IRISH ARCHITECTS’ annual “Open Door” fund-raiser for homeless charity Simon has been so successful, this year, they’re doing it twice.

The event, in which architects give homeowners a one-hour consultation in return for a €50 donation to Simon, has turned from a day into a weekend, to be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 24th and 25th.

The theme this year is low cost ways of future-proofing homes to meet families’ changing needs. Ideas range from giving your hot water cylinder two lagging jackets to getting planning permission now, so you don’t “get lost in the glut of applications that will swamp the planning system when the upturn takes place”.

The event is organised by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) and the Simon Communities and has raised close to €200,000 since it was launched in 2005. To book a place, log onto simonopendoor.ie.