MDO Architects wins Fit Out Project of the Year – Industrial at the Fit Out Awards 2025

Recognised for a technically demanding transformation delivered under exceptional constraints, MDO Architects claimed the Fit Out Project of the Year – Industrial at the Fit Out Awards 2025, honoured for converting the RCSI PBS Labs into a cutting-edge, future-focused teaching environment that sets a new benchmark for academic fit-out in Ireland.

The project's defining challenge was its execution window. Confined to a summer-only programme on a live campus, the MDO Architects team navigated complex service coordination, advanced AV integration, and sustainability-driven design requirements simultaneously .

The result is a space that balances highly technical functional demands with a visually striking aesthetic designed to appeal to prospective science students from around the world.

Judges were clear on what elevated the submission. “Despite live-campus constraints, the team executed advanced AV integration, complex service coordination, and sustainability-driven solutions with precision and control. The result is a seamless, high-performance learning space that empowers next-generation science and sets a new benchmark for academic innovation," the panel stated.

The win reflects the criteria the Fit Out Awards apply to industrial projects — rewarding not just technical proficiency but the ability to deliver precision and innovation under real-world operational pressure, and to produce environments that serve their users at the highest level from day one.

As the 2026 awards cycle progresses, the question for Ireland's industrial and academic fit-out community is clear: who will deliver the next project that redefines what a purpose-built learning or technical environment can achieve?

Visit the official Fit Out Awards website to explore entry categories, review past winners, and access insights shaping design and fit-out standards across Ireland.