Irish building magazine august september 2013 by Irish Building Magazine

Irish building The Business Magazine for Building Professionals

The morrison hotel Excellent by Design

PJ Hegarty

Partnership Building

MDY Construction Seeing Double

Precision electric Fully Charged

The marker hotel A Marked Change

ARthur Cox

The Turning of the Tide? August/September 2013

Dial before you Dig. What you can’t see CAN hurt you. You never know what’s below the surface. Digging into a gas pipeline can cause serious injury – even death. So before you break ground, always check the location of gas pipelines by calling 1850 42 77 47. It could save your life.

Scan here for phone number.

Contents Carlow VISUAL Loughlinstown Sports Facility Page20 14

4 6 8 9

News News round up A round up of recent events and industry news stories including company, in brief & Editors comment.

ISS Ireland 25 Ballyroan Library Page 33

Opinion Nominate or not to nominate, are clients really clear on the pros/cons of nomination. Joe McCaffrey, Healy Kelly Turner & Townsend. Micheál O’Connor President of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, discusses the need for Strategic Investment in construction to enable International Competitiveness. RIAI Awards 2013 A pictorial review of the winners of the this years competition.

The Lady Chapel Page 32

Lead Story

Conservation

one of the countries leading building firms profiles a range of recent projects including Loughlinstown Sports Facility, Boston Scientific and United Distillers.

completed the sensitive restoration of a gem at St. Patricks Cathedral.

Hegarty & SOns lady Chapel 17 PJ 55 the Over 80 years of Building Relationships, Conservation and Restoration Ltd have

Experts section Legal File Arthur Cox Solicitors - Sign on the Dotted Line! A new regime for certification under the Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2013.

Contents

Features morrison hotel 11 The The design and construction team discusses the completion of one of Dublin’s finest hotels.

electric 33 Premier Multi award winning and one of the UK and Ireland’s leading electrical contractors are celebrating 20 years in business.

Mdy Construction Double RIAI 2013 award winning projects completed by MDY Construction, we discuss the construction of these facilities.

marker hotel 45 the The Dublin Docklands provides the location for the cities newest luxury hotel.

the morrison Hotel page 9

Sustainable Building

Gáis Networks – 52 Bord Networks Services Centre

In 2008, Bord Gáis Networks embarked on a two stage international architectural competition, we look at the process of creating a building that has sustainability at it’s heart.

House 56 Passive World’s first Passive House office tower certified in Vienna, we take a peek inside and see how this unique building has been designed and built with eco awareness.

Irish building The Business Magazine for Building Professionals

Marketing Director: Colin Walsh Features Editor: Cian Molloy Administration Manager: Noelette Walsh Production: DN Design All Enquiries Tel: 01 442 9264 colinwalsh@irishbuildingmagaine.ie www.irishbuildingmagazine.ie Subscription Rate: €65.00 Rep. of Ireland Irish Building Magazine is published by

National & International Publications Ltd 1 Windsor Mews, Summerhill Parade, Sandycove, Co. Dublin. The contents of this publication are subject to copyright laws and may not be reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of the publishers. The views expressed in articles do not necessarily represent those of the publishers. Printed by W&G Baird

Irish Building Magazine

News Ireland well positioned to benefit from global upswing

he OECD and IMF have been predicting for some time that global growth would strengthen in the second half of 2013 and through 2014, provided the world economy did not suffer any fresh adverse shocks, reports this mornings Irish Examiner. The ongoing support from accommodative monetary policies, less severe stance of fiscal policy, and an improvement in financial markets and general confidence are all expected to contribute to a pickup in economic activity. Recent indicators are pointing to such a strengthening in economic growth. Notably, the JP Morgan Global Composite PMI, a leading indicator of economic activity, jumped to 54.1 in July, its highest level in 16 months. Other leading indicators have also been on the rise in recent months, suggesting that growth is indeed picking up. Hard data are also improving, with stronger industrial production figures in many economies, a pick-up in international trade, improving retail spending figures, and better labour market numbers. Indeed, GDP data for the second quarter revealed stronger growth in the US and UK. Meanwhile, second-quarter GDP data for the eurozone, due tomorrow, are expected to show the economy has emerged from a long recession, with output rising for the first time since the third quarter of 2011. The OECD and IMF have warned that the road to recovery will be bumpy and uneven, especially in advanced economies. These still face considerable headwinds from continuing deleveraging, tight credit conditions, and ongoing measures to bring down budget deficits. Thus, downside risks to growth still dominate.

Developers’ to receive €7m refund from Dublin City

ublin City Council is to refund €7m collected from developers for infrastructure it did not build due to the economic slowdown and property crash. The money is a rebate of levies imposed as contributions towards the regeneration of the area around Heuston Station. The plans included a new urban quarter to link the city centre. Two bridges were also proposed – one for pedestrians and cyclists, the other for motor traffic – connecting a new river terrace and a bus station. Because the infrastructure has not been built within seven years, the levies must be refunded over the next five years. Those being paid back include receivers for the Heuston South Quarter and the Clancy Quay projects which ran into trouble in the property crash

High Court will hear challenge to Dublin City Council housing contract award

decision by Dublin City Council to award a contract to complete a Dublin housing project is to be challenged in the High Court. Manley Construction Ltd has been granted leave by the High Court to challenge the decision to award the contract to another company. The court was told Manley Construction believed it would be awarded the contract for the Bluebell Housing Project in Dublin 12 after a tendering process earlier this year.

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The company expected to be on site this month. Lawyers for the company told the court Dublin City Council had last February indicated it would formally accept a tender for the project subject to certain conditions, including the provision of a performance bond. The company sought to make changes after having difficulty obtaining such bonds on the domestic market and a modified bond was agreed, the court was told. However, Manley Construction was later told the City Council wanted to revert to its original conditions regarding the bond. It was not afforded an opportunity to re-tender and was told the contract had been awarded to another company, Purcell Construction Ltd. Manley Construction claims the decision was a breach of fair procedures. It now wants the High Court to overturn the decision and force the City Council to award it the contract. President of the High Court Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns granted leave to seek judicial review of the decision. He also granted a stay on the decision until next Friday, when Dublin City Council may respond to the claims.

Commission for Energy Regulation enacts new safety legislation for domestic electrical contractors

he Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), Ireland’s national energy regulator, has put in place new safety legislation for electrical contractors operating in the home. As a result, from 1st October 2013 only Registered Electrical Contractors may complete significant electrical work in residential premises under Irish law. Minor electrical works such as changing switches, sockets or light fittings are not covered by this legislation. This law has been put in place by the CER following a CER public consultation and the Energy Minister Pat Rabbitte bringing the draft legislation for approval by both Houses of the Oireachtas. Electrical installations in the home, if not properly installed and maintained, can kill. In Ireland, on average 5 people per year are killed each year in their home from either direct contact with electricity or from fires with a suspected electrical cause. This includes fires related to electrical appliances which in some cases may have been avoided by putting adequate electrical protection in place. This new safety law will improve safety by requiring that only Registered Electrical Contractors carry out significant electrical work in the home. For example, it will be illegal for anyone other than a Registered Electrical Contractor to carry out works on the distribution/fuse board in a home. All Registered Electrical Contractors are insured and must issue the customer with a certificate of conformance to show the work is to an approved standard, thereby improving safety standards. To find a Registered Electrical Contractor please visit www.safeelectric.ie. Commenting on the new legislation, the CER’s Commissioner, Dr Paul McGowan, said: “This new law means that any significant electrical work in the home can only be carried out by a Registered Electrical Contractor. This will improve safety standards for customers and reduce the risk of electrical accidents from substandard work, saving lives and protecting property.”

Meet the buyer construction sector event a success

ver 200 people today attended an information and networking session aimed at connecting local suppliers to opportunities in the construction sector under the Devolved Schools Programme. The event, hosted by the NDFA in partnership with Enterprise Ireland, provided a platform for local construction suppliers and enterprises to learn more about the schools building programme in the Munster region and to meet with the five contractors who have been appointed to the Design & Build framework panel on the Devolved Schools Programme. At the event, Steven Burgess, Head of Project Management, NDFA, said: ‘The NDFA welcomes the opportunity to work in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland and other bodies in hosting this event. It is very important that the SME and construction sector is given access to future business opportunities and events like this are about ensuring they have all the information and support they need to fully exploit these opportunities’.

ESB to Represent Ireland in The European Business Awards

SB is to represent Ireland as a National Champion in the prestigious 2013/2014 Awards programme. ESB beat off stiff competition to be selected as one of 20 National Champions and will now compete for Ruban d’Honneur status in the next round of the competition in The Millicom Award for Environmental & Corporate Sustainability. Final category Award winners will be announced in April 2014. The European Business Awards has identified some of Europe’s brightest businesses based on their ability to demonstrate the three core principles at the heart of the Awards programme. The esteemed panel of judges were looking for organisations to represent Ireland who exhibited the highest levels of innovation, business excellence and sustainability. Pat O’Doherty, ESB Chief Executive said; “ESB is delighted to be selected to represent Ireland as a National Champion in the next phase of these awards. It is an honour to be recognised as one of the leading organisations in our country and in our field. Our strategy positions ESB as Ireland’s foremost energy company competing successfully in the converging Ireland/Great Britain electricity market. We are committed to being competitive across all areas of our business to ensure that we give the best value to our customers. The European Business Awards is widely recognised as the showcase for Europe’s most dynamic companies.”

Tell us and we will tell everyone else!

f your company is moving, shaking or you just cant keep your latest development to yourself, let us know and Irish Building Magazine will deliver your message to Ireland’s key decision makers in the building sector. With more than 21 years connecting our industry we are the number one choice for getting your message heard. To discuss how we can be of assistance please contact: Colin Walsh on 01 4429264 or email colinwalsh@irishbuildingmagazine.ie.

Byrne Looby Partners McCarthy acquisition Byrne Looby Partners establishes itself as one of Ireland’s leading water engineering specialists International consulting engineering practice, with todays formal announcement of its acquisition of PH McCarthy, as part of an on-going expansion programme which involved a take-over of water infrastructure projects valued at over €420 million. 56 local authority water projects added to Group portfolio as part of its future plans, the company is expected to make a further jobs announcement in the coming weeks. The Irish headquartered company, which operates across Europe, North

complete

Africa and the Middle East, will oversee the development of 56 separate water projects, involving 17 local authorities in Ireland. As part of the take-over, Byrne Looby Partners has acquired the PH McCarthy practice. Established over 100 years ago by Patrick Harnett McCarthy, Byrne Looby Partners aims to continue PH McCarthy’s legacy as Ireland’s best-in-class water infrastructure engineering consultants. Michael Looby, Managing Director, Europe, Middle East and North Africa, Byrne Looby Partners said: ‘The take-over of these 56 projects represents a phase of expansion for the company. From our local and international experience, we see a great opportunity for the future of water in Ireland, which has been accelerated by the creation of Irish Water. Real costsaving efficiencies can be achieved by specialist water engineering expertise in Ireland. ‘The incorporation of the PH McCarthy practice into our business reflects our belief in the goodwill this business has built up over its 100 years in existence. Its ethos syncs well with our own and we look forward to the new dimension it brings to the Group. ‘We plan to expand our water offering further and details of this will be outlined in the months ahead,’ Mr Looby concluded.

Relationships are the way to do business Terry Hobell, Chairman, Irish Fencing

elebrating 40 years in business, Irish Fencing recalls one of their first orders, ‘we were one of only two fencing contractors in the country operating out of an old farm yard in Ballyboughal Co. Dublin’, Said Mr. Terry Hobdell, Chairman, Irish Fencing.

We were lucky the first inward investment was arriving in Ireland and Architects were keen to produce modern clean looking buildings for the IDA. Up until then concrete posts and galvanised chainlink was the only option. We had new product

a plastic coated fence post and chainlink called Plastacon which rapidly became very popular. PJ Hegarty & Sons thankfully were one of our first clients for this. Our Product range and services have expanded since and we have completed countless contracts all over Ireland using many varied designs, but our relationship with our construction sector clients is still very strong. Recently completed the Loughlinstown Leisure Centre was a large contract which involved Fencing 6 soccer pitches using our Kinsale Mesh 3000 mm high with a WISA board rebound panel to the bottom, high rise ballstop netting bringing the overall height to 12,000mm. The site was very constricted and we needed cranes and equipment for working at height, the centre had to remain open during construction, there was extensive on site co-ordination needed with the surface provider, electrical contractors and other trades. So there was a lot of planning with Hegarty’s site personnel. We were also successful in gaining contracts to provide safety barriers utilising Kee Klamp fittings as well as perimeter security using our Kylemore Mesh and also repairs to damage to the Palisade fence of the neighbouring European Foundation for Living and Working Conditions, incidentally one of the first Powder coated Irfen Palisade jobs we did in 1976. ‘We hope to continue foster relationships in the industry for another 40 years’, Terry concluded.

Comment

News

welcome development or too little too late? Will the recently published Forfás Construction Report really prove a ‘prescription for healing an ailing industry’ or will Government inaction eventually consign it to history, remembered as just another bunch of good ideas rendered useless through bureaucracy and inadequate policy? The new strategy report, titled Ireland’s Construction Sector: Outlook and Strategic Plan to 2015, contains 36 actions that will, according to Forfás, help the industry back on a path towards sustainable growth. CIF Director General Tom Parlon believes it has the potential to revive the ailing sector and that if Government truly want to boost the industry and create much-needed jobs, it must act immediately on the recommendations contained within. A significant portion of the report centres on the importance of capital spending which, if actioned by the Government, would provide a steady flow of finance and generate thousands of jobs. The report also calls for the establishment of a Construction Minister role within government, something the sector has been recommending for years. There’s no doubt that the need for a single ministerial point of contact for the industry has never been stronger but whether it is heeded now at a time of such political instability remains to be seen. The report also makes a case for improvements to be made to the public procurement process, a review of which is to to be made by Government this year. Any report on the current state of the construction industry would have to refer to the ongoing, serious issue of abnormally low tenders and the Forfás report does, setting out a plan of action to try and remedy the problem to ensure ‘fair and reasonable terms for all parties involved.’ If properly taken up and actioned by Government, there’s no doubt that the Forfás report would transform the industry and set it firmly on a path towards recovery. Minister Hogan, over to you.

