National
New Civic Offices Award
10/04/10 14:56
Cork City Council Offices
The atrium divides the building, the functional inner side consists of meeting rooms, toilets, canteen, etc. and for this, more conventional heating and ventilation solutions are in place.
The main office area, a glass block, is the “administration engine room” of the building. For this area, a different services strategy operates for ventilation. The prevailing wind drives fresh air through large roof cowls and into the space via an ultra low pressure air handling room. This air is preheated using a large slow turning thermal wheel between the supply and extract air routes. In summer water vapour is spraying into the return air reducing its temperature prior to entering the thermal wheel, this pre cools the fresh incoming air. The lattice external leaf of the building shades the office space from direct sun and at the same time allowing daylighting. With the provision of this lattice, windows can be opened at the upper levels without risk of discomfort from prevailing winds.
The exposed soffit slab at each level was cast in situ with embedded pipes. These pipes circulate warm water in winter and cool water in summer. The source of this heating and cooling is a geothermal heat pump. With copious volumes of water freely available from underground, direct ground water is pumped and used as the source or sink for the heat pump. The soffit is kept free from services using a suspended twin rail system for lighting and smoke detection. Lighting is fully automatic throughout with photocell dimming in addition to passive infra red movement controls to minimise electrical energy usage.
Although the large wind cowls are a very visible manifestation of the low energy credentials of the building. What really gave us as engineers the most enjoyment from a design perspective was the LED external façade lighting for the glass block. This vivid wall of light can cycle through numerous colours for any pre-programmed routine. Red and white when Cork wins the All-Ireland. Green, white and orange for St. Patrick’s Day. Truly a building that relates to its city by day and night.
Awards:
2007:Opus Award
2007:RIBA European Award
2008:RIAI Best Accessible Project
2008:RIAI Best Public Building
2008:RIAI Best Sustainable Project
The atrium divides the building, the functional inner side consists of meeting rooms, toilets, canteen, etc. and for this, more conventional heating and ventilation solutions are in place.
The main office area, a glass block, is the “administration engine room” of the building. For this area, a different services strategy operates for ventilation. The prevailing wind drives fresh air through large roof cowls and into the space via an ultra low pressure air handling room. This air is preheated using a large slow turning thermal wheel between the supply and extract air routes. In summer water vapour is spraying into the return air reducing its temperature prior to entering the thermal wheel, this pre cools the fresh incoming air. The lattice external leaf of the building shades the office space from direct sun and at the same time allowing daylighting. With the provision of this lattice, windows can be opened at the upper levels without risk of discomfort from prevailing winds.
The exposed soffit slab at each level was cast in situ with embedded pipes. These pipes circulate warm water in winter and cool water in summer. The source of this heating and cooling is a geothermal heat pump. With copious volumes of water freely available from underground, direct ground water is pumped and used as the source or sink for the heat pump. The soffit is kept free from services using a suspended twin rail system for lighting and smoke detection. Lighting is fully automatic throughout with photocell dimming in addition to passive infra red movement controls to minimise electrical energy usage.
Although the large wind cowls are a very visible manifestation of the low energy credentials of the building. What really gave us as engineers the most enjoyment from a design perspective was the LED external façade lighting for the glass block. This vivid wall of light can cycle through numerous colours for any pre-programmed routine. Red and white when Cork wins the All-Ireland. Green, white and orange for St. Patrick’s Day. Truly a building that relates to its city by day and night.
Awards:
2007:Opus Award
2007:RIBA European Award
2008:RIAI Best Accessible Project
2008:RIAI Best Public Building
2008:RIAI Best Sustainable Project
Refurbishment of Buttery Restaurant
09/04/10 14:59
In order to address the challenge of providing a lighting scheme to create a relaxed warm ambience in the newly refurbishment Buttery Restaurant at Trinity College Dublin, which has a vaulted listed ceiling.
Homan O’Brien Associates introduced newly developed high power LED technology resulting in creating a spectacular student dining environment. The LED lighting scheme is fully imbedded in the structure and the high efficiency long-life LEDs offer significant savings in energy and CO2 emissions resulting in reduced operational costs.
Homan O’Brien Associates introduced newly developed high power LED technology resulting in creating a spectacular student dining environment. The LED lighting scheme is fully imbedded in the structure and the high efficiency long-life LEDs offer significant savings in energy and CO2 emissions resulting in reduced operational costs.