Client: Kennedy Fitzgerald Architects & Arcadis

Phase 2 of the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) Learning & Development College, located just south of Cookstown, represents a state-of-the-art national training hub. Developed by Kennedy FitzGerald Architects in collaboration with Arcadis, the project was delivered following a design competition in 2018 and officially opened in May 2025.

The imagery highlights the campus of distinct training zones set across a 27-hectare rural site. The masterplan respects the natural undulating drumlins, hedgerows, and wooded areas while providing compact, operationally efficient facilities. Buildings and outdoor areas are designed to facilitate realistic firefighter training, allowing scenarios and hazards to be safely simulated in a controlled environment.

The project reflects careful integration of functional, high-quality architecture within the rural Northern Ireland context, enhancing both the operational efficiency and visual cohesion of the site. Phase 2 complements the operational Phase 1, which included the Tactical Fire Fighting Facility and Training Support Building designed by Hamilton Architects, operational since October 2019.

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