Irish Building Magazine

Legal File

The Turning of the Tide? Cash Flow and Adjudication under the Construction Contracts Bill

etter cash flow in the industry. On 16 July 2013, the Construction Contracts Bill finally passed through Dail Eireann and will soon become law. The Construction Contracts Act (the “Act”), when enacted, will provide a much needed positive boost for the industry. The last 6 years in Ireland has been bleak for those working in construction: turnover shrank from its peak at €39 billion a year, to just €7.5 billion last year. In these ‘A fundamental protection difficult times, where margins are already now enshrined in the Act extremely tight, reliable cash flow is of importance. While there are is the outlawing of pay paramount some complaints that the Act has come when paid clauses such too late for many, it will provide important that even where payment protection for those working in construction forward. has not been received going The Act will seek to achieve better cash from someone higher up flow in three key ways: the contractual chain, this Firstly, by requiring that all construction (which term is broadly defined and will not provide a basis contracts subject to limited exceptions only) include for refusing to pay or adequate mechanisms for determining both withholding part payment the amount and the periods for interim Standard forms used in Ireland from sub-contractors’ payments. generally set out payment provisions which will comply with this requirement. In addition, the Act will provide that where a payment claim notice is submitted and the amount is contested by the paying party, the paying party has 21 days to deliver a response setting out the amount that it proposes to pay and the reasons for the difference between that amount and the amount claimed This response must also set out the basis

Niav O’Higgins, Head of Construction & Engineering.

Irish Building Magazine

of the calculations used to arrive at the amount to be paid. If this is not agreed between the parties, then the amount paid shall be the amount included in the withholding notice. The receiving party can, of course, dispute the assessment and refer the matter to adjudication. A fundamental protection now enshrined in the Act is the outlawing of pay when paid clauses such that even where payment has not been received from someone higher up the contractual chain, this will not provide a basis for refusing to pay or withholding part payment from sub-contractors. Secondly, the right of suspension for non-payment is now put on a statutory footing. The Act will allow a party, who has not been paid by the day on which payment is due, to suspend work provided a written notice has been delivered to the paying party at least 7 days before the proposed suspension is to begin. The Act also ensures that time will be added to the contract programme to take account of the suspension, both for the suspending party, but also for other contractors involved in the project whose works may be affected by the suspension. The right to suspend will end immediately on payment being made, or when a notice of adjudication is delivered. Thirdly, and perhaps of particular significance, is the introduction of a fast track dispute resolution procedure through a statutory entitlement to refer disputes relating to payment to adjudication. Adjudication provides a speedy and cost effective means of dispute resolution, with the decision of the adjudicator binding on the parties, unless and until it is overturned, either by the courts or by an arbitrator, depending upon the agreed dispute resolution forum within the particular construction contract. This means that where an adjudicator decides that payment is due, that payment must be made. If the Irish Courts follow the approach taken by the courts in the UK, the enforceability of adjudicator’s decisions will be strictly upheld, subject to only very limited exceptions. Adjudication: what you need to know! So how will adjudication work, and when might it not? The Act will give a party to a construction contract the right to refer any dispute to adjudication “at any time”. This entitlement cannot be restricted to after completion of works, say, or by having to go through other steps under the contract before adjudication. Once the dispute has crystallised, either party may, but is not bound to, refer the dispute to adjudication. A dispute could even be referred to adjudication after an arbitration in respect of the same dispute has commenced. From the date that the referral is made, the adjudicator must reach a decision within 28 days. This period can be extended by up to a further 14 days with the consent of the party referring the dispute, or by a longer period where both parties agree. Most adjudications are likely to be over, therefore, within a matter of weeks. This compares with the current situation where a binding award or decision, whether through arbitration or from the Courts, can take anywhere between 6 months to three years, or even longer. Adjudication will transform dispute resolution in construction: the real value of adjudication is that it provides an answer quickly, which decision must then be complied with. This will ensure that an answer to a dispute over payment will be arrived at quickly, and money will flow. When the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 introduced adjudication into the UK construction sector, many expressed concern that the speed of the

Legal File

process would lead to the erosion of judicial procedure and that justice would be cast aside. The courts were quick to emphasise, however, that the time constraints of the new procedure made clear that “the need to have the ‘right’ answer has been subordinated to the need to have the answer quickly”. Indeed, adjudication is often referred to as a means of “rough justice”, but at least there is justice of some kind! The real challenge in Ireland will be getting to grips with the peculiarities of this new dispute resolution procedure. Two key elements are fundamental to the process. Firstly, the adjudicator must have jurisdiction to decide the dispute. This may relate to the appointment of the correct person as adjudicator, as agreed by the parties, say, or by the correct nominating body. The question of jurisdiction will also require the adjudicator to answer the right question in arriving at his or her decision. Where an adjudicator exceeds his or her jurisdiction, this may result in a refusal by the courts to uphold the decision. A party making a referral to adjudication will need to be careful

to ensure that the notice of adjudication, which commences the process, accurately describes the dispute. ‘Am I entitled to be paid €10,000?’ requires a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, and once that answer is given, the adjudicator has decided the dispute and has no further jurisdiction. ‘What am I entitled to be paid?’ allows the adjudicator to determine the amount. Secondly, adjudicators will be required to act impartially. This has been interpreted in the UK as requiring adjudicators to comply with the rules of natural justice. This, in essence, means firstly that there should be no bias on the part of the adjudicator, and secondly, that the parties should be given the right to be heard. Adjudicators will need to be careful not to impose their own views for those of the parties, where either technical or legal arguments have not been raised by either party. There is to be a further Code of Practice to govern the conduct of adjudications, which is likely to expand guidance on the procedure to be followed, but this has still to be published. There has been, and continues to be, a plethora of case law from the UK on these issues which will certainly assist in guiding us successfully through this new process. There will, of course, be numerous elements of the Act that will require clarification through decisions of the courts here and we shall have to wait and see what answers are provided.

‘From the date that the referral is made, the adjudicator must reach a decision within 28 days. This period can be extended by up to a further 14 days with the consent of the party referring the dispute, or by a longer period where both parties agree’

Conclusion Along with many others, we commend Senator Feargal Quinn and all those who got behind the Act to bring it through to the eve of enactment. The Irish construction industry will now have a piece of legislation that, although not perfect, will revolutionise dispute resolution and ensure that payment practices which inhibit cash-flow become a thing of the past. And a review of the Act in a couple of years, once it has bedded in, will allow any imperfections which cannot be resolved through the courts, to be ironed out. Whatever happens, these are certainly more positive times for construction! r

Niav O’Higgins, Head of Construction & Engineering (niav.ohiggins@arthurcox. com ), and Jamie McGee, Paralegal, Construction & Engineering (jamie.mcgee@ arthurcox.com), Arthur Cox Arthur Cox can be contacted at: Earlsfort Centre Earlsfort Terrace Dublin 2 Ireland t: +353 (0)1 618 0000

Irish Building Magazine

HKTT

Managing M&E Delivery – Finding an alternative solution to nomination of M&E Subcontractors? The death knell of the nomination process for subcontracting in GCCC public works contracts in particular was rung some time ago, with no remembrance or reflection of the long life it once had and the success it brought to so many projects previously. Joe McCaffrey, Senior Cost Manager (M&E), Healy Kelly Turner & Townsend.

‘Never before have clients had so few responsibilities to M&E subcontractors in construction process, yet never before have M&E specialist installations been so fundamentally instrumental to the success of construction projects due to their many complications’ 6

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t was a relatively unspoken change when first introduced with the GCCC standard form of contract, and more recently the private sector has followed suit to minimize the use of nomination and now securely fastens this approach for the future. The major shift is that subcontractor arrangements no longer have any direct contractual link to clients and that all responsibility sits between the main contractor and the client for all matters relating to the construction project. Never before have clients had so few responsibilities to M&E subcontractors in construction process, yet never before have M&E specialist installations been so fundamentally instrumental to the success of construction projects due to their many complications. The four key elements of any building project are the mechanical, electrical, sprinkler and façade components of the building. These elements alone will account for 40 – 60% of the total construction project and the performance of these systems is vital to the longevity and life cycle of the building. The GDLA contract public works clients had the option to nominate subcontractors for specific elements of the construction project, with the most common scenario of nomination for M&E subcontracts. This brought about certain responsibilities upon the client for tendering but also in the event of contractor default for delay, direct payments to the subcontractors and re-nomination in the termination. However, the client had the benefit of clear lines of responsibility for specialist design input by nominated subcontractors and brought certain level of comfort and mutual appreciation between the M&E subcontractor and the client. M&E specialist installations have never been so fundamental to the success of construction projects. So when advising clients the key considerations and objectives for any client in managing M&E services delivery are: * Single point of contract and responsibility * Clear mechanism to manage M&E delivery * Value for Money * Full Cost Transparency * End Product Quality * Programme Management * Schedule Certainty * Cost Certainty The Impact The impact of the changes regarding nomination is of course subjective. From the client’s perspective, being at arm’s length from subcontractors has the advantage of reduced commitment within the process, while the main contractor maintains single

point responsibility for M&E services contractors. From the contractors perspective most main contractors appreciate the opportunity that their overarching responsibility for the project offers. For the first time they can drive real value by very competitively tendering M&E services, and benefit from the commercial tension they maintain over the M&E subcontractor. From the perspective of M&E subcontractors, their responsibility is directly to the main contractor so they do not have to concern themselves with dual responsibilities and the difficulties this raises in construction projects. However, being a nominated subcontractor did offer an elevated status to the M&E subcontractor, as well as a commercial negotiation advantage and a level of comfort in relation to default and payment by the main contractor. In the Irish construction industry most M&E subcontractors need transparency in terms of payments and a level of comfort surrounding cashflow particularly considering these subcontractors finance a large proportion of major plant and equipment for many months prior to delivery to site. The changes have mostly impacted clients, as they have lost the ability to choose M&E subcontractors. From their perspective, this risks weakening their relationship with one of the most important subcontractors in the construction supply chain. The Reality When bidding for work, contractors are often tempted to intimate to prospective clients that they have access to substantial supply chain resources for M&E services, even when this is not the case. Ironically, during the tendering process the main contractor often has less time to access the supply chain for the procurement of services than the client team has. This limited period often reduces the likelihood of the main contractor providing either pre-qualified tender bids for M&E services, or resilient alternative solutions for the proposed M&E design. This results in the client losing an opportunity to develop more economic alternative solutions by

HKTT working with the supply chain as a result of relying on the main contractors. The contractor also has most to gain from their ability to tender M&E services competitively. If they don’t like the price they’re being offered, they can tender multiple times until the point where they do like the price. This was particularly prevalent during the ‘below cost tendering’ cycle adapt in the industry which hopefully now has ceased as a practice. The client does not benefit from this value in the

process, while the main contractor does; with the contractor pocketing any savings achieved by getting the best price from M&E subcontractors. In effect the contractor has sole discretion in selecting the firm that will complete any element of the works within the GCCC contract. The client has the ability to provide a list of named specialist contractors, which should contain a list of three subcontractors and this element of work must be clearly identified within the tender documents. The contractor, with the consent of the Employers Representative, may offer additional names for these scopes of works. Additional names can be added to the contract - even after the contract has been agreed - which gives the main contractor flexibility to achieve competitive prices; however it is unlikely the client will obtain any of this value. The contractor can essentially add any name to the list without suffering any contractual ramifications. The provision of subcontractors does however provide the client with a degree of choice over who carries out each package of work. However the courts have yet to fully test the mechanism that allows the client’s choice of subcontractor to become the contractual responsibility of the contractor. Client risk and dispute resolution The new approach to “naming” subcontractors reduces the risk the client is exposed to, as the contractor is not entitled to an adjustment of completion date, or to compensation for loss and/or expense as a result of a delay caused by a “named” subcontractor. The most common dispute to arise between contractors and M&E subcontractors is when the subcontractors claim they did not receive access to the site in suitable timely to actively progress the works and conversely the main contractor claims the

subcontractor did not complete sections of the work in a time manner despite having full access which ultimately results in a delay to the completion of the project. These type of disputes in previous forms of contracts created a negative perspective upon M&E subcontractors despite the issue being relatively straight forward to resolve should the parties work together in a collaborative approach. The risk associated with design responsibility is clearer when naming subcontractors. The contractor has to maintain the responsibility for the design of the named subcontractor, even though the design work itself is subcontracted.

* Procurement and early supply chain co-ordination and innovation * Pre-construction planning and logistics * Value engineering options and opportunities * Positive impact on procurement * Potential to define and agree GMP prior to commencement of works The benefits of this arrangement are the client obtains certainty in the outturn costs at an early stage in the process. The main contractor would have limited right to set off as performance risks sit within the M&E management contract. M&E management contractor would have an elevated status purely by early involvement and transparency within the process and added value as the M&E management contractor has bought into a process to achieve the best outcome.

Transparency in Payments The challenge in the Irish Public Works sector is the fact that there is limited scope for deviating from the standard form of process and procedure regarding payment mechanisms in GCCC contracts. The issue for subcontractors is there is no transparency in the process regarding payments for domestic subcontractors. Whilst the Construction Act Bill introduced in July 2013 will bring some level of certainty regarding mechanisms for payment and adjudication, there is still continued unease amongst subcontractors regarding the treatment of payments by main contractors and the level of risk they are exposed to by being domestic subcontractors. The alternative under an amended RIAI form of contract, for example, is to provide direct payments however whilst this does not implicate the contractual status of a named subcontractor / client relationship, it is by its nature relatively unchartered water for the client. The other option to bring some openness and transparency is to mutually agree amongst the parties to provide valuations which the named subcontractors would get sight of, however this does not mitigate the risk of the contractors right to set off against payments. There is no silver bullet in either option but transparency by its very nature takes away barriers and unknowns for subcontractors in relation to cashflow certainty for their business.

