Green Limerick: Makeover for college campus grounds in the city

A MASTERPLAN has been unveiled for one Limerick college to have more sustainable and landscape-led external spaces on campus.

Mary Immaculate College (MIC) aims to prioritise the “vital contribution” of external spaces within the campus to promote health and wellbeing for students, staff and the wider community.

The masterplan for the college's Limerick campus is set out by multi-award-winning landscape and architecture firm, Levitt Bernstein.

It aims to “highlight and celebrate existing landscape and historic assets whilst creating a clear vision for the campus future, supporting built teaching facilities”.

Michael Keane, vice president of the administration and finance department at MIC said that the plan has been carefully considered since its inception in 2023.

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“While the college has been considering its external campus in an environmentally sustainable manner for a number of years, the motivation for commissioning the landscape masterplan was the feedback from Limerick City and County Council, as the college was progressing through the planning process for our new library and learning resource centre.

“As well as looking at the built environment and our long-term objectives in that sphere, which are detailed in the 2022 to 2042 masterplan, the campus’ ecology and biodiversity has to be respected and nurtured.

“Our shared spaces have to be functional, accessible and also have to be resilient in the face of climate change and incorporate sustainability into every aspect.

“Levitt Bernstein has assisted MIC to come up with an ambitious plan that will help to make the campus more cohesive and maximise its footprint.”

The process identifies a series of phased landscape interventions intended to enhance and complement existing amenities.

Key concept objectives include reinforcing the college identity, improving way-finding, integrating sustainable design approaches and exploring opportunities to further ‘green’ the campus.

The MIC Limerick campus and the surrounding area have both changed immeasurably since the foundation of MIC in 1898.

The latest buildings to be added include the TARA Building in 2011, which includes the 510-seat Lime Tree Theatre and the Tailteann Sports Complex in 2007.

There has been a refurbishment of other buildings including the Mount St Vincent Building, situated between the South Circular Road and O’Connell Avenue.

Named the John Henry Newman Campus, the complex houses MIC’s Research and Graduate School and the CRAFT Maker Space.

Kate Digney, landscape architect and associate director at Levitt Bernstein said: “We have enjoyed working with MIC stakeholders to provide a new landscape vision for the campus, which will help build resilience for future generations of students.

“We were struck by the rich and mature landscape setting of the campus and the obvious fondness of the college community for their outdoor spaces.”

MIC also has an active environmental and sustainability committee and a climate action strategy.