Architectural design expert wins Airbnb prize
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Published
17 October 2022
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Pol Gallagher scoops the $100,000 OMG! Fund from Airbnb to design a pod in his home county of Donegal, Ireland
Pol Gallagher, lecturer in interior design and architecture at the University of East London (UEL), has won an international competition with Airbnb worth around $100,000 to design a housing pod in Donegal, Ireland.
The $100,000 OMG! Fund was organised by Airbnb, an online market space connecting people with short-term homestays and experiences. It invited tens of thousands of entries from architects and designers who presented their plans for creating dynamic and creative homes in their chosen locations.
Pol’s winning entry was entitled ‘caislean oir’ [cash-lan-ore] which in Gaelic means ‘the gold castle’ – a reference to a local Irish folklore story from the vicinity.
Pol Gallagher's concept design of ‘caislean oir’
Donegal in the northwest of Ireland is culturally and geographically beautiful, making it the perfect place to get away from it all.
These drawings and designs encompass Pol’s first idea to design a breath-taking retreat in Donegal, that would have all the drama of a treehouse, while also being accessible to guests in wheelchairs. This all-inclusive design aims to keep the architectural drama and magic of staying in a treehouse without ever feeling clinical or the structure's appearance looking anything like ‘disabled apparatus’.
"This design is important because often people with physical disabilities are ostracised or made to experience ‘quirky experiences’ with the aid of very clinical and institutional looking support apparatus," said Pol.
"I feel this ‘apparatus-washing’ of inconsiderate design detracts from the experiences on an emotional and immersive level. Good design should make inclusivity invisible for all - so that is the objective here," he continued.
Pol Gallagher, lecturer in interior design and architecture.
The steel origami folded structure spectacularly opens like a flower to allow the bedroom pod to rise inside – offering stunning views of the ocean and Irish landscape beyond. The special bonus feature to this architectural gem is the luxury jacuzzi hot tub adjacent – which exaggerates the feeling of rural isolation and peacefulness. This moment of calm is about retreat, mindfulness, and appreciation of the landscape.
Pol will now begin work on designing his pod with his own Architectural Design Business ZAP Architecture, based in Stratford East London.
Concept design of the jacuzzi in 'caislean oir’
"It feels incredible to win this as we often put so much effort into design competitions and you sometimes never feature given the amount of quality entries," said Pol.
"This is a culmination of many design ideas taken from previously failed competitions which I prove to me that nothing is wasted; previous ideas get kept in a mental locker for their next outing.
"The next step is to organise a team to build this. There are many moving robotic parts, so we need to engage with specialists in this discipline.
"This quirky Airbnb pod will bring visitors to my often remote and rural village in Ireland, where the landscape is beautiful and the opportunity to get away from the hustle bustle of the city is available for recharging our stress and anxiety levels.
"This project is about a reconnection with nature from an ambitious architectural intervention," he concluded.
For more information see architecture and physical design at UEL or the list of The OMG Fund winners.
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