Integrated Nature-based Solutions Design & Delivery Programme - Module 1: Plan - Project Fundamentals and Brief Setting

Details 

1-day course

CPD Credit: 7 hours; Competence/s: 1 & 2

Course Delivery Options 

In-company Training: Click here for further information on in-company courses or email incompanycpd@engineersireland.ie for a customised quote

Course Overview

A structured, practice-led training series guiding professionals from brief setting through concept, outline, detailed design and long-term stewardship of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in Irish urban environments. Urban infrastructure must adapt to climate change, rapid technological advancement and rising expectations around health, wellbeing and quality of life. Nature-based solutions (NbS) offer a powerful, place-specific approach to enhancing climate resilience—addressing flood risk, heat stress and environmental degradation while working with natural systems and local geography. Building on a landmark 2024 collaborative workshop involving Ireland’s five leading professional bodies in the NbS arena, this course draws on cross-sector expertise and the resulting national guidance to support planners, engineers, designers and decision-makers in the effective implementation of urban NbS.

Programme Structure and Delivery

This programme will consist of 4 1-Day modules. The programme consists of three core themes structured on Plan - Module One, Do - Module Two and Module Three, and Review - Module Four.  Attendees are recommended to attend Module 1 as a minimum, with a further two modules of the remaining set to suit their interest.

This programme provides a structured introduction to NbS concepts and progressively develops participants’ capability through the full design and delivery lifecycle, increasing in technical complexity at each stage. It equips practitioners with practical tools, strategies and guidance to manage risk, navigate statutory processes and deliver improved outcomes for both the environment and infrastructure projects.

The programme introduces the design and delivery of place-based urban infrastructure founded on nature-based principles. It follows a typical project lifecycle, guiding participants on how to identify, respond to and manage evolving conditions as projects progress.

Key themes include:

• The need for urban infrastructure evolution
• Understanding and analysing the physical environment
• Stakeholder identification and engagement
• Translating briefs into concepts
• Iterative design development and technical integration
• Detailed design tools and methods
• Construction delivery and oversight
• Operations, maintenance and performance
• Case studies, networking and cross-disciplinary collaboration

Module 1 : From Brief to Concept - Designing with Nature
Module 2: From Concept to Outline Design
Module 3: Detailed Design - Tools, Standards & Methodology
Module 4: Post-Construction, Maintenance & Stewardship

Programme Objectives

Depending on modules attended, participants will gain:

• An understanding of the value and benefits of NbS in urban infrastructure.
• Skills to appraise site conditions and develop viable NbS concepts.
• Technical insight into hydrological, geological and geographic drivers.
• Knowledge of statutory processes and consent pathways.
• Awareness of regulatory standards and compliance requirements.
• Practical examples of NbS integration in engineering projects.
• Understanding of post-construction performance, maintenance and risk management.

Module 1 - From Brief to Concept – Designing with Nature

This module including a walk tour of Seven Mills will focus on the delivery of enhance green placemaking focusing on the implementation & integration of SUDS at scale and pace. Seven Mills is a brand-new town in Dublin 22, currently under construction by Cairn. Located along the Grand Canal and set amongst 225 acres of beautiful green space, with dedicated biodiversity areas that support local plants and wildlife. Since the first residents moved in late 2023, the population has increased steadily, with over 3,000 people now living here. Once fully completed, Seven Mills will have a population similar in size to Maynooth with circa 22,000 residents. 

Session One: Project Fundamentals and delivery of NBS at scale

Brief Setting: 1:30 minutes 

Focus: Why NbS, and how to frame the right brief to ensure meaningful delivery at scale.

Participants explore:

• Climate adaptation, wellbeing and the shift toward nature-led urban design
• National and regional policy drivers (CAP, NBAP, WFD, Active Travel)
• How NbS delivers resilience, ecosystem services and placemaking
• Delivery of NBS at scale and pace in mixed tenure residential developments. 
• Lean NBS construction methods and the evolution of design specifications in NBS
• Innovation in the NBS space.
• Key learnings from the delivery of NBS in large-scale residential developments.

Learning Outcome

Share the learnings and opportunities gained from the delivery of NBS at scale. 

