Spirit of Place

A feature of the North Mayo Sculpture Trail is the project Spirit of Place. This project has been developing since 1993 with the first project realized in Mayo in 2002. Spirit of Place is a project conceived and developed by the architectural professor Travis Price from Washington DC. The project in County Mayo is part of a larger scale, world-wide programme of modern architectural intervention that works hand in hand with ecology, mythology and the restoring of the spirit of place to modern design. Over the years Travis Price has responded directly to the natural environment and landscape of the North Mayo Coastline at a number of sites.

The projects in Mayo have been built with the help of architectural students from the Catholic University of America, Washington DC and local craftsmen and women. These otherworldly art projects celebrate Irish stories and mythological understandings in a modern idiom.  They have won prestigious awards from the American Institute of Architects and have featured in the Washington Post, New York Times and National Geographic. Founded in 1993, Spirit of Place-Spirit of Design is an international design-build education programme with a cultural exchange curriculum. The design brief is a response to the poetic specificity of the culture, mythology, and the ecology of place. For over 20 years, Spirit of Place has been invited by project patrons in a host country to create a ‘legacy marker’ that revitalizes a unique aspect of historic culture celebrating the spirit of place. Other Spirit of Place projects that can be visited in County Mayo include, The Procession of the Souls, Swinford and the recently completed project The Fishers of Men, Cong, 2017.

Gné amháin de Shlí Dhealbhóireachta Thuaisceart Mhaigh Eo is ea an togra ‘Spirit of Place’. Tá an tionscadal seo á fhorbairt i Maigh Eo de réir a chéile, ó cuireadh an chéad tionscadal i gcrích sa bhliain 2002. Togra ceaptha agus forbartha ag an ollamh le hailtireacht Travis Price as Washington DC is ea Spirit of Place. Tá an togra i gContae Mhaigh Eo mar chuid de chlár ailtireachta nua-aimseartha níos fairsinge atá á reáchtáil ar fud an domhain, agus a oibríonn a lámh a chéile le héiceolaíocht agus miotaseolaíocht chun croí na háite agus an tsuímh a leiriú i ndearadh nua-aimseartha. Thar na blianta, tá saothair éagsúla cruthaithe ag Travis Price agus suite feadh chósta thuaidh Mhaigh Eo aige a fhreagraíonn go díreach don timpeallacht agus don tírdhreach máguaird.

Tógadh na tionscadail i Maigh Eo le cúnamh ó mhic léinn ailtireachta sa Catholic University of America, Washington DC, agus ó cheardaithe áitiúla. Déanann na tionscadail ealaíne neamhshaolta seo ceiliúradh ar scéalta agus miotais na nGael ar bhealach nua-aoiseach.Tá dámhachtainí bronnta orthu ag an American Institute of Architects, agus trácht déanta orthu sa Washington Post, New York Times, agus National Geographic. Curtha ar bun i 1993, is clár oiliúna idirnáisiúnta um dhearadh agus tógáil le curaclam malartaithe cultúrtha é Spirit of Place-Spirit of Design. Is éard atá sa treoir le haghaidh dearadh ná go bhfreagraíonn an saothar do shainiúlacht chultúr, mhiotaseolaíocht agus éiceolaíocht an cheantair. Le breis is scór bliain anuas, tá pátrúin i dtíortha óstacha ag tabhairt cuiridh do ‘Spirit of Place’ teacht agus 'marcóir oidhreachta' a chruthú a dhéanann gné éigin de chultúr stairiúil an cheantair a athbheochan agus croí na háite a cheiliúradh.

Travis Price Spirit of Place website:

Travis Price

A celebrated architect, environmental pioneer, author, educator, and philosopher has developed over the past four decades, a modern architecture that works hand in hand with ecology and mythology restoring the spirit of place to modern design. His vision is grounded in real-life success with large-scale AIA award-winning private and public works, including the world’s largest solar building for the Tennessee Valley Authority. He has planned new towns and designed an array of unique individual residences, commercial properties, and institutional monuments. He coined the term “passive solar” with his early green architectural works in New Mexico. He installed the first wind machine in Manhattan which initiated the Public Utilities Regulation Policy Act allowing co-generation of wind and solar energy with public utilities. Since 1975, he has a litany of Design Awards within the US and abroad.

