TU Dublin Design + Construct partnership announced

• Support climate active learning across the university;

JJ

Rhatigan has announced a partnership with TU Dublin to develop Design + Construct, Ireland’s first centre of excellence in architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) education and research. Upon its completion, Design + Construct will be located in Broombridge in Dublin 7, easily accessed by students via the Luas Green Line and connecting the facility to the University’s Bolton Street and Grangegorman campuses.

Building on over a century of providing educational and training programmes in AEC, TU Dublin will retrofit a building in Broombridge to build capacity for core academic activities, creating a variety of teaching and applied learning spaces to support a living AEC laboratory with students, from apprenticeship to PhD, engaged in all aspects of the design and construction process. Focusing on applied learning, research and enterprise, the space will bring together students and staff from the built environment, engineering and design disciplines, including architecture, architectural technology, building trades, building services engineering, structural engineering, product, interior and furniture design.

In announcing that Design + Construct would progress to the next phase of the proposed development, Simon Harris, TD, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, also said that JJ Rhatigan & Company would be the main construction contractor in the Enbarr Partnership. This will deliver two state-ofthe-art educational facilities on the University’s Blanchardstown and Tallaght campuses under the Higher Education Public Private Partnership Programme.

Overview of Design + Construct

Upon completion, Design + Construct will:

• Embed multidisciplinary and collaborative learning across all AEC disciplines in line with changes in the sector, driven by technology, to transdisciplinary teams;

• Provide expert training and upskilling in new techniques and technologies, including sustainable design, deep retrofit, MMC, BIM and digital skills, and zero carbon design and building;

• Build capacity in practice-based and applied learning activities;

• Develop new and more advanced apprenticeship programmes to address key skills gaps;

• Offer opportunities for increased innovation, new product development;

• Work in partnership with the sector and local communities to deliver training and process innovation;

• Provide a physical forum and virtual network for the promotion and dissemination of information, demonstrations and support for sustainability and climate mitigation actions and initiatives.

€500m+ investment

TU Dublin is currently investing over €500 million in new, state-of-the-art technologyenabled facilities. A leader in STEM disciplines, its distinguished researchers and innovators are pioneers in science and technology discovery. They play an active role in informing policy and standards, and contribute to the creative life of Ireland. In addition, awardwinning technology transfer and business incubation activity has delivered over 400 new sustainable businesses with an economic value of almost €700 million.