My name is Cian Reilly, an Architectural Technologist hereat McKevitt King Architects, and I’ve been part of the team since 2024.
Like many here in the office I was born here in Drogheda, with family originating from Ballsgrove and Cherrymount, so working locally and being part of a practice in the town has always been something that appealed tome. It has also brought a great sense of pride to be involved in a practice with such strong links to the local community. After finishing school, I decided to pursue a career in Architectural Technology and went on to study for my degree at Dundalk Institute of Technology. I’ve always enjoyed the more practical and technical side of architecture, particularly seeing how an idea develops from a drawing into something that can actually be built.
I gained my first professional experience during my work placement at DKIT, when I worked with Instaspace in Duleek in 2022. It was a valuable experience, particularly because of the amount of practical work I was involved in. I worked on assembling the steel floor and roof structures for each prefabricated unit, which gave me a detailed understanding of how a modular structure comes together from the individual components through to the finished unit. The experience also gave me a greater appreciation for the relationship between technical drawings, construction methods and the practicalities of building onsite.
Since joining McKevitt King, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a variety of projects and develop my experience across different parts of the architectural process. One of the things I enjoy most about the job is that there is always something new to figure out. Whether it’s working through a technical problem, preparing drawings, dealing with planning applications, preparing land registry maps or getting out on site for measured surveys no two days are exactly the same.
Outside of work, football probably takes up most of my spare time. I’ve played football for as long as I can remember and still play regularly whenever I get the chance. I particularly enjoy playing five-a-sideand, like most people who play football, my knees don’t always thank me for it.
I’ve been a big Manchestr United supporter from day one, so I try to get over to Old Trafford whenever I can to see a game. There’s something completely different about watching a match in the stadium compared with watching it at home, especially under the winter lights.
Travelling is another big interest of mine, with trips ranging from the middle of the Nevada desert to Jungfraujoch, the “Top of Europe”. I particularly enjoy short city breaks, where I can spend a few days exploring somewhere new, seeing the sights, taking plenty of photographs and,of course, visiting the local football stadiums. Through travelling also become interested in photography. I enjoy bringing my camera with me and trying to capture the places I visit, particularly architecture, city streets andanything else that catches my eye. It’s probably no surprise that architecture tends to feature heavily in the photos!
When I’m not playing football, travelling or taking photographs, I’m usually spending time with my family and my dog, Max. Max has a habit of making sure there is never really a quiet day at home and is always happy to see me, regardless of how the day at work or the football went!
Although I’m still relatively early in my career, I’ve really enjoyed the experience I’ve gained so far at McKevitt King. One of the things I value most about working here is the level of trust and responsibility given to each member of the team. Rather than being restricted to one particular role, everyone has the opportunity to get involved in different aspects of the work and develop their skills along the way.
I count myself very lucky to be part of the team here. Everyone brings their own area of expertise and experience, whether it’s receiving sketch designs and construction drawings from James, Adrian and Eoin, or working with Emma and her vast knowledge of planning regulations. I’ve learned a great deal from the people around me over the last two years, and I’m looking forward to continuing to develop both as an Architectural Technologist and as part of the McKevitt King team.
