Office
Alastair Coey Architects is a specialist conservation practice working exclusively in the historic building environment throughout Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain. Since Alastair Coey set up the practice in 1993 it has acquired an enviable reputation for delivering high-quality projects on time and within budget. We are also proud of our consistent award-winning performance which we feel reflects something of the quality of our work.
Alastair Coey is accredited by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland as a grade one Conservation Architect. All senior members of staff are experienced in general conservation skills and have specialist conservation qualifications.
We believe that all buildings need appropriate uses if they are to be preserved and continue to contribute to the built environment. In general terms we believe that as much original fabric as possible should be retained and that, except in exceptional circumstances, new work should not attempt to copy the original but, rather, should be designed in a complementary and usually contemporary style.
Staff
Alastair Coey
DIRECTOR
Bsc (Hons), Dip Arch, MUBC, IHBC, RIAI
After qualifying from Queen’s University, Belfast, Alastair began his career in the office of McKinstry and Brown, at the time Ireland’s leading conservation architectural practice. He started business as a sole practitioner in 1983. For many years he acted as a consultant to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency Historic Buildings Unit. He established Alastair Coey Architects in 1993 and the Belfast-based firm now employs ten permanent staff. Alastair qualified in 1997 at University College Dublin as Master of Urban and Building Conservation (thesis subject Historic Buildings and Tourism in Ireland: Conflict or Complement?). He is accredited as a Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland Grade One Conservation Architect.
Peter Robinson
DIRECTOR
Bsc Arch, BArch (Hons), Dipl Cons (RSUA), RIAS, RIAI, RIBA SCA, ARB, IHBC
Peter joined Alastair Coey Architects in 2010 and has been project architect for a number of the firm’s projects, including the restoration of two five-span B1 listed bridges at Shane’s Castle, a £2M phased restoration of Sir John Soane’s Grade A listed Royal Belfast Academical Institution, the historic demesne at Boom Hall, Londonderry and St Eunan's College, Letterkenny. Peter has completed the RSUA (Royal Society of Ulster Architects) Conservation Diploma and was admitted to the RIBA Conservation Register at Specialist Conservation Architect level in 2015. He is also a full member of the Institute of Historic Buildings Conservation and until 2019 was an assessor on the RIBA Register of Conservation Architects.
Adrian Curran
SENIOR ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGIST
HNC, DipBldgCons, RICS
Adrian has worked for Alastair Coey Architects as a senior architectural technologist since 1998. Prior to this, he was, for eighteen years, a stone mason/detailer employed by the Historic Monuments Branch of the Environment and Heritage Service. Adrian has qualified in the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors’ Diploma in Conservation Studies from Reading University. His dissertation subject was ‘The current state of craft skills in Northern Ireland’.
Adrian has been involved with Armagh College of Further and Higher Education since 2002 delivering training and assessment for apprenticeship training in the stonemasonry industry sector. He is an approved lecturer and external assessor for National Vocational Qualifications in stonemasonry levels I-III and Heritage Traditional Skills training in conjunction with the South Regional College and the Historic Buildings Unit of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency. Adrian has recently been appointed as Heritage Ambassador/Mentor for the Heritage Lottery Funded Project Sustaining Traditional Building Skills in Northern Ireland organised by CITB-Construction Skills NI. Adrian has extensive experience of technical and production information and site inspection gained over many years of involvement on a range of high-profile, high-value, projects.
Robert Lister
CONSERVATION ARCHITECT
BA(Hons), MArch, PgDip, ARB, RIAI, RIBA SCA
Rob joined Alastair Coey Architects in 2021, having previously worked as a conservation architect across England and Wales for over 10 years where he oversaw the repair and restoration of a wide range of important historic buildings and structures. Since joining Alastair Coey Architects Rob has worked as project architect on a number of key projects, including the restoration of the B+ listed Gilford Castle and repairs to the B+ listed Riddel’s Warehouse in Belfast. Rob has been accredited as a RIBA Specialist Conservation Architect (SCA) since 2016 and currently sits as an assessor on the RIBA Register of Conservation Architects.
In 2016 Rob also completed a postgraduate diploma in the History, Heritage and Fabric of the Parish Church and has been appointed as inspecting architect to several historic churches; and since 2022 has been a member of the RSUA Conservation Committee.
Maeve Gorman
CONSERVATION ARCHITECT
BSc, BArch MRIAI RIBA ARB
Meave joined Alastair Coey Architects in 2022, having previously worked in general private practice in Belfast. She studied architecture at Queens University and became Chartered in 2008. She has worked on the NI Second Survey and the NIAH surveys and is an RIAI Architect Accredited in Conservation at Grade 3, as well as a RIBA Conservation Registrant. Currently she is working towards becoming a Conservation Architect and NEC Contracts Manager.
Erl Johnston
ARCHITECT
MArch MEng CEng RIBA ARB
Erl has worked for Alastair Coey Architects since 2020 and is project architect for a number of the firms projects, including the refurbishment of the RIAI’s headquarters building on Merrion Square North in Dublin, the reinstatement of the fire-damaged Steeple House in Antrim, the re-purposing of the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, Dublin, the regeneration of Ardee Castle and the Carrickfergus Townscape Heritage Initiative. Prior to joining Alastair Coey Architects, he worked on a wide range of conservation-led projects in Great Britain and Northern Ireland including the remodelling of the Convent of St. Mary the Virgin in Wantage, the King’s College Strand campus, London, and a number of projects in Belfast for the Hearth Historic Buildings Trust. Erl holds master’s degrees in Architecture and in Electrical Engineering.
Andrew Bryce
ARCHITECT
BSc (Hons), MArch, PGCert, ARB
Andrew graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with a Master’s in Architecture in 2019 and attained his profession qualifications and registration as an architect in 2023. Since joining, he has worked on a number of projects including the renovation and restoration of Govanhill Baths, Glasgow, St Eunan’s College, Letterkenny, redevelopment of Civic Offices, Drogheda and the Lower Lee Flood Relief Scheme, Cork. Andrew also acted as recorder and project co-ordinator on the 15th phase of the NIAH survey of Dublin.
Caris Coulter
ARCHITECTURAL ASSISTANT
BSc (Hons)
Caris is an architecture student at Queen’s University and joined Alastair Coey Architects in 2022 as a Part I Architectural Assistant. She is currently assisting the practice architects in preparing reports and drawings, and is currently gaining experience assisting on the restoration works at Grade B+ listed Gilford Castle.
Kate Todd
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
BSc (Hons), PG Cert Env Mgmt
Kate has worked for Alastair Coey Architects since 2021. She graduated from The University of York with a BSc in Archaeology in 2006 and is currently working towards a Master’s in Environmental Management. She has a professional background in administration and project management roles within a variety of private organisations, Executive Agencies and Charity organisations. Kate is responsible for the non-technical management of the office, financial management duties and general administration.