An Neidín
Modular, rapid‑deployment student housing for Irish universities built for students by students.
An Neidín - "The Little Nest" - Inspired by the Irish word for a safe, warm place to call home.
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The Problem
The Problem
Housing demand has exploded...
Housing demand has exploded...
The student population in Ireland has increased rapidly over the last number of years.
The housing shortfall has resulted in students choosing long commutes, paying a small fortune or not attending university at all...
Supply hasn't kept up...
Supply hasn't kept up...
Traditional construction takes too long to make a meaningful difference to the supply.
Current listings are scarce, scams are common, competition is intense, and too many students need to "know somone"...
Students are facing these difficult challenges, sometimes alone, while trying to balance academics, socialising and actually working to become fully fledged individuals.
This is becoming an education access barrier and not just a housing problem.
Our Solution
Our Solution
An Neidín will be modular housing units built out of shipping containers, designed as a modern studio apartment, directly built with student in mind and will give Universities the chance to expand their accommodation options faster than the complexities of traditional housing.
Improving student living standards into one, practical, realistic option.
Each unit will be: - Built to withstand the Irish Climate - Feel like a modern studio - Built to deploy fast and as needed, and will include a compact bathroom, kitchenette, and study space
Our units can be built in parallel with more traditional options, delivered to sites, installed, connected, and become livable in a fraction of the time.
Pilot Concept
Pilot Concept
The pilot will be a small-scale, real-world deployment used to validate our model and focus on improving and refining comfort, usability, feasibility, and overall satisfaction in a measurable way.
It will consist of a deployment of 10-15 units, large enough to gather meaningful data, but small enough for a small operation to manage until the model is refined and expansion is begun.
We will be targeting students most at risk of not securing accommodation, particularly first-year university students and those relocating for third-level education, with said units aiming to be installed on University-owned land, ensuring proximity to campus, using existing infrastructure and also solving a major issue with modular housing in the past, which was sourcing your own land!
An Neidín is designed to be significantly more affordable than current student housing options, with a rapid payback period and low ongoing costs once the model is standardised.
A simple idea at first, but one that made us committed to building a practical, reliable and scalable solution to this problem.
A solution built by students, for students.
Meet the team!
Meet the team!
From Left to Right: Jack Barrett, Kayla Browne, Chloe Breen, Christopher Kilmartin and Kevin Barry.
We are University of Galway graduates with the ambition to solve one of the most prominent issues surrounding University life.
What began as a project for one of our final-year modules quickly developed into something bigger. Through our research and lived experiences, we realised that the housing problem was affecting us, our classmates, friends and our ability to fully participate in University life.
The Long Term Vision for An Neidín
The Long Term Vision for An Neidín
The end goal is for An Neidín to become Ireland's first, scalable, affordable, student-focused modular housing system. Ensuring that no student is left without a safe, reliable place to live.
Milestone 1: A successful pilot.
Milestone 2: Expansion to other Universities, targeting institutions like Atlantic Technological University, University of Limerick, University College Cork and Maynooth University
Milestone 3: Becoming a sustainable housing ecosystem, i.e., long-term partnerships, similar units and bulk material purchasing.
At its core, An Neidín is a social impact venture. As recent graduates, we want to see a future with no housing uncertainty, a system supporting students' search for accommodation, give universities a tool to meet rising demand and allow students to come to University on focus on what matters.
Where we are now...
We have completed our initial research and developed a clear pilot model. The team is now refining the proposal and preparing to engage with mentors, partners and other stakeholders.
We're building the foundation for the pilot that can demonstrate speed, affordability and impact. This is the early stage steps where the concept shifts from idea to implementation and we're actively seeking the right guidance and collaborators to help bring the first units to life.
Get in touch if you want to learn more!
Email: info@anneidin.ie
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