Actavo Wins ‘Modular Buildings Project of the Year’ at Irish Building and Design Awards 2026

Actavo Modular, Ireland’s leading modular construction provider, has won the ‘Modular Buildings Project of the Year’ at the Irish Building and Design Awards 2026 for its Hollywoodrath Primary School project

Located in Hollystown, Dublin 15, this is Ireland’s largest enhanced modular school building.

The award acknowledges the scale, innovation, and delivery excellence achieved on this landmark project, which was completed in 2025. Spanning 4,223sqm and constructed in just fifteen months, it sets new standards in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC).

Actavo Modular was contracted by the Department of Education and Youth under the Department’s enhanced modular buildings programme. Hollywoodrath Primary School is a state-of-the-art, two-storey building with twenty-four classrooms, a two-classroom special educational needs unit, external hard and soft play areas, and two ballcourts. Designed with innovative materials, the building achieves optimum energy efficiency, flexible interconnectivity and structural integrity.

Actavo Modular provided a comprehensive turn-key service, including design, fabrication, installation, civil works, and landscaping. The company worked in close collaboration with its client, the Department of Education and Youth, AFEC International, McCrae Consulting Engineers and Renaissance Engineering to ensure the smooth execution of this project.

Nigel Tighe, Managing Director, Actavo Modular said: “We are honoured to receive this award for a project that marks such an important milestone for the modular construction sector in Ireland. Hollywoodrath is a true demonstration of the speed, quality and efficiency that Modern Methods of Construction can deliver at scale. This achievement is down to the dedication of our team, our partners, and our close collaboration with the Department of Education and Youth.”

Fabrication of the 152 modules was completed at Actavo’s manufacturing facility in Kill, Co. Kildare, while civil and enabling works progressed on-site. Off-site fabrication of the buildings while on-site works were underway is one of the significant advantages of modular construction, delivering both time and cost-savings to the client. Each module arrived on site 90% complete. The heaviest module weighed 36 tonnes, believed to be an industry record.

Modular buildings are proving to be an ideal approach to a quick, reliable, and high-quality solution. Issues generally associated with traditional build approaches, such as regular site access, large labour force on-site, noise disruption and lengthy completion timelines, are greatly reduced using a modular approach. Buildings are completed in full compliance with the building regulations and come with a standard 60-year structural warranty.

The Irish Building and Design Awards celebrate excellence, innovation and achievement across Ireland’s construction, architectural and engineering sectors. Recognising outstanding projects and the teams behind them, the awards highlight best‑in‑class design, sustainability, and delivery across the built environment.