CONCLUSION The principle of named subcontractors certainly benefits the client in that it minimises their risk by largely passing on the risk to the main contractor. However, evidence demonstrates that building a relationship with the M&E subcontractor partnering delivers a better overall outcome for the project. Using named subcontractor by management M&E contracting offers the following benefits: * The client can select the Specialist Contractor it prefers to complete the works; * The client can obtain early Specialist Contractor involvement with design input and knowledge in specialist areas; * Better co-ordination of the design of services; * There is greater certainty of performance from both a work completed and payment perspectives; * There is clear contractual liability in covering design, defects and delays; * Building relationships and partnerships with key players in the supply chain. * Encouraging innovation and knowledge share Whilst the GCCC public works contract has successfully delivered a new working platform for Irish public construction contracts there is certainly a debate within the M&E services industry about M&E subcontractors positioning in terms of payments and their ability to offer real value for money solutions to public sector clients. From speaking to clients there is optimism surrounding building relationships with the supply chain and now the challenge for the Irish Construction Industry is to find consensus on project priorities and outcomes. r

Management contracting of M&E The option which demonstrates benefits to clients for large scale M&E projects is to facilitate a form of management contracting for M&E services using a standard form or bespoke contract. The appetite has to be with the client, but in this scenario the M&E component is procured on an ‘Open Book’ basis and operated on a management contract basis i.e. a fixed fee and mark up on separate packages within the overall agreed M&E package. This allows early appointment and leads to the following benefits: * Support in completion of design

Joe McCaffrey MSCSI MRICS is a Senior Cost Manager (M&E) at Healy Kelly Turner & Townsend T. 01 283 1116 e: joseph.mccaffrey@hktt.ie About Turner & Townsend Healy Kelly Turner & Townsend is part of Turner & Townsend, a leading global construction consultancy whose experts work with organisations to deliver maximum value from their assets. www.turnerandtownsend.com

Irish Building Magazine

SCSI

Strategic Investment in construction needed for International Competitiveness

In a recent survey on investment in infrastructure carried out by the World Economic Forum, Ireland scored 5.4 on a seven point scale - seven being the best possible score. Micheál O’Connor President of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland.

hile this may appear at first glance a credible score, Ireland actually ranked 24th out of the 32 OECD countries benchmarked. The findings indicate that despite the significantly high level of investment undertaken in Ireland in the years prior to the economic crisis, perceptions of overall infrastructure quality remain below many other developed economies. The Irish construction industry is now half way through An increase in the its sixth year of recession and according to figures from number of PPPs the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI), the output of the sector will be around €7.5bn this year, down and investment from €39bn at the peak. It is clear that the sector, which is currently about half the from pension size it should be for an economy the size of Ireland, faces significant challenges. funds would help Last year, the Government commissioned Forfas, Ireland’s policy advisory board - to produce a strategic augment the report on the Irish construction industry and to make recommendations for reform of the sector. It did this in declines in direct order to find out how it can to prevent the erosion of our international competitiveness while also safeguarding the capital investment capacity of the domestic economy. The Forfas report will also highlight the fact that the industry has the capacity and professional skills to service

Irish Building Magazine

new industries and clients. In recent years, Irish specialist construction contractors have been very successful in designing and building manufacturing facilities, distribution networks and data centres for multinational pharmaceutical and technology companies. The availability of these specialist skills in Ireland is an important consideration for multinational companies in deciding to locate here as they can be assured that their facilities will be build to specification. Many of the Irish contracting companies have been employed by the multinationals to oversee projects in other counties and by investing in education and training, we can further develop our skill set and reputation as world class construction specialists. The availability of finance to continue to invest in the construction and maintenance of key infrastructure remains a key challenge for Government. Public capital investment has fallen from 18% in 2008 to 6% in 2013 and this represents a significant reduction in the public investment in Ireland’s economic future. An increase in the number of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and investment from pension funds would help augment the declines in direct capital investment. Further investment in the commercial property stock is also needed. A gap is emerging in the availability of modern office space in prime areas of a suitable size for large multi national companies and it is vital that we as a country have the appropriate facilities in place to continue to attract investment from international companies which will create jobs and returns for the exchequer. Given the fact that few developments have been completed over the past two years, and the scarcity of funding available, the retrofitting or refurbishment of existing buildings offers a relatively quick and economical way of providing suitable office stock for foreign multinationals and locally based companies. It is our view that a reduction in the VAT rate to 5 per cent on retrofitting would incentives building owners to improve their buildings, which would have a positive effect on the availability of office space, and assist in our overall competitiveness. Furthermore, given that construction tender prices have fallen by approximately one third since their peak in 2007, building costs are at very competitive levels. The Forfas report presents an opportunity for the construction sector to have a shared vision with Government for the future of the sector in supporting our economic development and it is vital that the report’s recommendations be implemented. Micheál O’Connor is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and President of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) www.scsi.ie r

RIAI Awards

2013 Irish Architecture Award Winners

he Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) announced on 4 July 2013 in the Wood Quay Venue, Dublin City Council, award-winning buildings in 13 categories, including the Public Choice Award. Speaking at the awards ceremony, Ruairí Quinn, TD, Minister for Education and Skills praised the high standard of the awardwinning projects and said that he was “bowled over by the collective achievement”. “The quality of these projects could only be found in international magazines a few decades ago”, said the Minister, “but you have arrived home - you should be proud of your achievement”. Michelle Fagan, President of the RIAI, commented: “These awards highlight the quality architecture that Ireland possesses, that is constantly commended internationally. Good architecture has a positive impact on a country’s reputation. The buildings in the awards illustrate that quality delivers the best value for money and we need to ensure that our architecture reflects us and our aspirations. The RIAI are honoured to showcase the very best of Irish architecture and will continue to drive awareness of this excellence both at home and abroad.” Eddie Conroy, Chairperson of the Judging Panel, said: “We continue to see a very high standard of projects entered in to the awards each year. It is most encouraging to see an increase in the number of domestic projects being entered, showing us that Irish people are spending and investing in their homes. The UCD Centre, winner of the public choice and best universal design, demonstrates this dynamic piece of Irish architecture. The judges felt the use of colour, choice of materials and the simplicity of its layout contributed greatly to its ease of use to the students and staff of UCD as well as to members of the public, regardless of age, size, ability or disability.” Ms Fagan added, “Architects always start with the end in mind and this longer term vision needs to be applied to the Irish landscape going forward, to create a culture where building it once and building it right is followed.”

Best Public Building, Ballyroan Library,

The 2013 Category Winners are:

Best Health Building Phoenix Care Centre, Dublin designed by Moloney O’Beirne Architects

Best Commercial Building Bord Gáis Networks Services Centre in Finglas, Dublin designed by Denis Byrne Architects

Best Public Building Ballyroan Library, Ballyroan, Co. Dublin designed by Box Architecture Best Cultural Building Luan Gallery in Athlone designed by Keith Williams Architects

Best Educational Building Presentation College Bray, Co. Wicklow designed by Paul Keogh Architects

Best Housing Project Social Housing, Shangan Avenue Ballymun, Dublin designed by FKL architects

Best International Project The Photographers’ Gallery Soho, London designed by O’Donnell + Tuomey Architects Best Sustainable Project Bord Gais Networks Services Centre in Finglas, Dublin designed by Denis Byrne Architects Best Universal Design UCD Student Centre in Belfield, Co. Dublin designed by Fitzgerald Kavanagh & Partners

Best Emerging Practice Stephen Mulhall Architects Best House Quarry House in Dublin designed by Andrew Clancy Architect Best House Extension Rutland Avenue, Rutland Avenue, Crumlin designed by Eamon Peregrine Architect. r

Irish Building Magazine

THE MORRISON

HOTEL REFURBISHMENT

On a very tight programme and through significant upfront co-ordination this extensive refurbishment was completed to budget and programme.

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The Morrison

Design Excellence Customers and critics alike are singing the praises of the Morrison Hotel in Dublin following a €6m refurbishment, reports CIAN MOLLOY.

ituated on Ormond Quay, across the Liffey from Temple Bar, the four-star boutique hotel was purchased last year for €22m by the Russian investor Elena Baturina, in conjunction with the Austrian-based operator Martinez Hotel and Resorts Group, and is now being run under the DoubleTree by Hilton brand, the first hotel in Ireland to enjoy DoubleTree status. With part of the building located on what was Musicbase, where many young Irish bands started off, the hotel has enjoyed a chic rock ‘n’ roll reputation since it first opened in 1998 and many of its guests have been music industry luminaries, such as Rihanna, Paul Simon and Mumford and Sons. As a result, architect Nikki O’Donnell gave the recent redesign a strong musical theme, with song lyrics and a sound wave graphic decorating the walls of the hotel’s 138 bedrooms. Lyrics by about 30 different Irish recording artists are used in the bedroom decors, but before they could be used permission had to be granted by the artists or their publishers. O’Donnell said: “That took more time than you might think, because sometimes the artists were performing abroad, but we had fantastic support. Everyone loved the idea and everyone knew the hotel because most had stayed there, so it was all good.” Ms. Baturina exclusively told Irish Building that O’Donnell was chosen as interior architect because of ‘her personal vision and because understanding of design was exactly what we needed’.

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The Morrison The Russian investor also wanted a Dublin-based architect: “Despite the fact that my company is international, I wanted The Morrison to reflect the soul of Dublin – the city has its own incredible personality. So we trusted Nikki and it has worked beautifully.” Previously, head of interior architecture at Murray O’Laoire, O’Donnell now heads her own company, NODA, and more than 80% of her work is for the hospitality industry in locations as disparate as a Marriot in Port au Prince, Haiti, and a Sheraton in Moscow, Russia. As with almost any other industry, it is important to keep ones doors open for trade as much as possible in the hotel business, so the revamp had to be completed in as short a period as possible or, to use a musical metaphor, in double quick-time. In the event, building contractors Walls Construction completed the job within a 10 week period that started at the end of November and finished at the end of January. “We had to hit that deadline for completion,” said Walls Contracts Manager James O’Toole. “Because the hotel was reopening on February 1st and was, in fact, fully booked out for the weekend of February 10th, when Ireland were hosting England in the first home game of the Six Nations. “From the word go, when we went on site, it was like 100 miles per hour, but there had been a lot of preparation and planning before work went live and everything went very well and we had no lost-time incidents. Typically, we had 150 people on site. In each bedroom, everything was stripped back to the walls – new carpets, new curtains, new fixtures and new fittings. Each room was rewired, and most of the lighting positions were changed, so there was quite extensive re-plastering and joinery work.

‘I believe in sector and I projects we as they

the recovery of the Irish hotel will continue investing in those find commercially advantageous arise’ Ms. Elena Baturina.

“The style of the hotel had been quite dull, with low light levels and dark-coloured joinery. The new look is much brighter, with a lot of lighter materials which really opens up the interior. “Downstairs the bar and restaurant areas were substantially altered – there had been two bars, but we removed a wall to create one large open bar space. The restaurant area was given quite an extensive overhaul, with mechanical and electrical work required to modernise it. Throughout the hotel there was an upgrade of the fireproofing of all ducting and a new fire alarm and new emergency lighting was installed.” The Morrison has two restaurant areas: the Halo Room where a buffet is served at breakfast time and which is available to private diners later in the day and the Morrison Grill, where Dublin’s first Josper Grill Oven has been installed – this is a cooking device that combines air, fire and charcoal at temperatures reaching 500°C to deliver perfectly cooked steaks, poultry, fish and grilled vegetables. Before the hotel could be handed over to the client, an additional prerequisite to be negotiated by Walls Construction was that all works had to be passed by inspectors from the Hilton organisation. O’Toole said: “The hotel was not allowed open until the inspectors had signed off on the fixtures, fittings and finishes, and had independently passed things like the safety systems that had been put in place.” Comprising more than 300 hotels in 25 countries, DoubleTree specialises in distinctly-designed properties. Rooms are high-spec with flat-screen TVs and integrated sound systems, but O’Donnell commented: “The DoubleTree organisation was more flexible than you might think – they understood that this is a boutique hotel, with its own particular character and charm. They were prepared to go along with things like the light boxes used for illumination in the bedrooms.

“Other distinctive features in the bed rooms include suspended light fittings, a pull-out make-up shelf, and chaises longue’s with little side tables for guests books and or glass of wine. “Because there is so much variance in the layout of the bedrooms, we had to work very closely with Walls – of the 138 bedrooms in total, about half are completely different to each other. So for example, some of the rooms only have a shower, some have a combined bath and shower and some have a separate shower and bathroom.” The interior of the hotel also required some structural work to improve the acoustic barrier between the bar and the restaurant area and between the bar and the bedrooms immediately above. The exterior of the hotel has also been given some up-lighting to give the Morrison a stronger presence on Ormond Quay and to make it more of a landmark building. Walls Construction business development manager John Nolan says that the company hopes to work again with the Martinez Hotel and Resort Group as Elena Baturina seeks to further develop her portfolio of hotel properties – reportedly, she hopes to have possession of 14 four-star hotels across Europe by the end of 2015 and was shortlisted as a potential buyer of the Trinity Capital Hotel in Dublin. She told us: “I believe in the recovery of the Irish hotel sector and I will continue investing in those projects we find commercially advantageous as they arise. I am convinced that Ireland has a huge potential in the touristic field, and the conditions prevailing in the country,

Irish Building Magazine

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The Morrison

are very attractive for investment – definitely more convenient and pleasant that in many other European countries.” Certainly, NODA and Walls worked well together. O’Donnell said: “We had a great relationship during the project, which involved one of the most aggressive programmes of work that I have experienced – in addition to the 138 bedrooms, the restaurant and bar, during the 10 week period they also had to renovate and refit the hotel’s meeting rooms and conference facilities. We had someone on site every day of the week to deal with any issues immediately as they arose. Everyone worked really well together and everyone was geared up towards achieving a good result for the client. It is a good result, delivered on programme, on budget and with everyone delighted with the look of it. I expect the redesign to be entered for the 2014 Sleep Awards! Part of the PJ Walls Group, which was founded in 1949, Walls Construction currently employs about 250 people with about a third of the construction companies turnover coming from fit-outs – notably it did the fit-out on the new Salesforce office at 1 Central Park, Co. Dublin, where 100 new jobs are to be created by the software firm. Fit-outs aside, the company has a very diverse portfolio of projects, ranging

from industrial, commercial and public building project. Nolan quipped: “The Irish market is too small to specialise, but we would have particular competence in the areas of healthcare, 3rd level education, industrial buildings and fit-outs.” Current projects in hand by the construction firm include the Telecity Data Centre, the redevelopment & refurbishment of the Mater Private Hospital, the new A+E department at St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny and a new factory building at Liebherr Cranes in Killarney. Last year, the company completed the UCD Students’ Centre, which includes a 50m Olympic-sized swimming pool. The Students’ Centre and the Bord Gáis Networks Services Centre in Finglas, which Walls also completed, both won two RIAI awards each this year – with the Students’ Centre winning the coveted ‘public choice’ award. For more than three years, Walls Construction have been working on various projects at Google’s European head quarters. Nolan said: “At the moment, we are not forecasting any major upturn in the short-term, but we do see business holding steady, especially repeat business from existing clients.” r

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PJ Hegarty & Sons

PJ Hegarty & Sons Partnership Building

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One of Ireland’s leading construction and civil engineering companies, PJ Hegarty & Sons is continuing to win business through a mixture of reliability, flexibility and a ‘partnership’ approach. Cian Molloy reports on recent business activity at a firm renowned for an adherence to the highest quality standards.

ounded in Cork in 1925, for the last 88 years PJ Hegarty & Sons has remained a family-owned firm with John Hegarty the current Managing Director. In the intervening years, the company has grown to be one of Ireland’s largest building contractors and it is listed in The Irish Times 1,000. The company is now headquartered in Dublin with offices in Cork Limerick and London with a staff of more than 220 people employed. Notably, PJ Hegarty & Sons has twice built the country’s tallest building: Cork County Hall in 1968 and the Elysian in Cork in 2008. Other landmark projects in recent years include: the Criminal Courts of Justice Complex in Dublin, Terminal 2 and Pier E at Dublin Airport, the Intel Microchip Facility at Lexlip in County Kildare and the N6 Galway and the M50 Dublin PPP motorway projects.

