BDP, a multidisciplinary design consultancy, is delivering key projects within Ireland's €200 million Higher Education PPP Programme, managed by the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA).

The programme is enhancing teaching facilities and increasing capacity across third-level institutions. As architect and technical advisor, BDP led the design and delivery of two projects within Bundle 1: the Áras Gael Academic Teaching Building at Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) Blanchardstown campus and the Digital Media Building at the Institute of Art, Design + Technology (IADT) in Dún Laoghaire. Both facilities were completed in January 2025.

Michael Mullen, head of the Dublin Studio at BDP said: "Our work within the Higher Education PPP Programme is helping to shape environments that will enrich student life and education across Ireland for generations to come. The projects are about creating inclusive, sustainable and adaptable spaces that anticipate the evolving needs of students, staff and communities. It is only with a multidisciplinary mindset that we can bring creativity, technical excellence and a deep understanding of what Ireland's education institutions need to deliver inspiring learning experiences for the students of the future."

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The Áras Gael building at TU Dublin is a c.4,000 sq m facility aligned with the university's masterplan to accommodate growing student numbers. It includes lecture theatres, flexible classrooms, computer labs, social and informal learning spaces, and administrative areas. A triple-height atrium forms the central hub of the building. The north-facing teaching block is designed to maximise daylight and minimise glare, while the glazed façade provides visibility of academic activity. South-facing spaces offer views over the surrounding landscape. The design incorporates adaptable, digitally enabled spaces to support evolving teaching methods.

At IADT, the four-storey c.7,300 sq m Digital Media Building provides accommodation for up to 590 students in design, animation, visual effects, enterprise and technology. Facilities include specialist digital design studios, computer labs, flexible teaching spaces, seminar rooms, and a 600-seat campus restaurant. A central feature stair links teaching and social spaces. The building is designed for adaptability and digital integration, with a focus on sustainability, decarbonisation and accessibility.

Elliott Ballam, Architect Associate at BDP: "This Digital Media Building is a vibrant hub designed with creativity, adaptability, connection and possibility in mind. It gives students at IADT the space and tools they need to bring ideas to life, from design studios to digital labs and social spaces where people can meet, share and learn together."

BDP's Building Services Engineering team is also working on Bundle 2 of the PPP Programme, which includes new facilities at Southeast Technological University (SETU) Waterford and Carlow campuses, Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) Limerick campus, and the Galway and Letterkenny campuses of Atlantic Technological University (ATU). Construction has commenced, with a sod-turning ceremony recently held at SETU Waterford.