- Marc O'Riain
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Marc O'Riain (born 1970 in Waterford, Ireland) is an Irish interior designer.
Contents
Biography
Early life and education
As a youth he won 2 Gaelic Football County medals in Kildare, he also was a successful cross country runner and in his later teens went onto play Rugby as a wing back.
O'Riain studied in University of Limerick and the National College of Art and Design where he came to prominence as a very successful street artist and student union president.
Career
Graduating from NCAD with top honours in 1995, he worked initially with De Braam Mineral Water designing bespoke bottles in Dublin. From there he moved to Galway in 1996 to take up a position creating 3D Visualisation and animation for TV , commercial applications and advertising in what the infancy of computer animation in Ireland. In Galway he found an opportunity to work with an architectural firm, ABD, who gave him the opportunity to apply his design skills and learn key skills through application. Key clients were all blue chip commercial organisations. He soon found himself project managing teams on large and small commercial interiors projects and won his first of many awards with an Excellence in Application Award from Nortel in 1999.
In late 2000 he travelled to Dublin to join W2W as a turnkey office fit out designer and design team manager. In two years he became familiar with all furniture and partitioning systems. However this experience was limited in the scope of application and he soon chose to move on.
In early 2003 he joined O’Riordan Staehli Architects in Cork to set up a commercial interior design practice within the architectural practice. From a standing start to today with a team of 8, the practice has become the most successful design team in the country with national and world awards complemented by a healthy turnover and profitability.
In 2006 he founded the first Cork Design Week and went on to become the Chairman.
As part of the RORSA team, he has been recognized with the IDI Grande Prix in 2007 which is the country’s top Design award for the exceptional work on the Cork University Maternity Hospital.
The combined approach to the interior architecture of the Cliffs of Moher earned O'Riain and the Practice the World Commercial Interior Design award from the IFI.
Marc Joined Henry J Lyons Architects as Associate Director in 2008.
In 2009 Marc started lecturing in Cork Institute of Technology joining the Architecture Department. He spear headed the honors degree and is developing a Masters course in Interior Architecture. He successfully attracted funding for the expansion of the course studios and enhancement of equipment and facilities.
In 2009 he set up RUA Architects with his wife Deborah Ni Riain and went on to win IDI Sustainability and Accessibility awards for their first project.
In 2010 he started his doctoral research into the sustainable refurbishment of Institute of Technology Buildings, built in Ireland in the 1970s. He is currently carrying out research with the Cork Center for Architectural Education and UCC.
References
Sources: http://www.idi-design.ie/ http://www.designweekcork.com/
External links
Categories:- 1970 births
- British interior designers
- Living people
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