The company prides itself on taking on large complex projects, whether they be in commercial, retail, tourism, pharmaceutical, high-tech or institutional building, in refurbishment or in civil engineering works. Numerous projects involving PJ Hegarty & Sons have won industry awards and the company is an acknowledged innovator being the first construction company in Ireland to achieve IS0 9002 certification for its quality assurance procedures and being the first construction company to be accredited by Engineers Ireland for its continuous professional development programmes. PJ Hegarty & Sons also has a training partnership with the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB). The firm enjoys an excellent safety record and was first awarded SafeT-Cert accreditation in 2004 and it has renewed this annually to Grade A standard.

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PJ Hegarty & Sons

Barry Crockett, Master Distiller with his successor Brian Nation, outside the Distillers Cottage at the Midleton Distillery, Cork. Barry, who was born in the cottage, has worked at the Distillery for fortyseven years retired from the Distillery in March 2013.

Good spirits The company has developed, over many years a partnership approach when working with clients and professional teams. One of the best examples of this is its 30-year-old relationship with Irish Distillers Ltd (IDL) and their distillery in Midleton, Co Cork. PJ Hegarty & Sons has been working continuously with IDL since 1975, maintaining and dealing with ongoing plant expansion. In 1988, IDL became part of the Pernod Ricard Group who quickly identified the potential of the Jameson brand. Today Jameson is sold worldwide with outstanding growth sales year on year. To cope with this growing demand, in January 2012 IDL undertook a â&#x201A;Ź100m expansion of production capacity at the Midleton distillery. PJ Hegarty & Sons was awarded the Building and Civil contract for this expansion and was central to completing the project on schedule in September of this year. The project included the construction of a new brew house, still houses, tank farms, a water treatment plant, a firewater retention facility, a wastewater treatment plant, underground services and paving. Works were complicated by the fact that the IDL plant remained live during the construction works phase and this involved major co-ordination with the Client and Design Teams.

In parallel to the plant expansion new warehouse facilities were also completed on the site to accommodate the growing demand for storage space. Contracts Manager Philip Cronin who has been working closely with IDL for 15 years explained the magnitude and complexity of works carried out in the past 18 months and emphasised that construction of this scale could not have been achieved without all parties working in a Team approach. PJ Hegarty & Sons also completed, in the same period, the enabling works project for the IDL new Maturation Facility in Dungourney. Situated on a 70 acre site the works involved: earthworks, underground services, retention ponds, soil stabilisation and a new kilometre of roadway. Hegarty have now commenced works on new Warehouse construction on this site. Other works saw the construction of a new Archive Facility and Irish Whiskey Academy at the IDL Heritage Centre which adjoins the Distillery in Midleton. The Academy which is an educational facility for bartenders, journalists, VIPs and IDL

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PJ Hegarty & Sons “We have a partnership agreement in place that serves both companies very well. It is built on trust and a commitment to deliver projects safely, on schedule and to the highest quality”

employees, located in what was the distillery’s 200-year-old infirmary, and the Archive building, telling the story of Ireland’s whiskey brands, located in what was the old distillers’ cottages provided unique challenges to PJ Hegarty & Sons. The Irish Whiskey Academy has been fitted out with a state-of-the-art audiovisual system that includes high-definition video projection, as well as Sony Bravia Smart TVs, control using Samsung Galaxy tablets that give presenters and instructors finger-tip control of HD videos stored on a solid-state media player. The contrast between the academy’s high-spec modern interior and the old infirmary’s exterior is a marked one. “This work required a great deal of attention to conservation and preservation of the original fabric and fixtures in place,” said Cronin. PJ Hegarty & Sons is listed on the Register of Heritage Contractors as a main contractor, that has demonstrated their experience in managing heritage projects. In addition to its management abilities, PJ Hegarty & Sons reputation is built on having a solid base of traditional craft skills. Commenting on the relationship with IDL, Cronin said: “We have a partnership agreement in place that serves both companies very well. It is built on trust and a commitment to deliver projects safely, on schedule and to the highest quality. Central to the partnership is a willingness and loyalty from both companies to work closely together in meeting the demands of the IDL success story”. He also pointed out the importance of the relationship PJ Hegarty & Sons has with IDL when negotiating new works with other multinational companies. Separate to IDL and the Midleton Distillery, two years ago the Irish Whiskey Collection store, located in Dublin Airport’s The Loop Retail area won the Speciality Concept of the Year Award, ahead of worldwide competition at the Frontier Awards in Cannes. This

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PJ Hegarty & Sons fit-out project, completed by PJ Hegarty & Sons in September 2010, has been described as the world’s best travel retail shop for Irish whiskeys. While building contracting is PJ Hegarty & Sons’s primary activity it has a great deal of expertise in other areas, including fit-outs, and the company has done fit out projects for the office, retail, leisure, pharma and high-tech industries using its own list of specialist sub-contractors and suppliers to meet client needs.

University of Limerick Of course, when you have a track record as distinguished as PJ Hegarty & Sons, it is no surprise that your projects are again in the running for major prizes this year. Among the many distinguished projects that the company has worked on recently is the University of Limerick’s new School of Medicine building and three accompanying student accommodation blocks. Designed by Grafton Architects, these buildings have been shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize awarded annually to what is considered to be the best new building in the British Isles. In their description, RIBA have described the development as: “An exceptional example of how to create a vibrant new public space through the careful design and placement of buildings. High-quality, beautiful and dramatic buildings that punch far above their budget!” In completing the UL Medical School project, PJ Hegarty & Sons has shown no sign of being hampered by the fact that the contract was originally awarded to another construction team that has, due to the recent economic difficulties, gone out of business. “The biggest headache was the fact that the project had been stopped in its tracks and we had to pick up the pieces,” said Hegarty’s contracts manager John Walsh. “But with a great deal of good will from the sub-contractors, the designer and the client, we were able to pick up the pieces and deliver the project to a very high standard. Certainly, the college is very pleased with the finished article and it is winning high praise from users and visitors.” The Medical School building is a four-storey building with a total floor area of 4,295m2. Foundations to the building are comprised of piles with associated ground beams and pads upon which a structural insitu concrete frame was formed. An 80mm bluegrey limestone cladding forms the outer leaf of the external cavity wall with a 215mm blockwall inner leaf and face finished to the internal. Glazing to the ground floor was of a structural timber nature with aluminium used on the remainder of the building. The roof was constructed of insitu concrete with insulation and asphalt with aluminium roof lights. Within the structure is a lecture theatre, research laboratory, computer rooms, meeting areas and, on the third floor, office space and research labs. In the Medical School, with the exception of the Lecture Theatre and the research laboratory areas, all spaces are naturally lit and ventilated. On the ground floor there is public foyer, a café, a lecture theatre for 150 people, two seminar rooms, a plant room and toilet.. The interior wall finishes generally consisted of fair face blockwalls for ease of maintenance with some featured timber acoustic paneling to the lecture

theatre and lobby and specialist ‘clean wall system’ to laboratory area. Flooring is made up of tiling in the ground floor lobby and toilet areas, with carpets in classrooms and open areas and vinyl in laboratory areas. All levels are linked via an iroko-timber stairs. There are double-height limestone colonnades on the west and south facing elevations and these provide a sheltered area prior to entering the building. Internally a central four-storey void draws light from roof level and provides cross ventilation for the building. The student accommodation blocks consist of three separate buildings ranging from five- to sixfloors with a total combined floor area of 3,600m2. These contained 22 four-bedroom units and six two-bedroom units. Foundations, again, are piled with ground beams and pads. The structural frame comprises in situ concrete columns and beams with precast slabs and in situ concrete screed. The external cavity walls are made up of a brick exterior leaf, with a 215mm internal block leaf. Timber glazing with

limestone sills is used throughout the three buildings. Access to each building was via feature timber gates. The roofs are constructed of precast slab units with in situ concrete screed topped off with insulation and torch on felt. Wall finishes are generally a painted, skimmed plasterboard with tiling to toilet and kitchen areas. Flooring consists of carpet to bedrooms, tiling to stairs, lobbies and toilets, vinyl to kitchen areas. Each of the accommodation blocks is entered through a protected ‘archway-type’ space that is lit from above and from the sides and is part double-height. The external piazza and the various walkways surrounding the buildings contain more than 7,000m2 of ‘hardscaping’ paving. The residences are designed to form an integral part of a suite of buildings which generate a new public space, or piazza, on the universities North Campus, which is located across the river on the Clare side of the Shannon. All the buildings are designed to accommodate a number of environmental design strategies such as solar panels to provide hot water.

Irish Building Magazine

Founded in 2009 by Ken Matson and Neville Sweetnam with over 30 years experience in the window and glazing market. 20/20 Window & Glazing Systems has a clear vision of what glazing systems should be used to get the best results for our customers. We understand the needs of our customers and will go to extra lengths to achieve total satisfaction.

Structural Steel Fabricators & Erectors

Supplier of Cut & Bent Reinforcing and Fabric Mesh Also Pile Cages up to 2.1 metres dia. Manufacturers of Overhead Cranes & Hoists Steel Stockholders & Processors.

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Precision Interiors is one of Cork’s leading Suspended Ceiling and Partitioning Specialists with over 10 years experience of both Commercial and Industrial Refurbishment projects on a sub-contract, or direct contract basis.

We Have The Experience We’ve completed projects with some of Ireland’s leading construction companies We Have The Man-Power No matter how large the project we have the man-power you need. We Have The Reputation Our attention to detail on every project means we have excellent references.

Our ceiling and partitioning services include: Minor repairs and alterations Complete refurbishment packages Suspended ceilings, Fire cladding Specialist cladding - eg. Radiation Proof Internal partitioning of all types, Insulation installation Fire barriers and smoke cavity barriers All types of plasterboard work Finishing works Skimcoat Plastering Plastering and tape & jointing

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We offer our clients advice on which products and systems bests suits their needs. Our focus is on energy efficient windows, doors and new glazing systems to reduce our customers energy costs. Visit our website for additional information. www.2020glazing.com

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Precision Interiors Ltd. Precision Coolea, Windsor Hill,Interiors Glounthaune, Co. Ltd. Cork.

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‘YOUR PARTNERS IN GROWTH’ Envotech Ltd., an Irish Engineering firm was launched in 2000 to provide best in class GMP Technical Services exclusively to our Clients in the: Pharmaceutical, Electronics Healthcare and Medical Device Industry sectors. We specialise in HVAC Facility Qualification/Certification and Utilities Maintenance from concept to demolition e.g. Project Design Value Analysis, Clean Environment Validation, Certification, HVAC, Refrigeration, Utilities and Decommissioning. We measure our success at meeting our Clients Requirements by the amount of repeat business each has given to Envotech Ltd over the last 13 years. We pride ourselves on providing our Clients with consistently high levels of service. We back up this statement with a unique combination of Quality Systems, Excellent Skill Sets/Qualifications and Field Experience. We provide Facility, Plant, System and Equipment Qualification and Verification under the streamlined platform of ASTM 2500 supported by our Quality Plan and GEP. These in turn are supported by our suite of quality Processes and Procedures. Additionally our Clients have the opportunity to leverage our documentation to support their in-house qualification programmes.

Envotech Limited, Crosshaven Hill, Crosshaven, Co Cork T: 021 485 2448 E: info@envotech.eu www.envotech.eu

PJ Hegarty & Sons

Boston Scientific

Good Flavour Another project where PJ Hegarty & Sons demonstrated great flexibility, coming in to take charge after the original main contractor had run into difficulty and gone out of business, was at the new PepsiCo ingredients plant at Little Island in Cork. The high-tech facility takes key components of finished seasoning powders and blends them together to create ‘flavour hearts’ chiefly for use in flavouring Walkers Crisps. Named Project Evolve 2.0 by PepsiCo, the new two-storey facility is about 3,600m2 in area and includes: an ambient warehouse, a relative humidity controlled warehouse, a clean manufacturing production suite, utility support areas and admin, welfare and laboratory areas. It is hoped that up to 50 people will be employed at the site in coming years. As Irish Building went to press, PJ Hegarty & Sons had handed the building over to PepsiCo Worldwide Flavours, but its staff were still on site while the four week trial running and validation trials were taking place. The building had passed an inspection by the insurance company Factory Mutual and should also meet the requirements of the American LEED programme or leadership in energy and environmental design. Contract manager Barry Casey admitted that there was ‘some difficulties’ taking over a project that had been half way completed by the original main contractor, but he said: “We hit the ground running and everything was completed on time, within 21 weeks, and on budget – which was €9m not including the process equipment that had to come in from Germany. The client appears to be very happy with what we have achieved and we hope to work with PepsiCo Worldwide Flavours again.”

Stryker Another significant Cork-based project was the construction of a new € 24.8m factory for Boston Scientific on the Model Farm Road – although the factory was built for Boston Scientific it will be leased to Stryker, another medical devices firm, who have bought Boston Scientific’s neurovascular division which made implants to treat strokes and aneurysms. A number of staff from Boston Scientific’s original plant on the Model Farm Road are transferring to the new Stryker building.

PJ Hegarty has completed a number of projects for Boston Scientific, which it first secured as a client in 1998. 25

Irish Building Magazine

One of Ireland’s leading experts in the installation of ventilation, airconditioning systems and manufacturer of HVAC ducting.

Garrabridge is one of Ireland’s leading suppliers of luminaires and lighting control systems.

BCL Metal At BCL Metal Ltd, we manufacture a complete range of heating and ventilation ductwork together with a full range of associated products.

BCL Ventilation At BCL Ventilation Ltd, we install air conditioning and ventilation systems, including all HVAC ductwork to your precise specifications. We use the latest in computerised technology, to help with both the design and costing processes, and ensure the most efficient use of your time and money at every stage.

