Paul McAlister Architects

Paul McAlister Architects Paul McAlister Architects creates beautiful and sustainable spaces for living and working across Ireland and beyond.

Paul McAlister Architects have been practising for over 20 years; forging a reputation at the forefront of sustainable design. The practices’ primary focus is on the delivery of high quality, responsible architecture for clients who appreciate the benefits of top quality design and sustainable built environments. This has promoted the development
of the team’s specialist skills and knowledge. In

pursuit of these specialist abilities, Paul McAlister, founder of PMC Architects, undertook training in Passivhaus design in 2010; he is now the first Architect in Northern Ireland to become a ‘Certified European Passive House Designer’

The team continues to invest in training and research in order to provide bespoke services to both the private and public sectors clients. Paul McAlister Architects have now completed one of the first passive houses in Northern Ireland.

Architecture is changing. Not so long ago, the brief was simpler : maximise glazing, flood the home with natural light a...
18/08/2026

Architecture is changing.

Not so long ago, the brief was simpler : maximise glazing, flood the home with natural light and create generous open-plan spaces.
In the UK and Ireland, our greatest challenge was keeping homes warm through long winters.

Today, the challenge has shifted.

As our summers become hotter, architects are designing homes that don't just capture heat, they control it.

Roof overhangs, external shading, carefully positioned glazing and a lower g-value glass specification are now just as important as insulation levels and airtightness. Every square metre of glass must now justify both its view and its solar gain.

The comparison here tells the story. One design celebrates uninterrupted glazing; the other uses architectural shading to protect the home from overheating while maintaining daylight and comfort.

Great architecture has always balanced beauty with performance.
Increasingly, performance is shaping beauty.
The changing climate isn't changing good design principles, it's redefining what good design looks like.

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) were developed to assess the energy efficiency of a building. They estimate energ...
08/07/2026

Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) were developed to assess the energy efficiency of a building.

They estimate energy demand, carbon emissions and running costs based on a standardised methodology.

What they do not adequately assess is the risk of overheating.

As architects, we're increasingly designing for a climate very different from the one many of our building assessment methods were developed around.

Larger areas of glazing and rising summer temperatures mean overheating is now a significant design consideration.

A property may achieve an excellent EPC rating while individual rooms, particularly south-facing bedrooms or upper-floor spaces with high solar gains, regularly exceed comfortable internal temperatures during the summer months.

From an occupant's perspective, that is a building performance issue.

If a room requires blinds to remain closed throughout the day, or occupants rely on Air-con cooling simply to make it habitable, can we really describe the building as performing efficiently?

As our climate continues to change, building performance assessments need to evolve alongside it.

Future standards should measure not only energy consumption but also thermal comfort, solar gain and overheating risk at room level.

Energy efficiency is only one measure of a well-performing building.

Occupant comfort should be another.

23/06/2026

Stepping Stone House is truly unique.

Our clients meticulously considered their living space.
What they needed versus what they wanted.
They took being remote into account at all stages.
Their vision was a balance of both.
Generous living space, both indoors and outdoors.
Workshop, Office and guesthouse were all catered for.

The home is both beautiful and functional.
It celebrates all aspects of their current and future lives.

If you are going to design and build it.
Do it once, do it right and enjoy it.

Share your vision with us, we take your vision personally

12/06/2026

The site comes first, always.

Before a line is drawn, before a floor plan is considered, and before the design begins to take shape, the land must be understood.
Its topography, views, orientation and relationship with the surrounding landscape all influence what is possible.

Then comes the client’s vision.
Then the conversations.
Then the design.

At Black Hill House in County Armagh, the site set the direction.
Nestled within a natural basin with sweeping south-facing views across the valley, the landscape dictated the home's position, orientation and form.

The client, a designer, arrived with a strong appreciation for aesthetics and detail.

Our challenge was to balance that vision with the realities and opportunities presented by the site itself. Rather than imposing a house onto the landscape, we allowed the landscape to guide the design.

The best homes don't fight their surroundings.
They compliment them.

Share your vision with us.

At PMC, we take your vision personally.

14/05/2026

Home can mean many different things to many different people.
It's not about gable ends, feature walls and sash windows.

It's more about having a blank canvas that you can make your own.
Its about your furniture, your light fittings, your choices.

Marlacoo House, however, is a blank canvas like few others.

Listening to our clients vision for their home.
Understanding it.
Reflecting their idea of their home back to them.

Marlacoo House.
A good start is half the work.

Share you homes vision with us.
At PMC, we take your vision personally.

05/05/2026

Homes should never impose themselves on their environment.

The natural stone surround at Glassdrummond House makes it almost part of the landscape.

Complemented by the slate roof it creates a classic rural look.
It sets the tone for the area.
The family lives in the space and respects it.
Built to replace an existing dwelling it settles into its surroundings almost naturally.
We listened to and understood our client's vision.

Share your vision with us.

At PMC Architects, we take your vision personally.

28/04/2026

Most people think bigger is better. Is it?

Our most popular homes aren’t shouting for attention.

It is, in fact, a modest bungalow that can create a beautiful living space.

The house invites light to flood the space and pulls the outside in.
The interior opens to a vaulted ceiling and provides a dramatic, airy living space.

Why not share your vision with us?
At PMC Architects, we take your vision personally.

14/04/2026

As architects, we’re often asked what makes a “beautiful” home.
What matters is the intention to create something more than functional: how light enters a room, how spaces connect, and how materials tell a story.

A truly beautiful home feels personal, attainable, and comfortable.
It doesn’t try to impress.

It simply fits.

Share your vision for your future home with us.

At PMC we take your vision personally.

Address

64A Drumnacanvy Road
Portadown
BT635LY

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9am - 5:30pm
Friday 9am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+442838355111

Website

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