A mixed use development of 49800sqm consisting of residential, office, labs, retail and crèche on a site of 4,76ha. The apartments which are arranged around spacious, well landscaped courtyards are terraced and stepped to maximize light and views out over Dublin bay. Dual aspects living rooms open out onto large terraces end create outdoor rooms for each unit. The houses are traditional in design comprising of a mix of detached and semi-detached 3 – 5 bed houses.
The commercial element within the scheme will provide 9500sqm of office floor and 8860sqm of The Science and Technology research laboratories. Operated and controlled by University College Dublin is designed to integrate with the campus and comprises of four 7 storeys office blocks arranged around a landscaped plaza. The development aims to cater a high quality research and corporate users. Planning Permission has been granted on September 2009.
Both commercial and residential units are designed to create sustainable environments.Number of energy efficient and sustainable solutions has been introduced to the buildings which include:
-natural ventilation of mixed-mode systems
-centralised heating and passive cooling plant utilising geothermal boreholes and heat pumps
-automated climate control for naturally ventilated Atrium
-rainwater harvesting
Thermal analysis was carried out by the building services consultants in accordance with CIBSE guidelines. The model and analysis was carried out using integrated environmental solutions ltd (IES) software. The model was created in
3-D and dynamic simulation calculations were performed for establishing A1 energy rating.
The main open spaces throughout the development -public plazas, park and boulevards- are connected and intrinsically designed with the pedestrian in mind, including traffic calming. Framed by a scale of development deemed appropriate to create an interesting mix of streetscapes and active public areas provides an exciting setting for activities which can be easily read at street level and which encourages pedestrian connectivity between residential and commercial areas without the need for the private car.
The public plaza between the commercial blocks is the main hard landscaped public open space within the development, open to the UCD campus to the south form an important link and urban edge to the parkland nature of the campus.