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Garrabridge Lighting & Controls, Commercial House, 4&5 The Square, Cahir, Co. Tipperary. T: 052 7443243/4/6 F: 052 7443245 E: sales@garrabridge.co.uk

catalogue 2011 Garrabridge Lighting & Controls, F1, 11-12 Southcombe Street, London W14 0RA, England. T. +44 207 3483444 www.garrabridge.co.uk

Holden Installations Limited specialises in the design, manufacture and installation of cleanroom environments

PureSeal Cleanroom Systems Walls • Ceilings • Doors • Lights • Windows Holden Installations Ltd., Block 7/8, Little Island Ind. Estate, Little Island, Co. Cork. T: 021 4354 340 | E: info@holden.ie | www.holden.ie

PJ Hegarty & Sons The new two-storey building is next door to Boston Scientific’s existing Cork operation. The development comprises a 3,600m2 clean room on the ground floor where three types of neurovascular coil will be manufactured, a 2,300m2 warehouse with our dock levellers, a 2,200m2 admin/office area and a 1,200m2 plant room, as well as 540 car parking spaces, electrical switch rooms, a sprinkler tank, a pump house and groundworks. This is one of many projects that PJ Hegarty & Sons has completed for Boston Scientific, which it first secured as a client in 1998. Project director Tim Healy said that a major difficulty to be overcome was that one of the main subcontractors, Rotary, went into liquidation about of a third of a way through the construction process. He said: “The building works progressed at a lesser pace, while the client went to the market to secure an alternative contractor to replace Rotary. O’Kane Engineering were the successful bidder, they had actually worked on the original Boston Scientific building next door 14 years previous. In order to achieve the clients handover dates the on-site hours were extended to ensure the clean room phase of the project in October was achieved. The Client’s requested a phased handover, so that Boston Scientific could commence early validation works which was hugely important and critical to the success of their production schedules. In all there were four phases to the project. Phase one consisted of enabling works involving the construction of a new car park for Boston Scientific staff so that the new facility could be built on the location of the existing car park. Phase 2 involved construction of the clean room section of the building including a temporary connecting corridor, built to clean room standard, between the new and existing clean rooms. Phases 3 and 4 were the completion and handover of firstly the warehouse section and then the office section of the building. Co-ordination of these works with client operations was again critical to ensure validation procedures within the handed over clean room area was not affected in any way. The new manufacturing facility building was constructed using reinforced concrete foundations and a structural steel frame with both precast and insitu composite metal deck concrete suspended floor slabs. The quality of concrete floor finish was very important to the client for both the warehouses and cleanroom facilities. Stringent quality control procedures, including PJ Hegarty & Sons’s bespoke Inspection & Testing Sign-off sheets, were implemented on this project, as with all of the company’s projects. The building façade consisted of insulated architectural cladding panels, curtain wall glazing and architectural brickwork. The roofing consisted of metal roof deck and trocal roofing membrane. Healy said: “ The building it is very well-finished with very good use of natural light and complemented by very good architectural details .” The contract also included the full installation of extensive mechanical & electrical services (including cooling systems) and the complete architectural fit out of the warehouses, clean room and offices, which PJ Hegarty & Sons co-ordinated in its role as main contractor and project supervisor of the construction stage (PSCS). Another life sciences project that PJ Hegarty & Sons worked on recently, the 200,000ft2 Merck Sharpe & Dohme Vaccine and Biologics Sterile Facility in County Carlow won the Operational Excellence category for the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering’s

Irish Building Magazine

Call us on

(021) 430 7953 (087) 266 6665

MACHINE INSTALLATIONS & REMOVAL SPECIALISTS

N.N.F NOEL NOONAN FABRICATIONS Specialists in Stainless Steel Ballustraddes & Handrails

Heavy Lift Engineering has been in business over 25 years. We are now a well established company with a dedicate workforce. Based in kilbarry business park in the heart of Cork city. We provide a high quality service to our clients. We specialise in the installation and removal of all machinery types. Whatever type of industrial plant and machinery you need moved we are the experts who can get the work done for you in a professional and efficient manner. Some of the industries we cater for are:

* Pharmaceutical Industry * Food Industry * Brewery Industry * Dairy Industry * Local Industry

Our staff have a wealth of experience and training and have the expertise and knowledge necessary to carry out their work to the highest standards in the market.

Gates & Railing Fabricated & All general Fabrications Noel Noonan fabrications, 7 Faion Tuath, Cul Ard, Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork. T: 021 4307953 E: stainlessnoel@gmail.com

Call us now for all your needs 021 4307953.

“Proud to have worked with PJ Hegarty for more than 40 years” Some recent & current projects for PJ Hegarty include: Loughlinstown Sports Facility: Pitch Perimeter Sportsmesh & Ballstop Netting, KeeKlamp® Barriers

Cork & Limerick Prisons: Kilmainham 358 Prison Mesh & Gates Pfizer Grange Castle:

Kylemore Perimeter Mesh

Rathcoole OPW Transmitter Mast: Kilmainham 358 Prison Mesh

Phibblestown & Adamstown Schools: Gates, Kilbarry Mesh, Ballstop Netting, Leinster System Railings

Specification

Manufacturing

Company

Our technical department work with Surveyors, The 20,000 sq. ft. manufacturing plant in Architects & Consulting Engineers to produce Dublin is the main base for our fabrication, professional quotations and specifications. coating & quality systems.

With 40 Years of experience Irish Fencing are the market leaders in Industrial & Institutional Security

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Automation & Access Control Manufacture & Supply Only Delivery, Installation & Associated Civil Works Maintenance & Repairs

Head Office - Dublin Irish Fencing & Railings Ltd. Kylemore Park South, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10. t. +353 1 626 8363 1 850 33 62 46 (1850 FENCING) f. +353 1 626 2309 e. info@irishfencing.com Cork Office Bolands Yard, Mallow Road, Co. Cork t. +353 21 439 7313 f. +353 21 439 7486 e. cork@irishfencing.com Newry Office Irish Fencing & Railings (N.I.) Ltd. Unit 13, Block A, Flurry Bridge Business Park, Lower Foughill Road, Newry, Co. Down, BT35 8SQ t. +44 28 7187 8753 f. +44 87 1559 2212 e. newry@irishfencing.co.uk Draperstown/Magherafelt Office Irish Fencing & Railings (N.I.) Ltd. Rogers Business Park, 76 Derrynoid Road, Draperstown, Magherafelt, Co.Derry, BT45 7DW t. +44 28 7187 8753 f. +44 28 7962 8256 e. sales@irishfencing.co.uk

PJ Hegarty & Sons Facility of the Year Awards 2013. The €14.5m MSD facility is the first stand-alone human vaccine project in Ireland and it includes a formulation and sterile filling operation and an R&D team to support recently launched vaccines, as well as a range of new products to be launched in the future.

Leisure and Recreation On the other side of the country, in Dun Laoghaire - Rathdown, PJ Hegarty & Sons has recently completed its latest leisure project, the refurbishment and extension of Loughlinstown Leisure Centre so that it now includes a 25m swimming pool, a ‘changing village’ and a public viewing area, as well as three new all-weather football pitches, replacing three football pitches prone to water logging that had been there, plus additional car parks to cater for the increased number of visitors to the centre.. The €6.8m leisure centre was designed by architects Simon J Kelly + Partners, who previously won the contract to design the new Dún Laoghaire Library & Cultural Centre. The Loughlinstown has been given a new entrance foyer, replacing the pavilion that had stood there. According to Colm Cantillion of SJK: The foyer is conceived as a transparent, light-filled, welcoming space placed between the solid volumes of the brick-clad pool and the newly rendered existing building.” PJ Hegarty & Son’s project director Liam Bennett said: “The client is very happy with the high-quality finish that has been achieved and it is great to see a local authority able and willing to invest in recreational facilities like these. “It was a straightforward project but required careful management in relation to logistics and quality of finished project. It was phased to allow completion of the artificial pitches first followed by the centre itself. “We worked very well with the design team and there was a good sense of cooperation among everyone involved. Safety standards

by all were excellent, thanks mainly to our Project Manager, Sean O’Mahony and Project Engineer, John Treacy.” Certainly, Dun Laoghaire – Rathdown’s CEO of Leisure Services is delighted with the centre: ““The local community, existing leisure centre users, and schools in the area will all enjoy swim sessions, lessons, fitness, and fun in the new pool, adding greatly to the leisure and fitness options provided by the Loughlinstown Centre. This is an invaluable resource, which can improve the health and well-being of all those who use the pool, and perhaps even help develop some of Ireland’s future national swimming team.” Dun Laoghaire – Rathdown county Council’s project manager on the scheme, Rory O’Sullivan said: “I found PJ Hegarty & Sons to be a highly progressive, quality-driven and competent contractor.

The client is very happy with the high-quality finish that has been achieved and it is great to see a local authority able and willing to invest in recreational facilities like these.

Irish Building Magazine

Michael Doyle Civil Engineering Ltd has over 20 years solid experience specialising in site development work covering the whole of Ireland. We are a diverse and accommodating company, that has successfully completed many major complex projects in the energy, telecommunications, windfarm, property and infrastructure sectors. We also offer a professional building and refurbishment service and provide the very best quality work on residential and commercial properties. Our skilful tradesmen are talented professionals who are not only extremely hard working and knowledgeable but also honest and conscientious.

BUILDING

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A family business, the company also has a strong management team of hardworking, experienced and specialist professionals that have earned the company an enviable reputation of reliability and quality. Our approach of working with the project team to deliver both cost and programme savings has and will continue to give us the advantage of being the preferred contractor.

WIND ENERGY

Contact us today to see what we can do for your business: Cooladine, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford. Tel: 053 9230323 Email: info@mdce.ie

www.mdce.ie

Curran Aluminium & PVC Ltd has been operating for over 30 years and has been a leading manufacturer and supplier of glazing systems throughout Ireland.

“Your Painting & Decorating Partner” Proud of our association with PJ Hegarty & Sons on the Loughlinstown Sports Facility. Contact Andrew to discuss your next project. Kilgraigue, Kilcloon, Co Meath. T 01 629 0746 M: 087 2858510 E: andrew@mackeycontractors.ie www. mackeycontractors.ie

Our company specialises in: • Windows • Doors • Curtain Walling Screens • Shopfronts • Planner glazing / Stainless Steel • Rooflights. As a company we believe in high quality products, matched with professional staff, a necessity for the standard of work we set ourselves no matter what size of project. Curran Aluminium & PVC Ltd, Ballycummin Ave, Raheen Business Park, Limerick. T. 061 307100 E. sales@curranalu.ie www.curranalu.ie

PJ Hegarty & Sons

They completed the works within the contract period and to our great satisfaction within budget. During the construction period, the existing Leisure Centre was open for business and this involved a high level of coordination and cooperation between PJH and DLR Leisure Services. PJ Hegarty & Sons executed their works safely and professionally facilitating the Leisure Centre’s customers at all times.” O’Sullivan’s comments are another glowing testimonial to the quality and craftsmanship of PJ Hegarty & Sons and the company’s willingness to work in partnership for the betterment of construction and engineering projects. r

PJ Hegarty & Sons - Corporate Vision

PJ Hegarty & Son’s vision is to be recognised as a leader in its industry that: • Embraces teamwork and builds partnerships with Clients and Consultants. • Approaches every project, regardless of size, with honesty, integrity and full commitment. • Values relationships and seeks to build trust with all stakeholders. • Appreciative and considerate of our people by ensuring the highest standards of Health & Safety. • Environmentally aware and strives for continuous improvement in sustainable building.

‘I found PJ Hegarty & Sons to be a highly progressive, qualitydriven and competent contractor’. Dun Laoghaire – Rathdown county Council’s project manager on the scheme, Rory O’Sullivan.

NORRIS BROS. LTD. STRADBALLY, CO. WATERFORD. Tel. (051) 292215 / 291222

Structural Steel, Roofing & Cladding. Fully Tax Compliant Company Fully Insured, REA Compliant Health & Safety Compliant, with over 20 years experience using only the best quality materials to guarantee success.

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Irish Building Magazine

International Award

Premier Electrics

Penneys Flagship Store, Mary Street, Dublin.

Premier Electrics celebrates 20 years delivering quality projects on time and within budget. From humble beginnings in rural South Derry Premier Electrics has developed over the last 20 years to become a leading player in the Irish market.

oday it’s a very different business indeed from the one established back in 1993 by electrician, Mark Scullion. Scullion recalls vividly those early days. “Back then we were very much a small, family business – literally one man and a van. While we had a degree of ambition the focus then was not on growth but on providing a service that was driven by quality and performance. It’s encouraging to see these are still the major drivers today.” Scullion identifies a strong work ethic and a can-do attitude as other vital ingredients within the Premier success which has taken the multi-award winning business to its current size of 150 people and €35m turnover. “Our guiding principles of quality, a can-do attitude, teamwork, communication and value for money resonate well with our clients which include major retail brands like Penneys (who operate as Primark outside Ireland), ASDA, M&S, Virgin Group, Arcadia, H&M, Zara, Debenhams and John Lewis as well as main contractors such as Bennett, Walls, Sisk, Simons, Simpsons, McLaughlin & Harvey and H and J Martin. These principles form our corporate DNA and every member of our team is immersed in

them,” says Scullion. While Premier’s primary focus has been on serving the needs of major UK and Irish-owned retailers committed to newbuilds and store refreshes as well as main contractors seeking a trustworthy electrical contracting partner the company does extensive work in other sectors including hospitality, mixed-use, office, warehousing, and leisure (including sports’ facilities) throughout Ireland, the UK and Europe. “In recent years we have been pleased to have been involved in many signature projects including the world’s largest Primark store in Manchester,

Mary’s Bar, Magherafelt.

Irish Building Magazine

Supplying trade and industry with a wide range of quality Electrical Products and Services.

Ballymena

The Electrical Wholesaler For Service Proud suppliers of suppliers:

Total management flexibility from all our locations. Congratulations to Premier Electrics on their 20 years in business and wishing them continued success in the future. For all your electrical supply needs call us on : 028 25641511 or email: ballymena.387@eel.co.uk

Making Your World a Safer Place Chubb Ireland offers tailored solutions for a wide range of disciplines: • • • • • • •

Intruder, Access, CCTV Systems – Installation, Maintenance & Monitoring Fire Detection Systems – Commissioning, Maintenance & Monitoring Fire Extinguishers & Fire Protection Systems – Installation & Maintenance Fire Risk Assessment & Fire Training Remote CCTV Monitoring & Lone Worker Protection Monitoring Vehicle Tracking Monitoring Systems Locks & Safes – Supply and Installation CHUBB IRELAND HQ, Unit 2 Stillorgan Industrial Park, Blackrock, Co. Dublin Call us on: 01 2953333 or email: info@chubb.ie

Premier Electrics

Audi, London.