In concert with The Catholic University of America as adjunct professor, Travis Price founded and directs the non-profit Spirit of Place – Spirit of Design. Travis is featured in numerous films, radio, and TV programs, and international publications. Travis Price’s education, like his work, spans philosophy and architecture. He holds both a B.A. in Western Philosophy from St. John’s College and a combined Masters of Architecture from Georgia Institute of Technology and The University of New Mexico. Travis Price is a registered architect with NCARB practicing and lecturing throughout the United States and abroad. He has been awarded the covetous Fellow of the American Institute of Architecture Title for his unique contributions to the field of Architecture. Travis is a National Geographic Travel Expert to National Geographic Traveler Magazine.

Travis lectures to audiences at the Smithsonian Institution, Apple Headquarters, AIA, and the National Geographic Society amongst others. His lectures inspire architectural societies, universities, and conferences. Travis is well known for his internationally published works in numerous books and journals on design and architecture. Travis appeared on HGTV at his home declared as one of the Greenest Homes of the World and more recently in a documentary, “The Tale of the Tongs”, filmed in County Mayo Ireland.

Ailtire, ceannródaí comhshaoil, scríbhneoir, teagascóir agus fealsamh mór le rá is ea Price, a bhfuil stíl ailtireachta nua-aimseartha forbartha aige le dhá scór bliain anuas a oibríonn as lámh a chéile le héiceolaíocht agus miotaseolaíocht chun croí na háite a chur ar ais i ndearadh na linne seo. Tá an fhís aige fréamhaithe sna hoibreacha móra príobháideacha agus poiblí a chuir sé i gcrích go rathúil agus a bhain duaiseanna ón AIA, lena n-áirítear an foirgneamh gréine is mó ar domhan a rinne sé don Tennessee Valley Authority. Anuas ar bhailte nua a phleanáil tá raidhse tithe, áitreabh gnó, agus dealbh d’institiúidí éagsúla deartha aige, gach ceann acu difriúil óna chéile. B’eisean a cheap an téarma “éighníomhach gréine”, spreagtha ag na saothair ailtireachta glaise a thug sé faoi ag tús a shaol oibre in New Mexico. D’fheistigh seisean an chéad fhearas gaoithe in Manhattan, rud a réitigh an bealach don Public Utilities Regulation Policy Act a cheadaigh comhghiniúint fuinneamh gaoithe agus gréine le fóntais phoiblí. Ó 1975 i leith tá an iliomad Duaiseanna Deartha buaite aige sna Stáit Aontaithe agus thar lear.

Ag oibriú i gcomhar leis an Catholic University of America, áit a bhfuil sé ina ollamh taca, bhunaigh agus stiúrann Travis Price an tionscadal neamhbhrabúsach Spirit of Place - Spirit of Design. Tá Travis le feiceáil agus le clos i raidhse scannán, clár raidió agus teilifíse, agus foilseachán idirnáisiúnta. Fearacht a chuid saothair, chuimsigh oideachas Travis Price idir fhealsúnacht agus ailtireacht. Bhain sé B.A. i bhFealsúnacht an Iarthair amach ó St. John’s College, chomh maith le Comh-mháistreacht Ailtireachta ón Georgia Institute of Technology agus The University of New Mexico. Tá Travis Price cláraithe mar ailtire le NCARB, agus saothraíonn sé agus tugann sé léachtaí ar fud na Stát Aontaithe agus níos faide i gcéin. Bronnadh an teideal ‘Fellow of the American Institute of Architecture’ air de bharr an méid atá déanta aige ar son na hailtireachta. Tá sé ina eagarthóir rannpháirteach ar an National Geographic Traveller Magazine.

Tugann Travis léachtaí sa Smithsonian Institution, i gCeanncheathrú Apple, don AIA, agus don National Geographic Society, agus tuilleadh nach iad. Faigheann cumainn ailtireachta, ollscoileanna, agus comhdhálacha araon ionspioráid óna chuid léachtaí. Tá clú agus cáil ar Travis as an méid atá foilsithe aige go hidirnáisiúnta i leabhair agus irisleabhair deartha agus ailtireachta. Bhí Travis le feiceáil ar chlár teilifíse do HGTV faoina theach féin a gairmeadh ar na tithe is glaise ar domhan, agus ghlac sé páirt i gclár faisnéise níos déanaí dar teideal “The Tale of the Tongs” a taifeadadh i gContae Mhaigh Eo, Éire.