Founding Partners

Kieran McGonigle PhD BSc Dip.Arch RIBA

Kieran McGonigle studied architecture at Queens University Belfast, achieving First Class Honours and graduating with a Masters degree in 1992. He worked for Belfast practice Twenty Two Over Seven architects from 1992 to 2011, becoming a director of that practice in 2000, and established McGonigle McGrath with Aidan McGrath in 2012.

Kieran has taught in the Masters of Architecture and Degree Programmes at Queens University Belfast Department of Architecture, and has been registered with the RIBA and ARB since 1993. He has judged a number of architectural competitions and award schemes, inclusive of both the Northern Ireland regional RIBA Awards, and the national RIBA House of the Year Awards, and has delivered lectures on the work of the practice in Belfast, London and Barcelona.

In 2021, Kieran was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Queen's University's first PhD by Practice in Architecture, following a four year study period in tandem with RMIT in Barcelona.
His research title: The Alignment of a Manner of Architectural Practice and its Architecture: Rural Houses in the North of Ireland by McGonigle McGrath Architects, is currently being reviewed for publication.

Aidan McGrath BSc Dip.Arch RIBA

Aidan McGrath was educated in Queens University Belfast from 1974-81. In 1990 he was the founder of Twenty Two Over Seven architects, and prior to that he was director and senior architect in Tangent Design Consultants (which practice was short lived, but burnt brightly). Aidan, now retired from practice, founded McGonigle McGrath architects along with Kieran McGonigle in 2012.

Aidan was formerly Executive Director of PLACE (The Northern Ireland Centre for the Built Environment), and he has recently completed a four year stint as External Examiner in Architecture in the University of Ulster.

Aidan's existence beyond practice is now dominated by design review. He is a member of the RSUA Design Review Panel, an advisor to the 'Department for Communities' Ministerial Advisory Group, a member of the Queens University Design Review Group, and has been a judge of a number of international design competitions including the Giants Causeway Visitor Centre and the West Belfast Expo.

Aidan is a photographer, primarily of architectural subjects contemporary and aged.


Collaborators

Nadine Graham, Alice Nickell, Nicholas Thom

Rachel Delargy, Jenny Harper, Ivor Hession, Aine McEnoy, Gerard Tohill, Guido Vericat, Jody Wylie


Vacancies

If you want to be considered for future positions, please email your CV and portfolio in PDF format no larger than 10MB to office@mcgoniglemcgrath.com with Employment Enquiry in the subject line.