Hometown Architect 2024 from Irish Architecture Foundation

€10,000 for three projects.

Hometown Architect is a key initiative of the Irish Architecture Foundation’s Reimagine placemaking programme, which works with communities across Ireland to co-create and co-design solutions to problems or opportunities they’ve identified in their locality. The IAF aims to support those involved in reimagining the economic, social, and cultural importance of Irish towns and villages.

Hometown Architect invites joint applications from community stakeholders and local architects with proposals that focus on issues of particular concern, opportunities or innovations for town centre regeneration in line with the Government of Ireland’s Town Centre First Policy.

This programme is open to applications from, but not limited to:

• Voluntary and Community Organisations
• Town Teams
• Non-Profits
• Cultural Organisations
• Social Enterprises
• Local Authorities
• Public Bodies
• Project groups

Applicants should have a demonstrated link to the location of the project.

Applications must be made in partnership with an architect, who should also demonstrate a link to the location of the project.

• The lead applicant must be clearly identified on the application. If the lead applicant is a community stakeholder, they must be registered as a legal entity (e.g. registered charity, CLG, DAC). If the lead applicant is an architect, they must be registered with the RIAI. All lead applicants must accept responsibility for arranging necessary insurance cover for the duration of the project.
• Applicants who have received Reimagine Funding in the past are invited to reapply with a new or next phase project proposal.

1. Capacity/Feasibility:
   We encourage you to be creative, but consider what could stall a project - access, site safety, ownership. Also, has your team worked together before on a project that demonstrates your ability to work collaboratively? Can the team commit required time and resources to achieve project outcomes?
2. Ambition/Impact:
   Carefully considered projects, even at a small or medium scale, can have a large impact. How will your project positively affect the built environment of your town, your community, and your group?
3. Architectural and Design Value: How important is the design of the built environment to this project? We will prioritise working with groups and projects that will benefit most from the unique support that the Irish Architecture Foundation can offer.
4. Town Centre First: How does your project contribute to the regeneration of your town centre? Does it align with the Town Centre First policy goals of “creating town centres that function as viable, vibrant and attractive locations for people to live, work and visit, while also functioning as the service, social, cultural and recreational hub for the local community”?
   Particular opportunities identified in the Town Centre First initiative include:
   2.1 | Climate Change and Adaptation of our Towns
   2.2 | Digital Transformation and New Ways of Working and Living
   2.3 | Demographic Change and Housing Choice in Towns
   2.4 | Experience-Led Retail
   2.5 | Regeneration of Public Space
   2.6 | Sustainable Mobility
   2.7 | Realising the Existing Cultural and Heritage Assets of Places
   2.8 | Gaeltacht and Gaeltacht Service Towns
   2.9 | Empowered, Inclusive and Engaged Communities

For further information check Hometown Architecture Application Guidelines

Email: reimagine@architecturefoundation.ie