To say that Peadar Cassidy can “pull a building together” sounds simple. In practice, it means understanding how drawings, specifications, consultants, materials, and construction details must work together to create one complete building. It requires technical knowledge, patience, coordination, and years of experience. These are qualities Peadar has developed throughout a career spanning several decades, cities, and respected architectural firms.

“I like bringing everything together,” says Peadar. “You have to understand how the whole building works.”

Peadar grew up in Cootehill, County Cavan, Ireland, as one of eight children. His father was a green grocer, and many of his siblings became teachers and nurses. In school, Peadar was drawn to technical subjects. “I was never very interested in languages. I was more interested in how things were put together and how they worked.”

That interest led him toward an unconventional path into architecture. In 1974, he graduated from Dublin Institute of Technology as an architectural technician, beginning his career with a strong foundation in drawings, detailing, and the practical side of building.

[On the left: Peadar hiking in the Irish countryside. On the right: Peadar joins the owners at the completed Cohen Eastern Greenwich Civic Center.]

Peadar’s career spans a wide range of respected offices and cities. In 1987, he spent a year working in Manhattan, gaining experience in one of the world’s most demanding architectural environments. In 1988 he returned to London where he completed his Architectural Studies at Greenwich University and was elected to the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Architects Registration Board in 1996. He returned to NY in 1997 working there for a number of years with high profile Architects including Swanke Hayden Connell, Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Philip Johnson Alan Ritchie, Gwathmey Siegel and Assocs. In 2006 he moved to Hamden, CT to work with Kevin Roche on the Convention Center in Dublin, Ireland.

At TSKP STUDIO, Peadar works behind the scenes as a Senior Project Architect. His experience is especially valuable during the latter stages of a project, from Design Development through to Construction Administration. Peadar excels at working through the complexity of consultants, specifications, construction details, and on site with contractors.

“I enjoy pulling the building together,” says Peadar. “There are so many pieces of the jigsaw. You have to make sure everything fits and works together.”

[On the left: Peadar on-site during the construction of the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center. On the right: Ribbon cutting for the re-opened Hartford Public Library Main Branch]

For Peadar the most satisfying moment of a project happens when the drawings finally become a place that people can experience. “It is delivering a building that the client walks through the doors of, opens their eyes, and says, ‘Wow.’”

Peadar’s architectural inspirations include Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Kahn. He particularly admires the horizontality of Wright’s work and has visited many of his buildings. He would also like to see Kahn’s Salk Institute in California.

Outside of the office, Peadar enjoys road cycling, kayaking, and travel. He also enjoys traditional Irish music and would someday like to design a bar with ideal acoustics for musicians.

“In many bars, the crowd becomes so loud that the musicians cannot hear themselves play,” he explains. His ideal space would allow music and conversation to coexist, creating an environment that works equally well for performers and guests.

Peadar has also brought his architectural knowledge into his own home. He completely gutted and renovated his house, taking on the type of hands-on project that requires patience, creativity, and a willingness to solve problems as they arise. During the renovation, he even worked with Fidel Castro’s former carpenter, an unexpected connection and one of the many stories Peadar has collected through a life spent around architecture and construction. His next home project is the exterior façade, another chance to keep refining the place he has shaped for himself.

After decades in the profession, Peadar still approaches architecture with the curiosity that first drew him to technical subjects in school. He remains interested in how buildings come together and how every decision supports the finished result.

For Peadar, good architecture goes beyond the initial idea. It means carrying that vision through construction until the doors open and the building becomes a place people can experience.

CASE STUDIES: Cohen Eastern Greenwich Civic Center

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