Building Stories initiative maps out vacant houses
UCD-based research initiative Building Stories is entering a new phase of public engagement and implementation with the launch of Living Labs. The project, delivered in partnership with Monaghan and Cork City Councils, addresses some of Ireland’s most urgent challenges including the housing crisis, carbon emissions from construction, and the decline of town centres.
The project, which is backed by €690,000 in funding through the National Challenge Fund’s OurTech Challenge, brings together a team of 12 researchers in architecture, planning, computer science, and data governance to create an AI-powered geospatial platform for leaders in housing and planning policy.
Led by Dr Philip Crowe, Dr Gavin McArdle and Dr Rob Brennan, Building Stories is affiliated with the UCD Centre for Irish Towns (CfIT) and Research Ireland’s Adapt centre for digital content research.
Dr Crowe said: “With Building Stories we aim to give local authorities, national agencies, and communities a new lens through which to understand vacancy, with data that can assist in good decision making and more efficient management of the built environment.”
The project is building a secure and robust geospatial model that draws on diverse proxy datasets, satellite imagery, and advanced machine learning to dynamically predict the vacancy status of buildings across Ireland.
Dr Crowe continued: “Ireland has no reliable, up-to-date database on vacancy at the granular scale of individual buildings and sites. Building Stories aims to provide this data and unlock the more efficient reuse of vacant properties towards better housing delivery, reduction of carbon emissions and the sustainable revitalisation of towns.”
In summer 2025, the project is being tested on the ground in Living Labs in Monaghan Town and Cork City, which will combine data modelling with citizen science to verify insights and incorporate local knowledge.
The project began in 2023 but is now scaling its impact, growing the initiative and refining the model in partnership with local authorities and stakeholders across Ireland. Through open collaboration, citizen engagement, and a commitment to data transparency and governance, the project aligns with EU data and AI regulations, and Ireland’s ambition to be a leader in the ethical advancement of a digital society.
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