Talk at the Table followed by Kamayan (Filipino feast)
hosted by Eduard Valenzuela & Brian Ó Curnáin
Speakers include;
Sophie El Nimir I
Sophie is an architect and urban practitioner, currently Urban Design Officer at the London Borough of Havering through Public Practice. She gained distinction for her MA Cities research at Central Saint Martins, where she explored new approaches to citymaking and critically reimagined urban design practices in Dublin.
Luis Pedro I
Luís, originally from Portugal and a graduate of Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa, is a member of both the RIAI and Ordem dos Arquitectos Portugueses. At A2 Architects, he has led public housing and public realm projects in Dun Laoghaire and Sallynoggin, while also teaching architecture at University College Dublin.
Sarah Adekoya I
Sarah Adekoya, a graduate of the Dublin School of Architecture, is committed to addressing the underrepresentation of Black female Irish architects. She advocates for greater inclusivity in the profession, ensuring diverse voices shape the built environment and reflect the communities architecture serves.
Gavin Fahy I
Gavin Fahy is the founder of 1815 F.C, a DIY community Football Club based in Dublin that plays on a different free public pitch around Ireland every week. The club has devised inclusive strategies for matches, helped found new DIY Community Clubs in Belfast, Cork and Galway, lobbied for public space against developers,and renamed public parks as an act of solidarity and protest.
Tambayan addresses Ireland’s decline in youth public spaces through reclaimed-material builds, film, and talks. Creating inclusive places for gathering, belonging, and connection.”
Project credits
Eduard Valenzuela is a Part I architect from Dublin, currently completing his Master’s degree at Central Saint Martins in London. Winner of the Thornton Education Trust Prize, his work explores themes of representation and identity in the public realm, with a particular focus on the transformative potential of youth culture.
Brian Ó Curnáin is an architecture student from Conamara, Galway. He has studied at UCD and TU Delft, worked at the Venice Biennale, and contributed to the As an Gceo exhibition. A recipient of the TET Prize and the John Meagher Bursary, his work explores culture, community, and public space.
‘Tambayan’ builds on last year’s award-winning workshops, addressing the decline of public spaces for young people in Ireland by creating inclusive, communal environments through participatory design. The project engages young people in co-designing and constructing three key elements of a Tambayan - a place to sit, a table, and a roof, entirely from reclaimed or donated materials. This hands-on process fosters collaboration, creativity, and a sense of ownership while teaching participants to see value in materials often discarded.
Alongside the physical build, a short film explores the stories of the Filipino-Irish community, highlighting themes of migration, adaptation, and belonging. The completed structures will temporarily activate underused public spaces, inviting dialogue and imaginative engagement with the urban realm. During the Architecture at the Edge Festival in Galway, the Tambayan will be presented in the Printworks Gallery alongside a series of talks, shared meals, and screenings, advocating for more accessible, youth-focused public spaces in Ireland.
Supported by Grafton Architects
Part of the AATE Design Lab learning programme