Avoca, Belfast. Penneys at Mary Street, Dublin, The Dorchester Hotel in London, Audi’s flagship showroom in Piccadilly, London and Top Shop’s flagship store in Oxford Street, London.” But, as Scullion points out, Premier can boast unrivalled versatility and its experience goes well outside retail. “Over the years our teams have delivered dozens of non-retail electrical installation projects for clients including Independent News and Media; Regus (office fit out); The Independent Medical Clinic at Ballykelly, Jurys Hotel, Manchester and the VIP lounge for Aer Lingus at Dublin Airport. “Within the sporting arena we have been proud to have worked on a major indoor sports facility in Dunloy Co. Antrim consisting of 50m x25m 3G Astra turf playing surface, changing rooms, state of the art Gym and an outdoor ball wall as well as floodlighting schemes for Ballymena RFC and Bellaghy GAC. “On the hospitality front we’ve been responsible for electrical fitouts of Jury’s Hotel Manchester, Belfast’s plush Zen Restaurant and a host of major Northern Ireland entertainment venues such

as The Elk Bar Toomebridge and award-winning Mary’s Bar in Magherafelt Co.Derry. Within the last four years especially Premier has becoming increasingly active in the European market where its team has delivered major projects in locations such as Germany, Spain, Portugal, Romania, Holland, Austria and Belgium. This has come as a result of its partnership strategy with a number of key clients which have been borne out of long-standing professional relationships. Premier’s international expansion has meant heavy investment for the Irish business in both infrastructure, technology and staff training. “In order to compete successfully on an Ireland, UK and now European stage we have introduced leading edge processes, technologically sophisticated in-house design and training all of which are aimed at ensuring we deliver consistently on our core client promises of being on time and on budget,” says Premier’s General Manager, Tony Shivers. Shivers continues: “As the client base and operating territories have grown we have also added an office presence in Germany and put people on the ground in London to be closer to our clients and position us for further growth in these important areas.” What Premier’s clients say... Premier’s performance and quality of delivery is recognised independently in a number of ways. As well as winning the International Award in the UTV / Business Eye awards for its strong growth across Europe and the Aer Lingus / Viscount Exporter of the Year prize Premier also came runner up in the Business Growth category of the UK’s Construction News Specialist Awards earlier this year. While these recognitions are important cross-sectoral benchmarks for the business the most important validation of Premier’s work comes from its clients. “The feedback we get from our clients often refers to the strong quality of our workmanship, our can-do attitude, dedication, commitment and ability to deliver on time and within budget in what often can be a very challenging timetable and working environment,” says Shivers. “Given the strength of our corporate focus on these elements it is always gratifying to see them acknowledged by our clients.”

The Dorchester Hotel, London

Our guiding principles of quality, a cando attitude, teamwork, communication and value for money resonate well with our clients

Primark, Germany

Penneys, Mary Street. TESTIMONIAL “We called Premier Electrics’ Maintenance division on a Thursday at 1030pm with an emergency. We needed them quickly. A rainwater pipe had burst which had the potential to cause flooding, create a major electrical hazard and require us to close while the damage was repaired. Their team arrived promptly and got to work through the night stripping out all unsafe electrical areas and providing us with a temporary option which enabled us to open as usual at 9am the next morning. To avoid disruption the Premier team undertook a programme to reinstate the damaged electrics working out of hours with the result that our customers, staff and trading were completely unaffected.” Leading Irish Retailer

Irish Building Magazine

Founded in 1970, Automation Controls Limited is one of Northern Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s longest established manufacturers of electrical distribution systems. As a primary manufacturer or sub-contractor Automation Controls Limited has established a reputation of manufacturing quality products for: Industrial & Commercial Textile Utilities Automation Controls Limited designs and manufactures: LV Switchboards Metering & Distribution Cabinets Lighting Control Panels. Motor Control Panels . Environment Control Centres. Musgrave Park Industrial Estate, 22 Stockmans Way, Belfast, BT9 7JU Telephone: (048) 9068 1391 E-mail: info@automationcontrolsltd.co.uk

wilson electrical wholesale Pleased to be associated with Premier Electrics wishing them well for the future.

Unit 14A | Linfield Industrial Estate | Belfast | BT12 5LA T: 0044 (0) 28 9024 6666 F: 0044 (0) 289024 6677 E: info@wewholesale.co.uk

Premier Electrics TESTIMONIALS Thank you to the teams on both stores for their dedication, commitment and ‘can do’ approach… Major UK Retailer. Congratulations to Premier on receiving such a high KPI score, one of the highest I’ve seen … Major UK Retailer

M&S Colliers Wood Organic growth leads to new maintenance division Keen to play on its strengths as a business that builds strong and sustainable partnerships with its clients as a result of consistent delivery of quality workmanship Premier has formally established a Maintenance Division in the past year. This new division, headed by John Martin, has been set up to handle planned and reactive electrical maintenance programmes for businesses in Ireland. John Martin explains: “As a business with its roots in maintenance and a strong track record for supplying maintenance services to large clients outside Ireland it has been a natural progression for us to extend the facility to the island of Ireland. “Our comprehensive Planned Maintenance packages are tailored around client needs and aimed at minimising the chances of business disruption. “Our typical Planned Maintenance Package elements include: Statutory Requirements’ audits; Periodic testing; PAT testing; Emergency Lighting testing; Fire Alarm servicing and testing; Security System servicing and testing; Generator servicing and testing; HV servicing and testing; Thermal Imaging; UPS

DW Gym, Aylesbury, UK. Servicing; Energy Audits and Reactive Planning. “We know there is no such things a one size fitting all. So our experts will sit down and devise a tailored plan which reflects a client’s needs, aspirations and budget.” Premier’s Maintenance Service comprises three key stages: AUDIT ? Indepth audit of client buildings in light of Statutory Requirements, Energy Use and a range of other categories. ANALYSE ? Consider the various mandatory and optional requirements using Premier’s unrivalled experience and expertise. ADVISE – Premier will guide clients on how the various elements should be prioritised, how running costs could be reduced and the contents of an Annual Maintenance Plan. Premier’s scale, size and structure means their experts can access cities and towns across Ireland with ease. With teams located strategically throughout the island locations from the North West of Ireland to the South East of Ireland can be accessed with ease at short notice. Martin continues: “We know how important it is for every business to continue to function normally, even when faced with the unexpected. So not only will our teams arrive promptly but they’ll make it their business to get clients back up and running without any undue delays.” The future

Disney, Belfast

Site teams well supported by their HQ... delivered high quality workmanship to challenging programme… Major Irish Construction company.

We know how important it is for every business to continue to function normally, even when faced with the unexpected. So not only will our teams arrive promptly but they’ll make it their business to get clients back up and running without any undue delays

With a strong order book, a market-leading reputation and a relentless focus on delivering quality projects throughout Ireland, the UK and Europe on time and within budget Premier is quietly confident as it moves further forward into 2013 and beyond. As well as ongoing commitments in Ireland and the UK the company is actively engaged in a range of new European projects in locations as diverse as Zoetermeer and Eindhoven in Holland, Vienna, Cologne, Dusseldorf and Berlin. “It’s been fantastic to see the growth of the company from a small family-orientated business into a hugely professional international one over the past 20 years, “ says Mark Scullion. “To enjoy continued growth even through one of the worst recessions ever is testament to the professionalism of our team, the strength of relationships we build with clients and our unrivalled reputation for getting jobs done on time and within budget every time. That brings its own pressures, but they’re the sorts of pressures we like.” For more information on Premier Electrics please log Independent News and Media, Newry on to www.premierelectrics.com. r

Irish Building Magazine

Main Contractors for Two RIAI Award Winning Buildings

Ballyroan Library, Best Public Building Presentation College Bray, Best Educational Building

Other recently completed projects include: NUIM Phoenix Restaurant

Respond! Housing Tallaght

Sheehy Motors Naas

Ballyroan Library

Presentation College Bray

MDY Construction Seeing Double Two projects executed recently by MDY Construction, Ballyroan Library and Presentation College Bray, have each won a 2013 RIAI Architecture Awards further bolstering the Kildare-based firm’s reputation for quality and professionalism. CIAN MOLLOY reports.

wo projects executed recently by MDY Construction, Ballyroan Library and Presentation College Bray, have each won a 2013 RIAI Architecture Awards further bolstering the Kildare-based firm’s reputation for quality and professionalism. CIAN MOLLOY reports. Architecture awards are primarily for architects, but there is a little reflected glory for anyone involved in a winning project, especially one that has won a prize as prestigious as an RIAI award, which is why MDY Managing Director Mel O’Reilly is delighted that Ballyroan Library won the Best Public Building Award for Box Architects and Presentation College Bray won the RIAI Best Educational Building Award for Paul Keogh Architects. “They were two great projects to work on where everyone involved was committed to achieving the best result possible,” said O’Reilly. “We are delighted for the two architecture firms and if we get any additional kudos, we will take it.” Founded in 1985 and with offices in Staplestown, Co Kildare, MDY Construction tackles projects ranging in value from €1m to €50m. The company’s portfolio includes: Healthcare and nursing homes, schools and educational facilities, retail and commercial buildings, leisure and sports facilities, food production facilities, public & private residential developments, large-scale warehousing and distribution facilities, waste-water treatment

plants and a wide range of civil engineering work.

‘MDY are

Brought to Book

the best

MDY are described by Gary Mongey of Box Architecture as ‘the best mid-sized contractor that I have ever worked with’. He told Irish Building: “I really enjoyed working with them, they were very positive – always progressive, never aggressive. “We use an internet-based file sharing system and they were very quick to adapt to that and to adopt it themselves. We also use Revit, a building information modelling (BIM) software package, that they really took to and used in a way I hadn’t seen before. “The BIM allows you to do mock-ups of what different renders and finishes should look like when complete and they took print outs of these and stuck them up on site so that all the subcontractors would know what the finished result would look like. As a result, there was a very high level of buy in by the sub contractors and a commitment to achieving the best quality result possible. Of course we had our regular site visits, but in between visits I never had subcontractors phoning me up so much to check on specific details if they had any doubt at all about what needed to be done.” Before the new library could be built, its predecessor on the site had

mid-sized contractor that I have ever worked with’ Gary Mongey of Box Architecture. 39

Irish Building Magazine

Carnehill Building Services Ltd are proud to have worked as a specialist fit out sub contractor to MDY Construction Ltd on the internal Fit out of the Award Winning Ballyroan Library. Our services provided on Ballyroan Library included: l l l l l l l

Class O Oak wall and ceiling Panelling Oak Clad Stairs Internal fire rated doors and screens. Bespoke Beech Playpods Gyptone Acoustic Ceilings and Partitions Fitted Furniture l Rooflight Glazing External Soffit Cladding.

Carnehill was established in 2003 and offers a broad range of services to all sectors of the construction industry. Since being established Carnehill has gained extensive experience in the delivery of Interior fit out work and refurbishment contracts. In addition to working with some of Ireland’s leading building contractors Carnehill has also undertaken complete fit out contracts where we have conducted the role of PSCS for clients such as the OPW. Through our dedicated management team we provide our clients with an excellent service right throughout the life time of the project working closely with key members for the construction process to ensure our projects are delivered on time, within budget and to the highest quality and safety standards. For any enquiries please contact Emmett Kinsella on 086 1734583 or email Emmett.kinsella@carnehill.com

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MDY Construction

Ballyroan Library to be demolished by MDY. The new facility 1,400m2 facility offers almost double the floorspace of the old library and the €4m project for South Dublin County Council is the largest library build in recent years, which is fitting given that Ballyroan is one of Greater Dublin’s busiest libraries. Notably, the new library is part of a wider community development that included the extension and ‘opening up’ of Ballyroan’s existing community centre and the construction of a new pastoral centre for Ballyroan parish. The Library features the use of high-quality pre-cast concrete in its construction, with Concast providing wall panels, beams, columns, stairs landings and wideslabs all produced to a quality higher that specified in the Precast Code. There were 16m beams used to create the large open space that forms the reading room at the centre of the building. There is an internal street, with a very high ceiling, almost like that of an atrium. Where the pre-cast concrete forms part of the building’s exterior, an external insulated render system has been applied to provide a highlevel of thermal performance. “The building has been completed to a very high level of air-tightness so that it could achieve a BER A-grade standard,” said O’Reilly. “There is quite a complex BMS managing heating, ventilation, and heat recovery. It’s quite a complex building with occupancy levels that vary from two or three people in quiet periods to large crowds during events.” The new library building is part single-storey and part two-storey with two new entrances: one to the North, accessed from Orchardstown Avenue, and one to the south, accessed via Orchardstown villas giving Presentation College Bray

access into the new double height internal street. This new street can be used for group activities, larger exhibitions, readings, meetings, to read the newspaper and can adjust as needs change. The furniture is movable to allow these different activities to occur. The lower section of the northern two-storey element houses cellular elements for more defined public uses. A timber lining snakes in and out of the public and private elements to clearly identify these public and private realms. The timber elements, within the exhibition area in particular, can be opened and

Being in any way associated with award-winning buildings is beneficial, not only for the company, but for the management team, the specialist subcontractors, and the craftworkers involved. closed to adapt to the library’s needs. A staff office is provided at ground floor for ease of access and monitoring. Two seminar rooms can be divided into separate rooms of varying sizes, giving the library flexibility and allows for organising individual internet access or for setting up the computers and desks in a classroom arrangement. Toilet facilities and other associated services elements are housed in this area. On the other side of the internal street a large reading room is accessed through a series of fins where there

is a change in the ceiling heights to denote a quieter area of the library. The layout of furniture can we arranged to suit the demographics of the users with loose furniture on casters positioned in varying layouts to suit the changing needs. It is an open plan room lit from above by means of roof-lights with more intimate reading areas off the main space in the form of pods that overlook the adjoining streets. These pods can be a place to study or sit and read. A children’s area is located on the south and is used for book readings, arts and crafts and other activities, and it can be closed off completely if required. Internet access is provided in this area for more concentrated studying. Access to the first floor is by a public staircase or by lift to a more private area for local research and private study area. The main staff facilities and book storage are located on this level. The car park to the south of the library has been remodelled to make it more friendly to pedestrians and it contains seating areas where people can go and read al fresco, but to preserve the privacy of those inside the library there is a landscaped buffer zone between the car park and the windows looking out from the pod reading areas. In the RIAI award citation, the judges said: “The best new libraries balance interaction and reflection, the book and the computer. Arranged around a high, colonnaded street, a satisfying sequence of flexible spaces offers degrees of enclosure, volume and view to facilitate differing dynamics of the individual and the group. Choice is reinforced by the quality of materials and detailing both contributing to the

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Crowe Engineering Ltd. Crowe Engineering Ltd. have been providing quality Electrical Services Installations, including major Electrical Plant and Distribution Systems, since it’s inception in 1962. The company has established itself in the Irish Market, as a competitive and competent force in the Electrical Specialist side of today’s Construction Industry. Our Service Include: Electrical Contracting Electrical Maintenance / Commissioning Pleased to be associated with MDY Construction Crowe Engineering Ltd. Feltrim Industrial Park Drynam Road, Swords, Co. Dublin. T. 01 8407769 F. 01 8407772 E. info@crowe.ie

