Video: RIAI Women in Architecture 2019 - Sheila O’Donnell in Conversation with Carole Pollard

Architect Sheila O’Donnell  was the guest of honour at the 2019 RIAI Women in Architecture networking evening. A Fellow of the RIAI and co-founder of award-winning practice O’Donnell + Tuomey, Sheila has received many honours during her career, and this year was awarded ‘Architect of the Year’ at the Women in Architecture Awards 2019 by The Architects’ Journal and The Architectural Review. She was also elected as the first Irish Architect to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

In conversation with Carole Pollard, Sheila discusses her distinguished career, from her student days in UCD and at the RCA London to returning to an economically-depressed Dublin in 1981 “where there was absolutely no work” to set up practice.  Sheila discussed a fascinating story of how a group of young architects – several of which later became Group 91 – turned their focus on the city and started to change the face of Irish architecture.  She also gave an insight how she balanced family life and career through mutual support from her life and business partner John Tuomey.