Workshop – Walking Tour: 1:30 mins 

Walking tour will showcase the NBS methods delivered across the new communities of Parkleigh & Coopers Square in Seven Mills. 

Session Two: Baseline, Evidence & System Reading

45 minutes 

Focus: Turning observation into design intelligence.

Key themes:

• Establishing interdisciplinary baselines
• Ground truthing and system mapping
• Hydrology, ecology, carbon, mobility and governance
• Translating evidence into design principles
• Designing for adaptability and iteration

Learning Outcome

Participants can read sites as interconnected systems and convert data into clear, defensible design logic.

Workshop – From Baseline to Opportunity

Teams produce a system map identifying:

• Key flows (water, people, ecology)
• Constraints and risks
• Priority opportunities for NbS interventions

Session 3 – Concept to Outline Framework

Focus: Making concepts feasible, credible and deliverable.

Explores how concept ideas evolve into outline design capable of:

• Technical scrutiny
• Stakeholder confidence
• Funding and statutory approval (Part VIII)

Key themes:

• Technical integration (hydrology, soils, planting, utilities)
• Access, safety, usability and maintenance
• Cost, phasing and stewardship
• Governance and Taking-in-Charge readiness

Who Should Attend?

The programme is designed for professionals involved in planning, designing, delivering, and managing urban infrastructure, i.e.  Engineers, Architects, Ecologists, Landscape Architects and Planners. It promotes cross-disciplinary collaboration across the public, private, and third sectors.

Although the course is intended to be cross-disciplinary and interested attendees are welcome to join all four modules, some modules may be more discipline-specific than others. 

Trainers' Profiles

Oisin Griffin, Head of Landscape Architecture & Urban Design (Cairn Homes) With extensive experience as a landscape contractor and consulting landscape architect, in 2023 Oisin took up the position as Head of Landscape Architecture and Urban Design at Cairn Homes, Ireland’s largest home builder.

At Cairn, Oisin leads landscape & urban design and public realm delivery across all developments from concept and design to delivery and handover; including landscape planning, procurement, delivery, innovation and BNG (Biodiversity Net Gain). During Oisin's tenure, Cairn have delivered + 10,000 new homes across + 40 developments, with currently + 6000  homes currently under construction.

Oisin is further positioning Cairn as a leader in the delivery of green infrastructure by advancing landscape design and implementation that integrates BNG and SUDS at scale and pace. Through a range of landscape innovations and strategic partnerships, Cairn can efficiently deliver these solutions across multiple sites and geographic locations concurrently.

Brian Kelly is Principal (Head of Planning) of the Planning & Place Team at Avison Young Ireland. He is an experienced urban planning professional who has worked throughout Ireland for 25 years, specialising in urban regeneration and delivering infrastructure projects. Brian promotes the importance of an integrated multidisciplinary approach to placemaking and project delivery, to secure the best outcomes for clients and for the places created. Brian is an advocate for the Avison Young approach, where the integration of Place and Real Estate expertise leads to innovative planning & design solutions. He is the current Executive Board Chair of the Royal Town Planning Institute (Ireland) and is a member of the Irish Planning Institute. 

stephen o'malley is a founding director & chief executive of civic, and a member of taoiseach’s dublin city taskforce. Recognising that the quality of our built environment is intrinsically linked to the wellbeing of our natural surroundings, Stephen champions striving for excellence and harmonising with nature to develop climatically resilient spaces that enhance lives and provide enriching experiences for our communities. As a Dubliner, he is passionate about urban infrastructure and sets about his work aiming to engineer less, reaching first for nature-based solutions and applying these principles with a high degree of emotional intelligence, with projects including College Green Dame Street Public Realm and contributing to Ireland’s National Transport Authority SuDS Guidance. This creative and inclusive system thinking approach sets Civic apart and has seen Stephen recognised as an industry expert in his field. He is also an ICE Policy Fellow, an Architecture & Design Scotland Panellist, Fellow at the Landscape Institute in the UK, Institute Member of the Academy of Urbanism, a Design Council Associate and NLA Sounding Board member.

Engineers Ireland supports the Sustainable Development Goals. This event contributes to Engineers Ireland's Sustainability Framework.

Please contact the CPD Training Team for further information on scheduled course dates and In-Company options.