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• Steel Staircases • Fire Escapes • Balconies • • Gates & Railings • Light Structural Steelwork • Established in 2000, Town & Country has had major success servicing some of the top construction companies in the commercial, industrial and domestic markets. The direct participation of the owner, Anthony Peyton, in all contracts ensures the highest standard of finish and compliance with timetables. Our goal is for a high quality finish on all of our projects, a focus on reliability and a commitment to giving the very best service. Belcamp Lane, Dublin 17. T: 01 857 6559 M: 087 234 6907 E: info@townandcountrysteelwork.ie www.townandcountrysteelwork.ie

MDY Construction

Presentation College Bray modest, but still decidedly civic, character of the library.” Top Class The Presentation College Bray project also involved an element of demolition, but the 21 month long work programme had to be managed in such a way that new classrooms were built before old classrooms were demolished so that all 600 students and staff could continue to be accommodated on the site. Coordination of the works around the exam periods was critical as the Sports Hall, the final element of the complex, could not be built until the original building and examination hall were demolished. The older 1960s buildings that were retained required general refurbishment that included upgrading of services, new windows, improved air tightness, insulation and finishes. There was also a need for Ballyroan Library

an asbestos survey and a requirement to remove asbestos, used as pipe lagging, which was found on the site. The complex was expanded with the construction of a three-storey building and an adjoining single-storey lean-to that contain general classrooms, specialists teaching areas and ancillary accommodation. Alongside this new block is a new single-storey sports hall with adjoining ancillary accommodation including changing rooms and storage facilities for multiple activities.. The various buildings – both new and existing – are grouped around and entered off a new school square. The existing rugby pitches are retained to the front and back and were augmented with new outdoor basketball courts and separate Sports Hall. The central corridor of the three-storey main school building benefits from natural daylight via its tripleheight atria. These atria also provide ventilation and

daylight to the main circulation and classroom areas below. The main building also faces east to maximise the sea views from the classrooms and to enjoy the east light. The general purpose room is open to the main ground-floor central and this creates the public space within the school. The school buildings are designed to the highest standards and principles of passive technology, using plan form and section and natural lighting and ventilation to best advantage. O’Reilly said: “Being in any way associated with award-winning buildings is beneficial, not only for the company, but for the management team, the specialist subcontractors, and the craftworkers involved. It is especially encouraging in the present climate when financial returns are minimal at all levels in the industry. It is also rewarding that our general collaborative approach to contracting has borne dividends in both instances.” r

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THE MARKER HOTEL

A Marked Change.

he city’s first new public square since the Georgian squares were laid out in the 18th century, the area has been completely rejuvenated over the past 10 years. Bars and restaurants, a theatre designed by Daniel Liebskind and creative landscaping by American landscape architect Martha Schwartz all contribute to the bustling, thriving atmosphere in the Square. Now, the recently opened Marker Hotel has added another dynamic to the Dock and has solidified the area’s status as Dublin’s most exciting and successful hub.

On a warm sunny afternoon, there’s no more vibrant or exciting place to spend a couple of hours in Dublin at the moment than Grand Canal Square. The 187-room hotel featuring rainforest showers and sunken baths, a 23m infinity pool and an open-air rooftop bar with 360-degree views already has weddings and conference bookings and employs about 180 people. It took a while to get here though and everyone will be familiar with the hotel’s journey to completion. Designed in 2004 by Portuguese architect Manuel Aries Mateus with McCauley Daye O’Connell as Executive Architects and Interior Designers, the onset of the recession meant that the hotel didn’t open its doors to the public until 2013 after being bought over in 2012 by Brehon Capital partners and Mid-west Holdings. However the wait has obviously been worth it, with the hotel receiving an outstanding reception from guests and critics alike. McCauley Daye O’Connell, who also acted as Executive Architects on the adjoining Bord Gais Energy Theatre and HQ office development, were responsible for taking the design and translating it into a hotel design suitable for the Irish context and climate. That architectural concept for the hotel building envisaged a single coastal form eroded over time. This erosion formed a series of public spaces on the ground floor of the hotel. This concept encompassed the hotel bedrooms located overhead, which were envisaged as a honeycomb of openings formed through the form giving the bedrooms their unique shape and design. The walls of the bedrooms wrap out to a single frameless

The geometry of the external façade is wrapped down and inwards to form the ceiling of the public areas. The regular panels of the outside are transformed internally with twists and folds to create a dramatic fluid space where the ceiling and walls are one, folding down to rest on the seamless floor of polished terrazzo.

Irish Building Magazine

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The Marker Hotel

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THE MARKER HOTEL

picture window. The chequerboard façade form is constructed from lightweight glass reinforced concrete (GRC) panels with full height glazing, which reduced the enormous stresses on the cantilever structure below and facilitates the manipulation of the architectural form. The mass of the bedroom block is balanced onto just three columns at ground floor level. The eroded voids between these column supports create the public spaces of the hotel lobby, bar and restaurant. To express the geometry of this design concept, the ground floor public areas are wrapped in a fully glazed 6 metre high façade enabling views into and through the building, facilitating visual and physical connection with the Square. To achieve the openness of the entire ground floor Arup, the structural engineers, designed the most complex cantilevered bridge structure ever built in Ireland, which is a 67 metres in length and has no intermediate supports. The bridge allows the hotel to have the largest open lobby in Dublin with uninterrupted sightlines from the bar to the restaurant and a flexibility to allow one to intermingle with the other when desired. The geometry of the external façade is wrapped down and inwards to form the ceiling of the public areas. The regular panels of the outside are transformed internally with twists and folds to create a dramatic fluid space where the ceiling and walls are one, folding down to rest on the seamless floor of polished terrazzo. The palette of materials was carefully chosen to create a vibrant contemporary aesthetic with warm-tone polished plaster for the walls and ceiling with a highly polished grey terrazzo floor which glitters with glass and mirror flecks catching the light from the full height south facing glass façade. The hotel boasts the city’s largest open lobby, allowing for

uninterrupted views from the bar to the restaurant. Structural engineers Arup achieved this by designing the most complex cantilevered bridge structure ever built in the country. The Architect Dan Daye attributes the success of the project to collaboration between the design team and contractor. ‘A creative dynamic was developed and maintained throughout the project, with everyone seeking to deliver something truly unique in a demanding timeframe.’ The bar has been clad in polished bronze with dark leather panels and bronzed mirrors above. Carpets are in plums, ochres and moss colours inspired by native flora; sofas and armchairs are covered in Italian leathers and fabrics. The sculptural fireplace is lined with blackpatinated steel, bronze and has an Irish limestone hearth. Everyone says the hotel’s crowning glory is the city’s first rooftop terrace and bar which can hold up to 200 people and comprises a glazed pavilion and a large decked seating area with a mix of covered and open air spaces. Guests can enjoy panoramic views of the whole city centre as well as views down as far as the Sugarloaf to the south and as far as Howth Head to the north. The rest of the roof has been covered with the country’s first sustainable city sedum roof on an existing building. This which was closely monitored by Dublin City Council as a pilot project for the application of a green roof to an existing building. Billings Design Associates acted as facade consultants on the project. ‘The façade of the new rooftop bar is quite unique and quite similar to the Gansevoort Hotel in the Meatpacking district in New York’, according to Colman Billings. ‘It’s an exposed site yet the design team wanted to make it feel as open as possible. That’s why there are features like the tall glass balustrades with specialist sliding doors which open fully to connection the inside and outside spaces. They have a very good air seal so guests will be able to sit behind the barriers during the

The hotel boasts the city’s largest open lobby, allowing for uninterrupted views from the bar to the restaurant.

Irish Building Magazine

P & L Carpentry Ltd are very proud to have completed all Timber and Carpentry works to the prestigious Marker Hotel. We installed all decking and canopy support timber to the Roof Top Bar, fitted all internal timber door sets and completed all 2nd fix carpentry throughout.

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THE MARKER HOTEL Both the construction and completion of the Marker Hotel has provided a much appreciated boost to the Irish economy. Hundreds of jobs were created during its construction and it’s expected that the hotel itself will provide over 300 permanent jobs.

summer months’. Every aspect of the design is extremely precise. If maintenance personnel need to walk on the glass roof to clean it, they can. Highly controlled, barrier-resistant solar glass utilising a toggle glazed system is a key feature of the project; all the glass is retained by toggles and joints removing the need for any caps on the outside achieving a very clean line aesthetic. Colman says the biggest challenge from a facade standpoint was actually getting the white chequerboard GRC back to how it looked six years ago. ‘Once the procedures for cleaning were put in place, it was relatively straightforward. Now it’s a matter of maintaining the facade.’ The rooftop bar was constructed by John Sisk & Son, the firm responsible for the completion and fit-out works for the partially complete hotel. Sisk’s responsibilities included snagging to first, second, third and fourth floor bedrooms; demolition of existing suite partitions on fifth and sixth floors, rebuilding bedroom partitions and completing all finishes including all M&E works. Demolition and alterations to ground floor foyer area and completion of finishes to ballroom, reception, meeting rooms, restaurants, bars and all other areas was also carried out by Sisk, as was the completion of finishes to the spa and swimming pool level including testing and commissioning of the swimming pool, steam room and sauna. Sisk’s brief on the €13.2 million completion phase of the project is comprehensive (they also installed all the furniture and fittings and installed the green roof on the rooftop bar). So what was the biggest challenge from their point of view? According to Paraic Keogh, project director, ‘the biggest challenge was always going to be meeting the very ambitious completion date’. Paraic attributes the achievement of this deadline to the excellent collaborative approach of the entire construction team. Sisk and the design team have

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THE MARKER HOTEL

been working together in the docklands area for nearly 10 years completing over 1 million square feet of space in the Grand Canal Dock area alone and this established relationship fostered a ‘cando’ spirit which is scarce in the current adversarial contracting environment. ‘For us, it was different from a lot of projects we’ve worked on previously. Obviously it’s a very significant project architecturally so it’s always a pleasure to work on a building like this; the attention to detail and to quality was second to none.’ Paraic’s favourite part of the hotel is the spa featuring a 23m infinity-edge pool envisaged by the designers as a ‘sanctuary within the city’. Finishes are rich walnut floors with the wet area lined in deep green slate with dark polished plaster ceilings. The SPA also features a gym, full set of treatment and relaxation rooms with hair and beauty facilities. Artwork for the project was chosen by McCauley Daye O’Connell and the Client to compliment the contemporary edgy design and was chosen from a range of artists and photographers who are either Irish born or artists working in Ireland including Michael Warren, Jordi Fornies, Dorothy Cross, Brian O’Doherty, Enda Cavanagh, Peter Monaghan, Daniel De Chenu and Amelia Stein. The bedrooms in the Marker are larger than usual, with a lay-out that alternates on each floor changing in orientation to suit the chequerboard facade. Guests can charge up their smart phone on

the table lamps and all the bespoke furniture is made in Ireland. The hotel’s managers are aiming for a 5* rating and the luxurious bathrooms reflect the quality expected, with floor to ceiling white marble and designer taps. Both the construction and completion of the Marker Hotel has provided a much appreciated boost to the Irish economy. Hundreds of jobs were created during its construction and it’s expected that the hotel itself will provide over 300 permanent jobs. The hotel will also undoubtedly stimulate business and revenue in the surrounding area. There were many designers along the way who contributed to the finished building including those representing hotel operators, hotel chains, potential owners and an entire team of technical experts. All design and build teams involved in the project stress the positive working relationships and collaboration that shaped the construction period and ensured the project completed on time. What was once regarded as something of a black spot in Grand Canal Square is now a triumph of engineering and design excellence and an encouraging example of Irish contracting and design working together to produce an outstanding building. r

Artwork for the project was chosen by McCauley Daye O’Connell and the Client to compliment the contemporary edgy design and was chosen from a range of artists and photographers who are either Irish born or artists working in Ireland including Michael Warren, Jordi Fornies, Dorothy Cross, Brian O’Doherty, Enda Cavanagh, Peter Monaghan, Daniel De Chenu and Amelia Stein.

47 51

Irish Building Magazine

Bord Gáis Networks Services Centre A BREEAM Project

In 2008, the vision for the Bord Gáis Networks - Networks Service Centre was for an innovative solution for a contemporary workplace that would centralise its key Dublin operations, for a workplace that has a real sense of community and place. This came at a time when the business was undergoing a significant transformation programme that set out to invest in its people, systems and facilities to sustain its future as one of Ireland’s leading utilities. The Bord Gáis team discusses the project from the clients perspective.

These awards acknowledge the commitment of the Bord

Gáis

Networks

Project Team, Denis Byrne Architects

and

Walls

Construction in pursuing our vision for a sustainable building

and

modern

working environment whilst meeting of

the

challenges

incorporating

he result is a ‘powerhouse’ of a building that has recently received the coveted rating of ‘Excellent’ under the bespoke building BREEAM assessment procedures; the only office building in Ireland to receive an ‘Excellent’ rating under the 2008 standard. BREEAM is the world’s leading design and assessment method for sustainable buildings. The news of the BREEAM rating achievement follows a number of top industry award wins for NSC in 2013. Most recently, the NSC building won ‘Best Commerical Building’ and ‘Best Sustainable Project’ at the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) 2013 Annual Architecture Awards. It was also shortlisted from 100 entries for the RIAI Public Choice Award. In April, NSC secured the main award, the Building Category, at the Irish Concrete Society Awards, beating prestigious entries including the Giants Causeway Visitors Centre, the UCD Leisure and Sports Complex and Waterford Medieval Museum. NSC also won a special “Sustainability” award, given out periodically only to those projects that deserve particular commendation based on the sustainable use of concrete. NSC also won “Building of the Year” at the Irish Building and Design Awards beating the Titanic Building in Belfast in an industry online poll.

the Sustainable Design at its Heart The Networks Services Centre focuses the Dublin operations of

critical functions that are Bord Gáis Networks in one single location on a circa 5 acre site carried out in the building. at St. Margaret’s Road, Dubber Cross, Finglas. The new building incorporates a number of primary functions including: * Design, construction, maintenance and operation of Ireland’s

natural gas distribution network * 24/7 emergency response for Dublin and surrounding counties * The national Technical Training Centre * The Health, Safety, Quality & Environment Unit In 2008, Bord Gáis Networks embarked on a two stage international architectural competition, facilitated by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI). From an initial 56 entries for stage one, a shortlist of eight proposals was drawn up to develop the designs for stage two. Denis Byrne Architects was selected and appointed as the lead architectural consultant for the new Network Services Centre with Walls as the main contractor. Reflecting on the selection of the winning design, John Barry, the then Managing Director of Bord Gáis Networks (and now Programme Director at Irish Water) says: “For over thirty years, we have been constructing gas pipelines with an excellent reputation earned through positive relationships and a respect for the preservation of the built and natural heritage on pipeline routes. We are ever conscious of our impact on the environment and communities and always endeavour to act responsibly and in the best interests of sustainability. These factors were essential in choosing this design. In addition, incorporating the critical functions carried out in this building, really the heart of Bord Gáis Networks operations, was a further challenge that had to be met.” The main focus of the new Networks Service Centre Building was to create a campus-style development that would facilitate and promote the inter-departmental, multi-disciplinary approach

