RPS Group for Uisce Éireann’s National Water Laboratory
Sustainability was a core objective throughout the winning project in this category, guiding every aspect of the design and construction. Uisce Éireann’s National Water Laboratory designed by RPS Group has received an outstanding design rating in the BREEAM sustainability assessment. This large state-of-the-art laboratory can carry out over a million tests annually and will deliver many benefits to the country including improving water quality data, regulatory compliance, increased transparency for the public and economic growth. Complexities of the project were the high heat gains and air change requirements needed in a laboratory and these were addressed by innovative solutions which included hybrid heat pumps, energy recovery systems, and intelligent air volume controls to effectively manage these demands.
J V Tierney and Co. Ltd for the Polaris Building
The winning project in this category is an example of the use of advanced mechanical, electrical, and sustainable design technologies to deliver an energy-efficient future facing building.
In the design of the Polaris Building in Dublin City University’s Glasnevin Campus, J V Tierney and Co. Ltd. have achieved a highly efficient, low-carbon building that aligns with DCU’s sustainability goals. This large fully electrified and decarbonised facility, which has eliminated fossil fuel usage, achieved a BREEAM Excellent Certification for its design and shows a strong commitment to sustainability and energy efficiency.
J.V. Tierney & Company for Poplar Row Social Housing. Poplar Row is a 6-story, 39-unit social housing complex located in central Dublin. The development of ‘Build-to-Rent’ apartments now operated by Dublin City Council. It features PV panels, green roof, heat pumps, and LED lighting. The project emphasises embodied carbon with a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment carried out. The development encompasses Passive measure in its design and innovative Life Cycle and Embodied Carbon analysis.
50,000 m2 of office across four buildings, linked via an outdoor plaza, encompassing a seven-storey glazed atrium and three storeys of internal landscape gardens over two levels of basement. The consultant was appointed as Sustainability Engineer, Independent Commissioning Agents and Embodied Carbon Life Cycle Analysis. The scheme achieved a 4 No. LEED Platinum certifications and is the first LEED V4 campus project in Ireland. Following an initial review, the consultant advised that the scheme could improve on its target accreditation to the Platinum level through embodied carbon analysis, the use of rainwater harvesting and upgrades to energy efficiency to achieve NZEB status.
The consultant reviewed an employer design for a road crossing of high tension power cables. The original design called for a piled concrete deck on 30m deep piles with an embodied CO2e of 1,546 tonnes. The consultant provided an innovative alternative using lightweight attenuation crates surrounded with Lightweight Expanded Clay Aggregate. The design was light in weight to resist settlement, water permeable to allow flood waters pass and air permeable to prevent flotation whilst allowing ongoing cooling of buried cables. The design produced an 87% reduction in embodied carbon and was one of nine worldwide projects recognised by the Institute of Civil Engineers at the 2021 ‘Carbon Champions’ awards.