Recovering Familiar Frontiers: the north coast of Northern Ireland

This project explores Northern Ireland’s architectural gems, often overshadowed by narratives centered on ‘the Troubles’ or urban hubs like Belfast and Londonderry/Derry. Through an immersive, close-to-home exploration, it captures the beauty and depth of Northern Ireland’s built heritage across urban, rural, and coastal regions. Reimagining “travel” not as distance but as a deepening encounter with the everyday, this project invites a rediscovery of the familiar.

What can travel bring to the study of architecture when we explore with fresh eyes what we think we already know? Embodying the spirit of “be a tourist in your own city,” a phrase popularized by travel writer Rolf Potts, this project introduces a sense of discovery typically reserved for distant places, challenging us to appreciate the beauty and heritage right at home.

Following Potts’ advice, this project turns the act of “travel” inward, transforming home into a landscape rich with architectural wonders, ready to be rediscovered and celebrated. The work offers a visual essay that reconsiders buildings quietly shaping Northern Ireland’s local identity—Victorian town halls, coastal watchtowers, and market squares—capturing these as both architectural and cultural treasures.

Through photography and print-making, the project peels back layers of Northern Ireland’s architecture that often go unnoticed amid dominant socio-political narratives. This collection of images and insights aims to reveal a narrative of Northern Ireland’s architecture that is both rich and reflective, moving beyond conflict to celebrate a landscape alive with stories of resilience and community connection. By capturing Northern Ireland through this lens, the project asks: How can architectural exploration counter prevailing histories, highlighting cultural resilience and the architectural beauty of Northern Ireland?