy positive buildings though retrofit. We've done it! So lets stop talking sustainability and lets start doing it. I hate the waffle.....get it done.

Its really bad, minimally modifying products for mass consumption, rather than using design to deliver real and meaningful change to the world and its societies. Design is a prostitute to consumerism. But we do have the ability and the imagination to change.

I don't really exhibit my own work. Other people put it in exhibitions (last November 2013 last).

The buildings talk to me. The whisper in my ear.... remember me....I have memories...they are hear in the peeling paint and rusty steels. Give me life again but don't forget me.

In your face, unconventional, uncut and uncensored. Sometimes I do restrained stuff depending on the context, but even in its context it is pushing an envelope somewhere. If not I hate it. Don't get me wrong, Im not crazy, everything is measured and balanced, there has to be some control.

I live in Kinsale. It has a sense of here-here. Cork my nearest City is immersed in a local unique culture. It hasn't been globalised and homogenised. I surf so I stay close to the energy of the earth, that keeps you grounded. I don't make a lot of money so I'm not stuck up either. My country is a creative country and in the future the world will see us a go to place for great design because we are unique, when the rest have become magnolia.

Collaboratively

The more the experience, the less you'll spend, but for god sake check out what they have done before because you'll spend the same amount of money or more on bad design.

Concept iteration Concept iteration Concept iteration Concept iteration
Develop the detail, make it work and then drive it pig headedly through to realisation. Don't get in my way.

i have a beat up old club chair from the 30s, my Bertoia Bird Chair, my Pelligrino bottle, my Macbook and my Danish Rosewood mid century table.

Wake up, walk the dog, drop off the daughter to play school, drive to work teach, critique, design, answer emails, organise design events, think about my PhD, drive home, pick up the daughter from play school, walk the dog, sneaky pint maybe, back home, play, eat, work, maybe a movie then sleep

You don't know everything, so every failure is an opportunity to learn at someone else's expense. Be honest, tell the truth, admit your screw ups, but be ready with the fix if you can. Every job the the award winning job, even if its a toilet! You are only here once, its your choice to be the best, you don't have to be the most talented to be the best at what you do.

Bad pay-your projects are your babies-I'm a perfectionist so I hate when things don't work out. Therefore I fight for my designs which doesn't always make me popular but it does make me respected.
The positives are you get to design and improve peoples lives, that should be enough.

Always reinvent the wheel

Drawing and experience

A Rotring 0.5mm pen, layout paper. The rest is visualisation and communication not design

5% conceptualisation 95% implementation. I work nearly all the time, not healthy.

How much? Frustrating

The Cliffs of Moher Experience and the Cork University Maternity Hospital

Amazon, Deloittes, Ernst & Young, Microsoft, US Embassy, and loads of public sector people in Ireland you wouldn't recognise.

Public Work because you can affect change, and generally nobody else tries to effect change

Get the PhD. And then who knows. I'm open to offers.

You can't deliver the projects we do without a team. I am the belligerent creative and I depend on a lot of people to deliver a project.

Yes and no, unless you have @500k?

http://www.ruaarchitects.ie