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ATU graduate wins prestigious design award for reimagining Sligo’s Harbour Mills
Sustainable design proposal transforms historic industrial building into environmental research and arts centre
Flora Berki, a graduate of Atlantic Technological University (ATU), has won a prestigious Interior Educators Award for a project that reimagines the former Harbour Mills at Deepwater Quay in Finisklin, Sligo, as a centre for environmental research, artistic collaboration and public engagement.
A graduate of ATU’s BA (Hons) in Interior Architecture and Design, she won the 2026 Material & Environmental Resolution Award for her project, The Ark.
The achievement marks Flora’s second Interior Educators Awards success. In 2024, she was named the progressing student winner in the Climate Emergency & Sustainability category.
The Ark proposes a sustainable new future for the former industrial building, creating a social hub that would connect artists, researchers and the wider public.
Rather than treating the existing building simply as a shell, the project uses its structure, history and industrial character as the starting point for its regeneration. Its adaptive reuse strategy places sustainability, flexibility and resilience at the heart of the design.
Material experimentation was also central to the project. Flora explored locally connected and reclaimed materials, including seaweed, rope, stone and timber. Her designs included feature lighting made with seaweed paper and acoustic tiles combining seaweed and sawdust.
The Material & Environmental Resolution Award recognises how material strategy, construction, environmental response and technical development shape people’s experience of interior spaces. It considers climate-responsive design, future reuse and the integration of sustainable materials and construction methods.
Flora Berki said:
Winning this award feels surreal, particularly given the talent and creativity within the discipline. Sustainability was central to my studies and is strongly emphasised by our tutors at ATU, so receiving recognition for this aspect of my work means a great deal.
“When I first visited Deepwater Quay, I was struck by its untapped potential. Harbour Mills is architecturally fascinating and filled with history, character and stories. The Ark allowed me to explore those layers and imagine how the building could be given a new identity and purpose.
“I am especially grateful to my tutors, peers, colleagues, family and friends, whose support has given me a strong foundation for the next stage of my career.”
Andy Stone, Interior Educator’s Director, congratulated the Sligo graduate on her success:
“Congratulations to Flora on winning entry. ATU’s Interior Architecture is setting a high benchmark after the last two years’ win!”
Claire Lorusso, Programme Chair of Interior Architecture and Design at ATU, said:
“Flora’s success at this year’s Interior Educators Awards is a testament to her hard work, talent and creativity. This is a truly outstanding achievement, particularly as it is Flora’s second win on an international stage. We wish her every success in her future career.”
Maša Ruane Bratuša, Head of the Department of Architecture at ATU, said:
“Sligo provides a particularly rich context for this approach. Shaped by its relationship with landscape, industry, trade, culture and community, its buildings and streets are layered with history. For our Interior Architecture and Design students, that history becomes a source of inspiration and part of designing for the future.”
Trevor McSharry, Head of School of Built Environment at ATU added:
“Interior Architecture is an increasingly important discipline within the built environment. It requires graduates to combine design thinking with technical understanding, material knowledge, building performance and the practical realities of working with existing structures. This award is a wonderful recognition of Flora’s talent, creativity, and dedication. She is an outstanding example of the calibre of graduates Interior Architecture produces and the contribution they can make to the future of the built environment. Many congratulations to Flora on this fantastic achievement.”
The award-winning project has also attracted attention from the wider design sector. Material Source featured The Ark among its 2026 graduate highlights, praising its climate-responsive design, material experimentation and integration of ecological thinking with heritage adaptation. And Flora’s award-winning work is now gaining further international recognition, with her work selected for inclusion in the Arts Thread Global Graduate Awards.
Flora now works with Helena McElmeel Architects as a part-time employee remotely from her hometown, Budapest, Hungary.
ATU student Cara Cronin was also recognised at the 2026 Interior Educators Awards, receiving a commendation in the Progressing Student Spatial Experience and Interior Response category for her project, also rooted in Sligo’s existing built heritage.
ATU offers a four-year BA (Hons) in Interior Architecture and Design. Students can undertake a professional work placement, study abroad through the programme’s Erasmus network, or select modules across Art, Design and Architecture disciplines within ATU.
A three-year BA in Interior Architecture and Design is also available at Level 7. A Level 8 add-on year is available to eligible graduates of the Level 7 programme and those returning to study following professional practice.
Photo caption: ATU’s Interior Architecture and Design graduate Flora Berki, winner of the 2026 Interior Educators Material & Environmental Resolution Award.
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