Established in 1978, Grafton Architects are recognized nationally and internationally for the production of buildings and urban interventions of a consistently high standard, having won over 20 awards and several competitions. The work of the practice has been exhibited in Paris, Zurich, Madrid, Barcelona [under the auspices of the European Union Mies van der Rohe Prize for Contemporary Architecture], London and at the 2002 Venice Architecture Biennale and has featured in many international publications.

Grafton Architects have developed a rigorous and sensitive approach to building in the city, believing strongly that careful research is crucial in order that latent urban potential is nurtured in a manner that sustains and builds upon the essential character of places in the city. This expertise has been developed through significant projects in a wide range of complex urban and social situations. Grafton Architects [as founding members of Group 91] played a central role in the regeneration of Temple Bar through participation in the formulation of the Framework Plan and the design and construction of the Temple Bar Square Building and Public Space. In recent years, the practice has undertaken several projects and competitions at a scale demanding the development of frameworks for urban intervention informed by the detailed analysis of urban conditions, such as the Bocconi University Project in the heart of Milan, Italy; a feasibility study for a large-scale landscape, infrastructure and campus proposal for an extensive Scribblestown site; social housing projects in North King Street, South Earl Street and in Ballymun; the Meath Arts Centre in Navan; New Government Offices on St. Stephen's Green; the design of an extensive community facility on a 10-acre site in Trim, Co. Meath [a project involving the transformation of a landscape to accommodate community and leisure uses]; the Bjorvika Office and Housing Competition in Oslo; the Magasins Generaux Competition in Paris; and several significant bridge and transport infrastructure projects in collaboration with Roughan O'Donovan.