Declan Canning has been announced as the recipient of the Rex S. Reynolds Memorial Award for his work on South West College’s (SWC) Erne Campus development.

The award was presented at the Institute of Clerks of Works and Construction Inspectorate Building on Quality Awards held at the Castleknock Hotel in Dublin in May.

The Chair of the Judging Panel, Meredith Whelan, said: "Declan is a Clerk of Works, who only accepts the very highest quality, which was fully evident when the judges visited his project.

"He was fully involved throughout the duration of the build, due to the great variety of end user requirements.

"He has been a significant asset to the project with his considerable knowledge of all aspects of construction and attention to detail.

"This building is currently the largest PassivHaus and BREEAM outstanding education facility in the UK and Ireland, and the first educational PassivHaus premium building in the world.

"Accurate detailing and clean lines make for a very bright and pleasant building of exceptional quality and in a beautiful contemporary design."

Reflecting on Declan’s award win, Leo Murphy, Interim Chief Executive of SWC, added: "We are delighted with Declan’s success at the Building on Quality Awards.

"Declan’s oversight has been integral to the successful completion of the project and the international recognition and acclaim which the Erne Campus has generated over the past 12 months.

"He is a very deserving recipient of this award, and his work will have an impact on SWC students for generations to come."

Following his award win, Declan said that the sustainable design of the Erne Campus needs to become the norm if the climate and resource crises are to be addressed.

He added that the Erne Campus is a passive building with zero carbon emissions, identifying that in summer time the building should generate enough power to be self-sufficient without requiring gas or external feeds.