Best Residential Development Biodiversity - Award Winner 2022 from the Irish Landscape Institute
Oct 28, 2022
The Best Residential Project Award (Biodiversity) has been awarded to CSR for the Mariavilla development in Maynooth by Cairn Homes plc. Mariavilla consists of over 350 homes now built across a number of new neighbourhoods to the north of Maynooth. Ongoing development will see further new homes in the maturing and attractive landscape.
Maynooth is a well established university town characterised by its historic buildings, demesnes and rolling parkland landscapes. The site is located a short distance from the town centre on the Lyreen River which forms a central corridor of green infrastructure through the site. The wooded river valley is connected along with retained historic hedgerows and field boundaries which structure the site into a series of neighbourhoods with small local parks associated with the retained hedgerows forming a necklace of linked green routes through the site.
A new road, Lyreen Ave, has been built along the river valley forming a green movement corridor through the centre of the site - a wide tree lined avenue with dedicated cycle lanes and generous footpaths, eventually crosses the river valley over a new bridge, to the south. All residents live a short walk from an attractive green space with amenities and nature provided in abundance.
The scheme is characterised by natural, simple, cost effective and robust materials, used well. Retained trees create maturity and those felled on site, sculpted to create incidental features in social spaces and play areas. Planting was selected for ecological value, naturalistic character and biodiversity value.
The integration of sustainable drainage (using existing ditches, new basins, swales, porous driveways), the preservation of existing natural features (river corridor, streams, trees, and hedgerows), and the provision of new ecological features (bat and bird boxes, meadows, and hedgerows) ensures the parkland landscape that provides so much value to the wider setting of Maynooth is carried throughout the new neighbourhoods for people and wildlife to share.
In places information boards throughout the site, explain the rationale for the design and management of these areas and allow people time to absorb and adjust to a new way of perceiving and experiencing public spaces,.
The award recognises that with careful master planning for scheme layout, responsive landscape design and a proactive client and implementation team, biodiversity, sustainability and quality living places can be delivered in our new urban environments.
"We have been using the services of CSR extensively for the last five years on numerous residential developments and have always been hugely impressed with the team's professionalism and resourcefulness. They have always provided us with excellent quality advice and output. Senior team members are always easily accessible, which is very important to us. The team have the experience and expertise necessary to provide effective guidance to us in all situations." - Compass Homes Ltd
Michael HerlihyS
“In Glenveagh’s experience the quality of CSR’s work has been excellent. This is particularly true for their attention to detail which has been paramount on a number of projects on which we have partnered together including large-scale public tenders."
