Civic offices in Louth recognised at prestigious industry awards

Louth County Council’s Civic Offices on Fair Street, Drogheda, have received national recognition at two of Ireland’s leading industry awards events: the 2025 Irish Building and Design Awards (IBDA) and the Building and Architect of the Year Awards (BAYA).

Designed and delivered by Building Design Partnership Ltd (BDP) in September 2024, the Drogheda Civic Offices project revitalised two historically significant, but previously vacant, protected structures. These buildings are now sensitively restored and unified through a striking contemporary intervention.

Located within the Architectural Conservation Area of Fair Street, the new civic complex includes Louth County Council’s administrative offices, a restored council chamber, public service counters, meeting spaces, and a large multipurpose exhibition area. The development also incorporates a rejuvenated public plaza, offering an accessible and welcoming green space for the community in the heart of Drogheda town centre.

BDP’s ambitious project received three major accolades, winning Building Refurbishment for a Single Building or Development at the BAYA and also securing the Retrofit/Renovation Project of the Year and Heritage & Conservation Project of the Year awards at the IBDA.

Incidentally, another Louth County Council project, the Obelisk Bridge Rehabilitation, which was delivered by O'Connor Sutton Cronin & Associates, was also nominated in the Heritage & Conservation Project of the Year category.

David Conway, Chief Executive of Louth County Council, commented: “The recognition for the Drogheda Civic Offices from both IBDA and BAYA affirms the value of thoughtful collaboration and sustainable design. We are immensely proud to have collaborated with BDP to see these beautiful buildings brought back to life, and we are proud to see them now serving as a vibrant hub for local government and civic engagement in the heart of Drogheda.”

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Elliott Ballam, Associate at BDP, said: “Winning these prestigious awards is an incredibly proud moment for our multidisciplinary team at BDP. The Drogheda Civic Offices project sensitively restores two protected structures, now linked by a contemporary building and an enhanced public realm. Significant embodied energy and carbon benefits were achieved. This is not just a win for design - it’s a win for Drogheda, as the project revitalises the civic heart of the town.”

Michael Mullen, BDP Principal & Head of Dublin Studio, added: “The Drogheda Civic Offices project showcases our commitment as a practice to sustainability and our ability to design and implement innovative approaches to deliver exemplary adaptive re-use projects. This project is a true reflection of the collaborative effort between our multidisciplinary design team and Louth County Council, whose vision for sustainable, adaptive reuse has been key to its success. We believe this project sets a new benchmark for how heritage buildings can be thoughtfully reimagined for the future, and we are truly honoured to receive this validation for the thought leadership displayed by our client, partners and our incredible design team!”