Leading a New Generation of Digital Design and Modern Methods of Construction Adoption in Irish Architecture
As traditional architects upskill in advanced design technologies, a new generation of digitally native designers are shaping the future of the construction industry too. Learn from Barry Foote, winner of the Future Leader in Architecture / Architectural Technology prize at the Irish Construction Excellence (ICE) Awards, on what has defined his career to date and how the path ahead is defined by learning new skills.
The Irish Construction Excellence (ICE) Awards provide an opportunity for construction professionals to highlight excellent performance across a range of disciplines and project types. Skillnet MMC Accelerate was proud to sponsor the ‘Future Leader’ category at the 2026 event. The award featured professionals across digital design, engineering, and other areas of the construction industry transforming their work by adopting Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and future-proofing their skills.
There were fantastic nominees from architecture firms, national developers, and state organisations. But it was Barry Foote, Associate Director of Reddy A + U, who emerged as the Future Leader in the Architecture / Architectural Technology category.
Barry’s journey in the world of modern construction design began in 2016 after moving from Glasgow to Dublin after completing a Master’s in Advanced Architectural Design. The Irish building market was picking up after the 2008 Crash, and there were ample opportunities for a young Architect to build on their degree. Digital construction tools such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) software were a first port of call.
“We weren’t really taught about Revit in college, but once I started in Reddy A + U I could see it was a useful technology to learn, and could see its wider adoption coming down the track even in my early months. Over the years BIM has moved from a niche software to a requirement for project efficiency and quality. I can foresee the same thing happening with AI – Reddy A + U is currently researching and adopting ways in which AI can help to automate some of the more administrative parts of the jobs of designers. The firm has always been good at ensuring we stay at the forefront of what’s new.”
Associate Director of Reddy Architecture
David McDowell, Director & Head of Workplace at Reddy A + U, took Barry under his wing in those early months to guide him in working in the live design environment.
David noted that from early on he could see Barry had an eye for design and an aptitude to learn, so worked on applying his fundamental knowledge of architecture in an environment that was increasingly adopting digital construction technology and other Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).
“Change management is key in any upskilling process. You need to be able to bring people’s skillsets along with where the industry is going. Mentorship works well for training people. It gives them a sandbox to practice—and master—new skills and processes internally before they are applied on live projects.”
Director & Head of Workplace at Reddy A + U
After gaining experience across a range of sectors, Barry assumed increasing responsibility for the delivery of major commercial and residential projects. His first project utilising MMC was Termini, a 25,000m² new-build office development in Sandyford, Co. Dublin. The project incorporated a unitised curtain-wall façade system manufactured offsite in a facility in Co. Limerick. The speed of installation and the overall quality demonstrated to Barry the potential of offsite manufacturing to improve consistency, programme certainty, and overall building performance.
Barry added that, halfway through this project, the senior architect he was partnering with at Reddy A+U left the firm.
“It was my first time coordinating with contractors and owning relationships with project stakeholders. But Reddy A + U gave me the opportunity to lead on this and to build out my project management and communication skills. This was the project that really took my career to another level, and convinced the directors I was ready to take on to take on greater leadership challenges, including the development of 200 apartments for Cairn Homes, and the development of Glencar House, a highly bespoke office development in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.”
Associate Director of Reddy A + U
These new professional responsibilities also convinced Barry to investigate MMC more widely. Saying that “early adoption of MMC in a project is key”, Barry has read widely around the subject and maintained his training in Revit and other BIM technologies he identified as critical early on in his career. He also said that he would love to undertake more professional development on MMC adoption, such as CPAC Modular’s new programme, to further his understanding of modern construction techniques. Barry was a part of the group that helped launch this CPAC Modular training after it received CPD Certification from the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland.
“From day one, you need to hone your skills in digital design tools and know what the new technology coming downstream is. Honesty about your abilities, and where you need to upskill, is also key to your development. You need to go beyond the depth of your expertise to know you can do more and improve every aspect of your professional self.”
Associate Director of Reddy A + U
David echoed this commitment to upskilling in modern construction methods, saying Reddy A + U Architecture now has designing for the MMC typologies embedded in its culture. He added that the firm can work with any client’s designs and scale these within the framework of the MMC categories to achieve efficiency once works commence.
“The role of the Architect has changed a lot – to fit into the modern industry, you nearly need a first degree in Architecture, and a fundamental understanding of information technology such a BIM modelling and digital design, and potentially coding. Technology is compressing design timelines and making it easier to standardise repeatable elements of the work. Technology, particularly AI, can also help compress the timelines of mastering these digital construction tools.”
Director & Head of Workplace at Reddy A + U
There is a key project that Barry is working on currently where this company-wide approach to openness to MMC is evident. The project, located in Dublin City, started its design life as a hotel, before being redesigned through a variety of typologies before ultimately reaching its latest form as accommodation for students. The challenge? Building on top of an existing structure beside the Luas. Construction viability when constructing a building on top of another is difficult, so the current design of student accommodation works because the rooms can be manufactured in modules offsite. The façade can also be designed and manufactured under MMC principles.
The most viable solution was for components to be manufactured offsite and then transported to site, unloaded quickly, and hoisted into position on top of the existing building for assembley and installation. The strategy is intended to reduce onsite activity, simplify installation, and limit disruption beside the Luas while it’s in operation.
“Through lessons learned each time I’ve redesigned the scheme I have decided to focus heavily on MMC from the outset to try break that building viability wall.”
Associate Director of Reddy A + U
During his decade-long tenure with Reddy A + U, Barry has contributed to 30+ projects, leading the majority of these since 2019. At the time of writing Barry is actively leading a number of large-scale live projects from concept through to construction, showing how far he has come since joining the firm. The wider recognition of the Irish construction sector as a Future Leader in Architecture / Architectural Technology is testament to this transformation of his design skillsets.
“I am delighted to be nominated for the Future Leader Award, let alone win it. It’s amazing to be recognised for my work in Reddy A + U Architecture over the years. The next steps are about going beyond being a ‘Future Leader’ – I want to be a leader in adopting modern construction methods into architectural practice.”
Associate Director of Reddy A + U
