From LEGO bricks to Architectural Technologist: Ciarán McCabe’s DkIT success story
“I had a strong interest in drawing and I always loved LEGO growing up and seeing how things went together,”
according to DkIT Architectural Technology student Ciarán McCabe.
A past pupil of Scoil Uí Mhuirí in Dunleer, the 23-year-old had completed a PLC in Furniture Making before beginning his degree at DkIT. The PLC explored areas such as practical woodworking, cabinet making, furniture design, and machine safety. However, it was the architectural drawing module in the PLC, combined with experience working in joinery workshops which sparked Ciarán’s interest in the Architectural Technology course at DkIT.
Coming from Dromin, DkIT’s location in addition to the fact that it is one of the few institutes offering this course were huge attractions for Ciarán.
The ability to work on something and improve upon it over a period of time also really appealed to him. “
When you’re drawing, it’s a process, you start with a draft, you get feedback, it’s constantly evolving.”
His passion for the process is evident,
“You’ll be going to bed thinking about it, it will drive you crazy but then you get to see the outcome and it’s amazing.”
The final year Capstone project was one of Ciaran’s course highlights. It involved students completing a piece of research and a design project, with the project designed to integrate the knowledge and skills students learned throughout their course.“
Our research would influence a change within our design. I love that because you start with a precedent study and then you evolve that, you take a little piece from it and then you work up your own design,” he said, reflecting on the experience.
From sketches to CAD, the module had so many different design elements that meant Ciarán felt constantly engaged. His project, a Student Health & Wellbeing Centre for the DKIT campus earned a nomination in the Architecture & Design category of the Global Undergraduate Awards. Inspired by the Maggie Centres model, the design created a collection of interconnected community spaces where young people can feel safe, supported, and empowered, using natural materials, coloured glazing, and landscaped pathways to foster inclusivity and a strong connection to the surrounding environment.
“I wanted my project to demonstrate how thoughtful, sustainable architecture can shape emotions, encourage social interaction, and strengthen both individual wellbeing and collective resilience,” said Ciarán.
Beyond developing technical skills, the Architectural Technology programme also helped him grow his confidence and communication skills, areas he admits did not come naturally before starting at DkIT. Taking on the roles of Class Representative and Student Ambassador also greatly helped these.
“It’s such a fantastic way to see another side of the college, not just assignments and lectures, but to get more involved and get to meet people from different courses.”
Ciarán also put himself forward for the Elevate Award, clocking up over 45 hours of voluntary work and building up a host of valuable career skills for the workplace. “Going forward, the skills I got from all the different tasks and building up the hours are so transferable,” he said.
Working alongside Building Surveying, Construction Management and Quantity Surveying students is a key element of the course and provides valuable preparation for industry practice.
“In my future career I’m going to be working in teams that have an engineer, a quantity surveyor, a contractor, an architect and by integrating the courses in DkIT, you get used to that mix and how these disciplines work.“
Ciarán’s describes his Third Year Placement in Van Dijk Architects as a turning point for him.
“I got to see real world deadlines and real-world pressure and the team really encouraged me to take initiative.”
During placement, he worked as part of design teams during design/construction stages of Residential, Educational, & Commercial developments, he also gained first-hand knowledge of areas such as fire-stopping & MMC, contributed to successful tender submissions, and designed and produced 3D rendered models on software such as SketchUp, Enscape and Revit. He returned from the placement with a whole new motivation for learning and drive to succeed. After the 5-month placement, he returned to Van Dijk’s for a summer role and then on a part-time basis as he began his final year, giving him fantastic opportunities to apply his course learning on the job.
The Architectural Technology course opens a wide variety of roles to graduates, including, Architectural Technologist, CAD Technician, Fire Risk Assessor and Urban Designer and is also a pathway to the Building Surveying Postgraduate course in DkIT. Ciarán envisages going on to become a fully qualified Architect or completing a Masters degree to become a Building Information Modelling (BIM) Manager.
Looking back on his time at DkIT, Ciarán says the course has challenged him both academically and personally. His advice to anyone considering Architectural Technology is to embrace the process and keep improving.
“Just get your head into it. At times it can be pressure, but you keep chipping away at it. Every assignment is an opportunity to improve on the last one.”
