Cherry Orchard is a mixed-use development on a 25-acre site at Cherry Orchard/ Park West, Co. Dublin.

The proposed development was the chosen winner of a competition held in the summer of 2004 by Dublin City Council for tender submission proposals for the regeneration of the 25-acre site adjacent to the M50 Motorway.

The Durkan/ Bennett client consortium appointed Anthony Reddy Associates and Donnelly Turpin Architects as masterplanners for the proposed development.

On the basis of the Masterplan proposal, a number of architects and consultants were appointed to promote architectural diversity in creating a new heart to the Cherry Orchard community, incorporating a network of public streets and spaces to create a secure, vibrant centre in Cherry Orchard.

Anthony Reddy Associates are the principal masterplan coordinators of this process through the use of an architectural framework plan and brief.

The proposal of a new railway interchange, along with ease of access to the M50 Motorway provided great infrastructure to support a high-density scheme proposal.

There were also great opportunities to support a mixed use development in Cherry Orchard giving a sense of place to a community previously dominated by residential dwellings and shorn of commercial and retail services

Anthony Reddy Associates believe it has created an inspirational home - an urban centre with a soul - through a number of core concepts. The project seeks to apply the highest attainable quality of development as well as celebrating the diversity of seven different architectural practices who share a common interest in delivering design excellence within one coherent Masterplan.

The ARA Masterplan is based on Dublin City Council's Masterplan and has been devised by Anthony Reddy Associates and Donnelly Turpin.

RESIDENTIAL
The development will provide a range of dwelling units that will promote the establishment of a long-term community. The ARA residential philosophy is to provide a variety of homes for the community living in Cherry Orchard / Park West new development in our integrated scheme.

The overall plan comprises apartments around shared courtyards, terraces. “urban villas” with an innovated example of limited staircase and balcony access combined with pedestrian dominant, cycle friendly streets.

RETAIL
The retail and enterprise units face the LUAS stop and line the length of Reuben Street from the LUAS halt to the Community Sports Facility and Park. The proposed square is the confluence of pedestrian routes and overlooked by the entrance to the Sports Facility.

A double height volume within the retail units fronting onto Reuben Street gives flexibility to the future commercial uses of the development and creates a civic scale to the street. The units are designed for small local enterprise and neighbourhood businesses and will be serviced across the pavement out of hours. There is a parking bay available in front for customer's convenience. Four units ware proposed and have the potential to be sub-divided if commercially appropriate.

ARCHITECTURAL DIVERSITY
A strategic move was made by the developers Durkan Bennett to invite a number of leading Architectural Practices in Dublin to colaborate in the design of the proposed development at Cherry Orchard. The combination of the variety of Architects resulted in a variety of architectural styles ading to the vitality of ther masterplan design for the heart of the Cherry Orchard Community. The different range of architectural styles in turn present a diversity of materials, shapes, forms and colours.

The ethos of the design brief creating a new district ; a heart to the Cherry Orchard community required the introduction of landmark buildings of distinction to act as nodal points for the surrounding community. The mix of architectural styles has re-inforced the landmark buildings as structures of distinction within the development.