Ample Space is a collaborative research and design practice in Cork, engaging in space and place with people.

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Architecture + Placemaking
Design Research
Engagement + Evaluation

“Communication was top-notch and the final outcome was even better than we imagined. A great experience all around.”

— Former Customer

We envisage our role as negotiator and creator; we negotiate our client briefs to improve the user experience of natural and built landscapes and create design & research solutions that can evolve and adapt according to the changing needs of
society. Ailbhe is an architect MRIAI and researcher engaged in cross-disciplinary and participatory design and people centred, creative evaluation, design & knowledge exchange. Darren is a designer and researcher engaged in expanded architectural practice, co-design and activism with interests in memory, queer urbanism and timescapes.

  • We offer a range of solutions designed to meet your needs—whether you're just getting started or scaling something bigger. Everything is tailored to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

  • Getting started is simple. Reach out through our contact form or schedule a call—we’ll walk you through the next steps and answer any questions along the way.

  • We combine a thoughtful, human-centered approach with clear communication and reliable results. It’s not just what we do—it’s how we do it that sets us apart.

  • You can reach us anytime via our contact page or email. We aim to respond quickly—usually within one business day.

  • We offer flexible pricing based on project type and complexity. After an initial conversation, we’ll provide a transparent quote with no hidden costs.

  • Collaborative, honest, and straightforward. We're here to guide the process, bring ideas to the table, and keep things moving.

Frequently Asked Questions

News

Open House Europe Summit 2025 - Panelist

Ailbhe was invited to speak on a panel for the Open House Summit in Dublin. The panel explored the transformative potential of participatory democracy in design and urban planning in Europe’s cities and how community involvement in decision-making creates more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable places. The panel highlighted strategies and shared examples for empowering citizens to shape the environments and uncover how collaboration between citizens, government actors, and planners can transform the way we connect and thrive as communities. Ailbhe was joined by Aliénor Saint-Cast, Head of Studies at Plateau Urbain; Marta Ribera Carbó, European Project Director of The Shift; Akil Scafe-Smith and Seth Scafe-Smith, Co-Directors of Resolve Collective and moderated by Manijeh Verghese, CEO of Open City.

SABE TUDublin - Dereliction & Vacancy Elective

This Elective builds on a prototype ArcGIS Storymap developed by SABE MArch students in Semester 01. The elective involves collaborative design and development of a GIS Map and User Interface that will act as a mapped spatial resource of SABE student projects with site characteristics, locations, and conditions, of Derelict, Vacant and Underused sites surrounding TU Dublin’s Grangegorman Campus. The elective is run in collaboration with TU Dublin’s Decarbonisation and Sustainability Office and community partners.

Research Funding Award - September 2024

Ailbhe has been awarded multi year funding to undertake PhD research at TUDublin - investigating the role of community engaged processes and situated spatial knowledge in the design and renovation of multi-unit housing schemes in Ireland. This research proposes a socially oriented framework of evaluation and engagement that considers the social function and adaptability of existing neighbourhoods at the outset of projects - an adaptation to the technical learning processes evident in Post Occupancy Evaluation carried out at the post completion stage of project delivery. This PhD research is funded by the Irish Research Council (Taighde Éireann) and the RIAI through the Enterprise Partnership Scheme.

‘A Place Belongs Forever To’ Symposium - Panelist

Ailbhe was invited to speak on a panel for A Place Belongs Forever To, presented by the Irish Architecture Foundation as part of their Reimagine placemaking programme. This closing discussion brought together practitioners from diverse disciplines to explore contemporary approaches to placemaking in Ireland. The panel showcased a range of perspectives on inhabiting, thinking about, and shaping the built environment, offering insights into how place is understood and transformed through creative, critical, and interdisciplinary methods. Ailbhe was joined by Dr. Rachel O’Grady of OGU Architects, Sophie Maltzan of Fieldwork & Strategies, 12th Field (David Jameson & Evelyn D’Arcy) of Bog Bothy, and Phoebe Brady of Cineál Research & Design. The discussion provided a rich exchange of ideas on the evolving landscape of placemaking in Ireland.

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