A quiet but lasting Irish imprint continues to shape the skylines, campuses, and public spaces of the United States.
Dublin, February 16, 2026 – The Irish influence on America’s built environment runs deep, stretching from the earliest days of the republic to today’s most forward-looking campuses and cultural spaces. From grand civic buildings to neighbourhood housing, Irish architects, engineers, and builders have helped shape how American cities look, feel, and function.
One of the earliest and most powerful symbols of this influence is the White House, designed by James Hoban, an architect from Kilkenny who emigrated to the United States in the late 18th century. His work laid the foundation for a long tradition of Irish design talent crossing the Atlantic. In the West, self-trained Irish engineer William Mulholland transformed Southern California by building the Los Angeles Aqueduct, a project that made the modern city possible.
Irish labour also played a vital role. Many of New York City’s iconic skyscrapers were built brick by brick by immigrant workers, among them thousands from Ireland, whose physical effort underpinned America’s vertical growth.
According to Dr. Sandra Andrea O’Connell of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland, the close historical relationship between Ireland and the United States is mirrored in architecture. Irish architects not only worked in America but also learned from some of its greatest design minds. Andy Devane collaborated with Frank Lloyd Wright, Shane de Blacam worked with Louis I. Kahn, and Robin Walker trained in the Chicago office of Mies van der Rohe. Each later returned to Dublin to establish influential practices, carrying American experience back to Ireland.
Few careers reflect this exchange more clearly than that of Kevin Roche. Born in Mitchelstown, he joined the office of Eero Saarinen and later took over the practice, completing landmark projects such as Dulles International Airport, the St. Louis Gateway Arch, the TWA Flight Center at JFK Airport, and the CBS Headquarters in New York. His firm later delivered the Convention Centre Dublin, bringing his transatlantic legacy full circle. Roche was awarded the Pritzker Prize in 1982, one of the profession’s highest honours.
Today, Irish influence in American architecture is very much alive. Dublin-based practices such as Grafton Architects and Heneghan Peng are delivering major educational and cultural projects in the US. At the same time, Irish and Irish-American architects based in the US continue to shape Ireland’s built environment, reinforcing a two-way creative exchange.
Grafton Architects are known globally for human-centred, place-sensitive design, with a growing focus on climate response. Their first US project, the Anthony Timberlands Center for Design and Materials Innovation at the University of Arkansas, uses timber as both structure and skin, showing how buildings can be naturally cooled and ventilated as temperatures rise. The project has been praised as a model for the future of North American architecture.
Founded in New York, Heneghan Peng Architects completed their first US project at the Storm King Art Center, creating minimal, low-impact buildings that allow art and landscape to take centre stage. The project is LEED Gold certified and has been recognised for its sensitive approach to nature and space.
On the West Coast, Lorcan O’Herlihy has built more than 100 projects across three continents. Born in Dublin, his work in the US reflects an Irish appreciation for public space and social connection. One recent project, Isla Intersections in South Los Angeles, transformed leftover infrastructure into homes for formerly unhoused residents, showing how architecture can restore dignity and create community.
Engineering is another pillar of this transatlantic story. Irish engineers have long helped build American infrastructure, while today Irish firms are expanding rapidly across the US. According to Engineers Ireland, this exchange strengthens expertise on both sides, supporting innovation, large-scale infrastructure delivery, and sustainable growth.
In simple terms, Ireland’s contribution to America’s built landscape is not just a story of the past. It is an ongoing exchange of skills, ideas, and values. From landmark civic buildings to climate-aware design and social housing, Irish architects and engineers continue to help shape the United States in practical, human, and lasting ways.
