RIAI/DHLGH Joint Housing Conference 2026: Leading experts explore ways to unlock existing resources to boost housing supply
Architects and State housing experts to collaborate on policies to deliver better, faster and more sustainable housing
Opportunities to maximise available resources to deliver better, faster and more sustainable housing will be explored by leading architects and State housing experts at the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) and Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) Joint Housing Conference in Sligo on 23-24 February.
‘Activation through Collaboration’ is the theme for the 2026 conference, with a focus on how planning and procurement reform, combined with smart design and modern methods of construction (MMCs) can speed up housing delivery and create sustainable communities.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD said:
Activation through Collaboration, is a particularly fitting theme for the conference this year. Collaboration is key to the success of delivering on our ambitious housing targets set out in the Government’s new Housing Plan, Delivering Homes, Building Communities.
Tackling the housing crisis demands new ways of working, while a focus on delivering more homes is essential, it is equally important that we build them right. This scale of delivery requires partnership. The State will lead with investment and direction, but success depends on collaboration with stakeholders and professional bodies such as the RIAI.
This conference is more than just an opportunity to connect with peers and explore housing delivery in Ireland. It is a forum to discuss the innovation and collaboration we need to deliver the right homes. It is essential we build sustainable homes for now and for future generations in our towns, villages and communities that provide a quality of living and that will continue to meet our needs for years to come.
RIAI President, Fionnuala May FRIAI said:
Architects have a vital role to play in meeting national housing targets and delivering quality buildings that last and sustainable communities. The conference provides an important platform for architects to collaborate with government housing experts on how to meet our housing needs and remove barriers to delivery. Together we must cut red tape and reform our procurement and planning systems to create ones that are collaborative and enabling.
Architects bring the design and problem-solving expertise needed to deliver housing that is efficient, sustainable, and built to last. They can work with the Government to identify opportunities to regenerate brown waste sites and introduce adaptation policies that quickly boost housing supply and revitalise communities.
The conference will hear from leading architects and housing experts in Ireland and the UK on best practices for housing delivery, adaptive reuse and long-term planning. They will be joined by experts from the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation; the National Treasury Management Agency; the Land Development Agency; and the National Disability Authority, amongst others.
The biennial conference, which has taken place since 1969, is considered an essential forum for information exchange among all those involved in housing delivery in Ireland. Consistent with focus on best practice, the RIAI will announce the winner of the esteemed RIAI Silver Medal for Housing – the highest award in Ireland for a housing project during the conference.
RIAI/DHLGH Joint Housing Conference 2026
The Royal Institute of Architecture (RIAI) and Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLG) Joint Housing Conference 2026 takes place at The Model gallery in Sligo on 23 and 24 February 2026. It is one of Ireland’s longest-running conferences, held every two years since 1969.
Entitled ‘Activation through Collaboration’, the 2026 Housing Conference will examine housing delivery from multiple angles, including procurement, housing affordability, innovative construction methods such as MMC, and the challenges and opportunities of adaptive re-use. Housing typologies will be examined at a wide range of scales, and in the context of our cities and town centres. Best-practice case studies from Ireland and the UK will complement the conference sessions. Irish keynote speakers will be joined by international thought leaders on housing. The RIAI Silver Medal for Housing will be presented on the evening of 23rd February.
View the conference programme and speaker list here.
For all media queries, including interviews with speakers, please contact:
Kevin McGrath (Email: kevin.mcgrath@redflag.global PH: +353 85 830 6610)
Sibéal Farrell (Email sibeal.farrell@redflag.global PH: +353 86 0623 973)