The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) has announced that the Joint National Housing Conference is currently taking place in Waterford.

This year's conference called Diversifying and Expanding our Housing Delivery, was opened yesterday by RIAI and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH). It brings together high-profile speakers from government, local authorities, industry, and practice to explore solutions for the challenges Ireland faces in housing planning, design and delivery in the decades.

Experts in housing, including architects, urban designers, policymakers, and planners, will speak at the event. Winning designs from the DHLGH and RIAI architectural design competition for Town Centre Living will be presented. These designs focus on public housing in Castleblayney, Kildare, Roscrea, and Sligo.

Minister Darragh O'Brien said: "This conference serves as a timely reminder of the significance of collective gatherings in exchanging knowledge and embracing fresh ideas, enabling us to confront the numerous challenges we face. I was especially pleased to see that the theme this year is Expanding and Diversifying our Residential Delivery. This is particularly appropriate as it coincides with a number of initiatives my Department has undertaken to expand and diversify our housing output. Measures such as the Town Centre First policy, the new Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines and the reshaping of our planning laws mean that we are growing in a manner that establishes sustainable communities in our cities and towns."

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Speaking at the conference RIAI President, Sean Mahon, stated:

"This conference offers a unique opportunity for the built environment professionals in the public and private sectors to come together to discuss and develop innovative ideas for housing delivery. Housing is critical infrastructure required to sustain human well-being. Architects have a leadership role in driving innovation in housing design solutions the conference is an excellent opportunity to hear about new models and solutions that exist for housing delivery, but also to discuss the challenges impeding progress.” He continued: “Our discussions are set against a background of increasing urbanisation, the vast demographic changes in Ireland and the need to mitigate against climate change. The provision of high-quality homes, neighbourhoods and urban settlements are drivers of climate resilience social cohesion, cultural vibrancy, and economic growth. It is through collaboration, sharing experiences and ideas, and forward-looking thinking that we can achieve these objectives and enable the delivery of long-term sustainable housing for our people."

The conference will provide a thorough introduction to the Compact Settlement Guidelines and Design Manual, which aim to foster a new approach to housing development, bridging the gap between unsustainable suburban sprawl and unaffordable apartments. Other sessions in the program will delve into topics such as 'Quality Masterplanning', 'Sustainable Compact Settlements', 'Delivering at Scale', 'Town Centre First Initiatives', and 'Tackling Vacancy'.

As part of the conference tradition, the winner of the biennial RIAI Silver Medal for Housing will be announced. Additionally, attendees can join a study tour of new housing projects and explore the high-quality public realm in Waterford, developed by an architect-led multidisciplinary team in Waterford County Council.