OPW designing landscapes for the future

The 2021 International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) was celebrated under the theme, 'We’re part of the solution'. The Office of Public Works (OPW) is proud to raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity by showcasing the Backweston Campus in Celbridge, Co.Kildare; a pioneering landscape architecture project that supports healthy ecosystems and a reduction in carbon emissions.

Design and innovation are central to the ability to shape the world around us and improve the landscape for the future. For almost two centuries, the design functions of the Office of Public Works (OPW) have influenced landscape design in Ireland. The OPW’s work includes innovative approaches devised to tackle the complex shifts affecting our planet’s weather and climate systems.

Addressing climate change requires solutions which hinge on humans changing the way we behave. The Backweston Campus in Co.Kildare is an example of how sustainability applied to landscape design can reduce negative environmental impact and improve biodiversity. The landscape has been designed to support the intricate relationships in the ecosystem and address complex logistical and ecological challenges.

Conceived and constructed twenty years ago, the true value of the Backweston Campus lies in innovation and the OPW’s vision for a sustainable landscape. In this video, Ciaran O'Connor, State Architect and Director of Architectural Services explains the long term focus applied to the design of the project. A far-sighted approach has allowed the campus to grow in a structured way that has also enhanced and protected the biodiversity on-site.

Illustrating how a more sustainable future can be achieved when creative minds combine, the Backweston campus includes features that are beneficial to the natural world while offering thoughtfully designed spaces that enhance the wellbeing of the staff who work there. Ecology and human-centred design go hand-in-hand in this unique setting.