BORD GAIS NETWORKS

necessary for the provision of efficient and effective services. Prior to this, staff were based in four separate locations around Dublin. The requirement was one fully-integrated building accommodating all 300 staff. The eighteen month construction phase, on what was previously a brownfield site, was completed on time and despite the difficult winter conditions of December 2010 and January 2011, with staff occupying the building in January 2012. Commenting on the significance of the BREEAM rating and the large number of industry awards received, Sean Casey, Acting Managing Director of Bord Gáis Networks said: “These awards acknowledge the commitment of the Bord Gáis Networks Project Team, Denis Byrne Architects and Walls Construction in pursuing our vision for a sustainable building and modern working environment whilst meeting the challenges of incorporating the critical functions that are carried out in the building. The result is a sustainable, adaptable and innovative solution for a modern, contemporary place of work. “As in many other responsible businesses, sustainability at Bord Gáis Networks undoubtedly supports a strategic objective, but it also enables us to build upon the foundation of good corporate citizenship that has been part of our business culture for over thirty years. Very ambitious targets were set from the outset and through teamwork, innovative thinking and a commitment to the vision, the building is now a highly-rated, nationally-recognised example of sustainable development – and a building our staff are very proud of.” Sustainable Design Components The Design Team defined sustainability targets early on in the design process, formulating an integrated sustainable design approach. This approach combines microclimate, biodiversity and landscape, water management and use of renewable energy technologies, within a compact building featuring a low energy design concept, to establish a service facility with a high quality and permeable work environment. The low energy design and fit-out of the NSC was targeted to deliver a saving of at least 40% relative to current low energy usage office using prevailing technologies, delivering a comparable CO2 emission offset of 109,000 kgs per annum. In terms of energy use and environmental control, the building is responsive to user needs, employing a system based on the principles of high thermal mass, natural and displacement ventilation, maximized natural daylight, and space conditioning using radiant cooling and heating supplied by a ground source heat pump and chilling device. Microclimate. A solid noise barrier is placed along the adjoining M50 on the northern perimeter of the site and the natural sloping topography and terraced

car parking provide landmass for further acoustic buffering. New trees and hedge “pods” create wind screening and natural grass areas between the car parking tiers provide natural filtration and attenuation. Within each hedge pod, columnar beech trees provide additional wind attenuation and some shade within a compact footprint. Biodiversity and Landscape. A new landscape integrates the required car parking and loading areas with a new articulated landscape and connects the existing brownfield site and the anonymous green along St Margaret’s Road to an extended parkland. The landscaped roof and internal landscaped gardens of the building extend the external landscape into and onto the building providing every workspace with a landscaped environment. Water Management. The water management of the landscape strategy seeks to treat as much surface water run-off on-site as possible with a series of natural attenuation and filtration areas for the car parking and a large attenuation pond to the south of the building.

Building volume, layout and orientation. The highly efficient and compact volume of the building with good volume to skin ratio reduces potential heat loss area and allows for strategic distribution of the building’s program in relation to thermal and solar requirements. The super insulated envelope of the building with a target U-Value of 0.15 exceeds current guidelines set out in Part L and achieves an Airtightness of 1.8m3/m2.hr. Ventilation – Displacement Ventilation. The Open Plan layout of the office accommodation requires a controlled fresh air supply to avoid draft and insufficient supply. A Displacement Ventilation system is therefore proposed for the office areas with natural ventilation for the canteen, workshops and Stores. The Displacement Ventilation relies on natural air movement between the assisted fresh air supply at floor level and a controlled extraction via a central chimney at the apex of the folding roof. The chimney is contained within a Plant Tower and uses a natural stack effect for extraction and contains coils for heat recovery. Natural Daylight. Artificial lighting can be a significant proportion of a building’s running costs, and maximizing the use of natural daylight is one of the main drivers of the design. The internal

gardens provide natural daylight to all areas of the compact volume. All artificial lighting is controlled by detectors and dimmers responding to the external conditions and keeping electrical energy for lighting to an absolute minimum. Space Conditioning – Radiant Slab. The heating and cooling of the building are supplied by a closed loop ground source heat pump feeding into the radiant slab system of the building. The heating and cooling pipes set in the exposed concrete ceilings of the building dampens temperature swings through the working day and reduce the overall ventilation requirements. Heat absorbed by the concrete ceilings is released at night reducing the heating requirement at the start of the working day. The radiant slab, similar to a tiled stove, enables lower ambient temperatures compared to conventionally heated office spaces. A Data Centre precision cooling system provides temperature and humidity control, integrated within the rows of the primary data centre racks providing cooling close to the server heat source for efficient and effective data centre management. Integration of Renewable Energy Technologies. The Plant Tower integrates and displays the various components of the building’s low energy system. The southern elevation clad hosts 126m2 of photovoltaic panels supplying up to 15% of GSHP electricity requirement. Similarly on Level 3 of the plant tower there is 20m2 of solar panels installed to provide 50% of the buildings hot water demand through a buffer vessel located on level 3 of the tower. Energy Management & Controls. The NSC uses an integrated Building Energy Management System (BEMS) Trend 963 controlling all aspects of the building. Throlux adaptive lighting and shading controller is linked to the BEMS to determine the most energy efficient requirements with regard to lighting, heating and cooling. A detailed energy metering system comprises of 40 electrical meters, 3 gas meters, 1 heat meter and two water meters – all broadcasting to the Cloud based Cylon AE. Data Centre precision cooling system providing temperature and humidity control, integrated within the rows of the primary data centre racks providing cooling close to the server heat source for efficient and effective data centre management. Energy Rating – BREEAM. The team defined sustainability targets early on, and this helped to guide the design to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’. r Images: Paul Tierney Photography.

Irish Building Magazine

The Lady Chapel

Conservation & Restoration(I) Ltd were contracted to carry out the cleaning and conservation in the Lady Chapel for the Board of St Patricks Cathedral. Conservation & Restoration offers clients a comprehensive service ranging from consultation, design, project management, supply and installation of stonework through to expert cleaning, conservation and restoration of building facades. We carry out specialist work in the area of stone and brickwork cleaning and have comprehensive experience in the restoration of the fabric of old buildings. We have a policy of using the least obtrusive techniques possible, striving to maintain the patina of façades and tailoring solutions for each particular problem. It uses the expert skills of building lime mortars, pointing, plasterwork, leadwork, re-tooling and re-working stone, piecing in new elements of stone and carving ornate stone. Similarly with cleaning it uses the full range of up to date techniques and products available in the marketplace. Each project the company undertakes is carefully studied and investigated to ensure the best possible solution is presented to the client. To receive a brochure or for further information on project work or services please give us a call or send us and email. Conservation & Restoration (Ireland) Ltd, Acacia, Kilmurry, Gorey, Co Wexford. T. 087 2575009 E. info@candr.ie www.candr.ie

“A New Dimension in Ascension”

St. Peters Church

St. Mary’s College Arklow

St. Michael’s College

Clontarf Castle

At Scaffold Elevation we provide a comprehensive service to all access problems with particular emphasis on Health & Safety. The quality of our workmanship speaks for itself and stands up to the toughest scrutiny of all our clients, enabling Scaffold Elevation to achieve acknowledgement as the service provider for specialist access scaffold requirements encompassing Conservation & Restoration, Commercial, Industrial and Abbey Church Domestic scaffold structures.

Lady Chapel St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Scaffold Elevation Int. Ltd. Robertstown, Naas, Co. Kildare. T: 045 890963 E: info@scaffold.ie www.scaffold.ie

THE LADY CHAPEL

Divine intervention

As well as providing a boost to the tourism sector, investment in heritage sites means more jobs for the trade and an opportunity for specialists like Conservation & Restoration to showcase their skills through the refurbishment of the Lady Chapel at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Dublin.

he Lady Chapel, located at the rear of St Patrick’s Cathedral and built in the 1270s, has just re-opened to the public after undergoing a €700,000 conservation facelift over the last six months. The refurbishment process for the Chapel was a painstaking one; certain sections of the stained glass were dismantled, cleaned and remounted and the stone work was thoroughly cleaned. A new lighting scheme was installed and new communion tables and seating were designed and commissioned from an Irish manufacturer; particular emphasis was placed on procuring craftspeople based in Ireland, both for the restoration and the development of new furniture for the Lady Chapel. All work was funded through the income generated by visitors to the Cathedral and also by the fundraising efforts of Friends of the Cathedral. The Main Contractor on the prestigious project was Conservation & Restoration (I) Ltd, a firm that specialises in historic restoration. Alan Mc Grath a director explains; “We employ very experienced crafts people and conservators who have learned their trade over the years. We have completed several projects similar to this so have a lot of experience in the restoration of the fabric of old buildings. The standards of quality demanded by our Clients are well recognised by our crafts people. Clients know that when we undertake the work the highest levels of workmanship will be achieved..” Before any restoration work was attempted though, the area had to be secured to ensure the public had no access to the Chapel. “We also had to ensure that no dust from the works entered into the main body of the cathedral; this was an essential aspect of the work,” says Alan. Once the area was secured, a scaffolding system by Scaffold Elevation Ltd had to be carefully erected to ensure all areas were accessible for safe working, after which several cleaning samples and trials were conducted to ascertain the most effective methods of getting the old paint off the walls and the ceiling. Now, the 345,000 paying visitors to the Cathedral each year can enjoy the newly restored bright cream interior that contrasts so greatly with the dark walls of the rest

of the cathedral. John Beauchamp, a conservation architect with Benjamin and Beauchamp who also worked on the Lady Chapel, used a carbon-starved latex formula that sucks in carbon when it’s brushed onto stone, thereby removing stains without damaging the walls. Restoration work carried out by Conservation & Restoration and his team also included substrate work such as stone and render repairs. Repairs were undertaken to the carvings and where required new stone was carved to match the existing. The most challenging aspect of the process, says Alan, was working in the environment of the existing church. “We were in a situation where we had to carry out the work in a safe, compliant manner, ensuring the safety of the public at all times.” Perhaps the most tedious element of the work was the cleaning of all the windows, both on the outside and the inside. Complex projects like these that require a deft touch and painstaking attention are nothing new to Conservation & restoration and their team of subcontractors who have worked on several projects for the OPW and are currently working on St Catherine’s Church on Meath St, Dublin. “Our policy is to use the least obtrusive technologies possible so the patina of the façade we’re restoring is maintained. When it comes to cleaning, we use the most up-to-date techniques and products that are available. Before starting on a new project, we carefully investigate it to make sure the best possible solution is presented to the client.” Commenting on the completed work Gavan Woods, Cathedral Administrator, said the years spent planning the refurbishment have been well worth it. “All of the work carried out by the various teams involved in restoring the Lady Chapel to its former glory is of the highest quality. Everything came in on budget and this is down to the highly skilled people involved in the project, Alan McGrath and his team carried out truly excellent work. I hope that more historic projects like the Lady Chapel will be similarly restored; without support, our built heritage could fall into serious decline.” r

“When it comes to cleaning, we use the most up-to-date techniques and products that are available. Before starting on a new project, we carefully investigate it to make sure the best possible solution is presented to the client”

Irish Building Magazine

Passive House

World’s first Passive House office tower certified. High levels of energy efficiency are all the more important when it comes to high-rise buildings. For the first time ever, an office tower in Vienna has achieved the Passive House Standard.

he certificate was presented by Susanne Theumer of the Passive House Institute on the 20th floor of the building with a prime view of the old city. The glazed facade of the building on the bank of the Donaukanal (“Danube Canal”) rises almost 80 metres high. The building, characterised by superior indoor air quality and minimal energy consumption, is home to 900 employees of the Austrian Raiffeisen-Holding Group. “This building proves once again that the Passive House Standard and good architecture are perfectly compatible”, says Professor Dr. Wolfgang Feist, director of the Passive House Institute. On Tuesday, an international group of Passive House The decisive factor experts who had travelled to Vienna for a Passive for achieving the House Summer Academy, came to see the highPassive House rise. The building is strictly in line with the Standard was the Raiffeisen climate protection objectives, radically increased explained Wolfgang Pundy as he received the efficiency of certificate. “This certification proves that the the facade, the path we have chosen to take for our new office building component building is the right one,” continued the project connections, the manager of the “RHW.2” tower. The building’s energy concept is compelling: mechanical systems energy is provided by a photovoltaic system – and even the as well as a combined heat, cooling and power coffee machine. In plant. Even the waste heat from the data centre combination with is re-used; cooling partly takes place via the optimised shading Donaukanal. The decisive factor for achieving equipment, the the Passive House Standard was the radically heating and cooling increased efficiency of the facade, the building demand was component connections, the mechanical systems reduced by 80% – and even the coffee machine. In combination compared with with optimised shading equipment, the heating conventional high- and cooling demand was reduced by 80% rise buildings. compared with conventional high-rise buildings. For quality assurance reasons, certification of buildings takes place in accordance with the criteria set out by the Passive House Institute. The globally recognised seal indicates

Irish Building Magazine

compliance with the Passive House Standard. The Passive House Institute has been represented in Austria with its branch office in Innsbruck since 2010. After the awarding ceremony in the “RHW.2” tower, the international experts moved on to see other outstanding projects in the region. In Korneuburg, just north of Vienna, the group visited the new Regional and District Court with its adjacent correctional facilities. The building complex built to the Passive House Standard demonstrates how smart planning can accommodate the high levels of energy efficiency and comfort required in such buildings. The Vienna Region is setting the pace, not only with its beacon projects but also with the number of completed buildings. The “Eurogate” district, an area entirely consisting of Passive House buildings, stands as a shining example. Upon completion of the first construction phase, 7,000 occupants in 800 apartments will be able to benefit from the advantages of this energy efficient construction method. The international guests also viewed one of five Passive House student hostels, developed by the Viennese company OeAD-GmbH. A total of 15,000 students from all over the world have already had the opportunity to experience what modern and sustainable living means during their stays in Austria. The excursion was part of a six-day Summer Academy, organised in Slovakia by the International Passive House Association (iPHA). The visit to Vienna followed an invitation by Austrian Passive House expert Günter Lang of LANG consulting. iPHA is a global network of Passive House stakeholders including building owners, architects, scientists and component manufacturers – membership is open to all. Photography supplied by the Passive House Institute. r

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