About me
Helena McElmeel is a registered architect with over 23 years’ experience in architecture, planning and urban design. She is serving as a Chairperson of the RIAI Sustainability Taskforce and a board member of the Passive House Association of Ireland. Helena was recipient of the Best Sustainability Leadership award at the recent Women in Construction Awards 2024.
Helena’s design work is commended in the RIAI Architecture Awards Urban Design/Masterplanning category in 2023 & Public Space category in 2012. The practice was awarded the Green Practice of the Year Award in 2024, Social Impact Award in 2023 & Sustainability Award in 2017 in the Building and Architect of the Year Awards. She is qualified as a WELL Accredited Professional, trained to assist clients with WELL Communities and WELL Building Certification.
The practice has recently prepared a number of Enhancement Strategies for towns in the West of Ireland, with a focus on key areas & themes identified throughout surveys, site visits and most importantly engagement with the community. These strategies aim to support communities and businesses by creating more attractive and vibrant streets and public spaces, and celebrating the history and culture of places. The practice believes in the importance of strong public engagement for all our urban design & public realm projects. Working together with local town teams and local authority teams, we have a lot of experience in facilitating public consultations, to help establish goals and project briefs, gain a deeper understanding of local opportunities and challenges, and gain buy-in from communities. Our team has extensive experience in the preparation of masterplans, planning, urban design. Helena has prepared various masterplans for private developers and semi-state bodies, and was urban designer and author of a number of Action Area Plans for Galway County Council.