A Belfast architectural practice founded during one of the most challenging periods in the city’s history is celebrating 50 years of helping shape its transformation.
Established by Barrie Todd as a sole practitioner in 1976, TODD Architects has grown into a team of more than 90 people operating from Belfast, Dublin, London and Manchester. Its work includes some of Northern Ireland’s most recognizable buildings and destinations, from Titanic Belfast, the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland and Queen’s University Belfast’s Student Hub at Riddel Hall to the recently handed-over Loft Lines residential development in Titanic Quarter.
The practice enters its sixth decade with a secured portfolio of projects representing more than £1bn in combined construction value across the UK and Ireland. The figure spans work in healthcare, residential, education, commercial, civic and regeneration sectors and reflects the scale and diversity of TODD’s current workload.
The anniversary is being marked under the theme People, Place, Purpose, recognizing the generations of colleagues, clients, collaborators and communities that have shaped the practice.
Daragh Coleman, Managing Director of TODD Architects, said:
“Reaching 50 years is an extraordinary milestone for any business, but it carries particular meaning for a practice founded in Belfast in 1976. TODD’s story is closely connected to the story of the city itself. We have grown and evolved alongside Belfast, contributing to places that have supported its regeneration, strengthened communities and changed how the city is experienced by people from here and around the world.”
“This anniversary belongs to everyone who has been part of that journey: our colleagues past and present, our clients, collaborators and the people who use the places we design. It gives us a moment to reflect, but our focus is firmly on what comes next.”
TODD’s anniversary follows the completion of a carefully planned ownership transition in 2025. Ownership passed to directors Andrew Murray, Daragh Coleman and Jim Mulholland, who led a partial management buyout in 2019, alongside equity shareholders Maria McKeown and Michael Edwards.
In another fitting milestone, TODD was ranked number 50 in the 2026 Architects’ Journal AJ100 during its 50th year. The practice also secured three honors at the 2026 RSUA Awards, with recognition for Shankill Shared Women’s Centre, the Residences at King’s Hall and Custom House Square.
Daragh Coleman added:
“We are proud to have grown from Belfast into a UK and Ireland practice while retaining the grounded and collaborative approach on which TODD was built. Our ambition is to grow responsibly, invest in the next generation and continue designing places that make a positive and lasting difference.”
Throughout 2026, TODD is revisiting defining projects, sharing material from its archive and celebrating the people and partnerships behind five decades of work.