Orlaith McCrystal 👷‍♀️🏗️🦺

Raths

A rath is a circular enclosed settlement dating mainly from the Early Medieval period (approximately AD 500–1200). Raths are commonly found throughout Ireland and were typically used as farmsteads by farming families.

Most raths were constructed by digging a circular ditch and using the excavated soil to create an earthen bank around the settlement. Some also included wooden palisades for additional protection. Inside the enclosure were timber houses, storage buildings, and areas for keeping livestock.

Today, many raths survive as archaeological monuments and are protected because they provide valuable evidence of early Irish life, farming, and settlement patterns. They are also associated with Irish folklore and are often referred to as “fairy forts,” leading many people to avoid disturbing them.

Japanese Knotweed

Japanese knotweed is an invasive plant species native to East Asia. It was introduced to the UK in the 19th century as an ornamental plant but has since spread widely across the country.

The plant grows rapidly, reaching up to 3 metres in height. It has bamboo-like hollow stems, heart-shaped green leaves, and clusters of small white flowers that bloom in late summer. It spreads mainly through underground rhizomes, which can regenerate from very small fragments.

Japanese knotweed can damage buildings, roads, walls, and drainage systems by exploiting cracks and weak points in structures. It also outcompetes native plants, reducing biodiversity and affecting natural habitats.

Control methods include repeated herbicide treatment, excavation and disposal of contaminated soil, or specialist removal. Effective management is important because the plant is difficult to eradicate once established.

Delighted to share that I have successfully passed the PHPP exam and am now a Qualified Passive House Consultant.

This milestone represents a significant step in my professional development and a deeper commitment to delivering buildings that are comfortable, healthy, and highly energy efficient.

The Passive House standard is recognised worldwide for its rigorous approach to building performance, and I’m looking forward to applying these principles and the PHPP methodology to future projects.

Here’s to designing and delivering better-performing buildings as we work towards a more sustainable built environment.

Historic wall buildup

When you open up an older wall like the one in the photo, it’s a bit like cutting into a time capsule. The materials, the logic behind them, and even the mess tell a story about how buildings used to be put together—and how different that mindset is from today’s construction standards.

What we’re seeing in this wall

This wall is a solid, heavy construction, most likely structural or at least load-sharing. It appears to be a composite of:

• Masonry infill (brick or block) embedded within

• Cementitious render or concrete, applied thickly and unevenly

• Minimal to no cavity, insulation, or service zone

• Chases hacked out after the fact for services (wiring, possibly plumbing)

The roughness isn’t accidental. Older walls were often built for mass and strength first, not precision. Tolerances were generous, finishes were forgiving, and walls were expected to be altered repeatedly over a building’s life. If someone needed to run a cable, they simply cut a channel and patched it back up—exactly what this wall shows.

Thermally and acoustically, this kind of wall relies almost entirely on sheer mass. Thick masonry does a decent job at slowing heat transfer and blocking sound, but it’s inefficient by modern standards and hard to control consistently.

The old philosophy: “solid and permanent”

This wall reflects a construction philosophy that prioritized:

• Structural robustness

• Fire resistance through non-combustible materials

• Longevity over adaptability

There’s no clear separation between structure, finish, and services. Everything lives inside the same material. That’s why renovations in older buildings often feel invasive—every small change means grinding, cutting, and repairing heavy substrates.

Kaillithea Springs, Rhodes

Built in the late 1920s by the Italians, the site features impressive rotunda halls, pebbled mosaics, and Moorish-style gates.

Paris, France.

When did buildings get so boring?

I often ask myself this particularly when I’m travelling - why did design lose so much personality.

In today’s world we want a ‘modern’ design where everything is sustainable and in geometric shapes. But why?

I find myself so disappointed that architects used to design buildings like these - so much detailing and intricate designs.

Cathedrals in particular are often designed with such luxury and elegance. I love to see them when I travel to other countries and I am often just mesmerised that such detailing was created in a time where there was no AutoCAD - everything drawn by hand and not simulated on a screen.

#architecture

I am a passionate Junior Architectural Technologist. I have a keen interest in expanding my experience and gaining more knowledge in the built environment. I enjoy using AutoCAD, Revit, ArchiCAD and other BIM softwares and becoming more familiar with the softwares and principles of drawings and designs.

I am a fully Qualified Lash Technician and Brow Specialist and love to travel and swim. I am also very proactive in terms of my career and trying to develop as much experience and knowledge in the industry.