Civil & Construction - May 22

MAY 2022

MATERIAL PRICE RISES SLOW DOWN CONSTRUCTION GROWTH

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY - Benchmarking and innovation within the Construction Industry

CIS - Construction Information Services celebrate 50 years

CONSTRUCTION LABOUR SHORTAGE - How Asylum Seeker community can play a part

We’re building sustainability into how we work.

We know that becoming a truly sustainable business is not a quick fix. We are committed to doing it systematically, thoughtfully and effectively. Sustainability will be at the heart of our ambition to Go Further to Build Smarter.

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To learn more about how John Paul Construction can help you, email info@johnpaul.ie or visit www.johnpaul.ie

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Welcome to the latest issue of Civil and Construction and we hope you enjoy the magazine. As mentioned in our last issue we have a labour market that is running hot, the industry faces a tough challenge to meet its recruitment needs so we were very interested to hear the innovative idea from Dave Ward. “A chance encounter on a Cork city street” was according to Dave Ward, MD of Ward Personnel, the catalyst that would lead to a fantastic partnership being established with the Asylum Seeker Community in Cork which has proved beneficial for all parties. “My wife was in a bit of bother with a flat tyre and was holding up traffic on Wellington Road, and as I was just arriving, a group of lads from the local Direct Provision centre were insisting on helping her out and changing the tyre for her. It really was heart-warming to see as the lads were incredibly kind and just wanted to help out. We started chatting and Gary Delaney, a volunteer with local group BRIJ, which helps the asylum seeker community, also joined the conversation and the whole idea started from there. Within a few weeks the first worker from the centre was working on a Cork building site for one of our clients. The logic is fairly simple – the lads desperately want to work and start contributing to Irish society, the state wants to support their integration into mainstream society and reduce the need for social welfare, and our economy is crying out for construction and industrial workers.” You can read the full article inside.

CIVIL AND CONSTRUCTION IRELAND Email: info@civilandconstruction.ie Civil and Construction Ireland 2022 c

For all advertising and marketing queries, contact on email: info@civilandconstruction.ie

Sales & Marketing Director: Anthony Kelly Graphic Design: Colin Brennan

Advertising Sales:

darren@civilandconstruction.ie

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Construction is growing at weak pace over rising building costs. The soaring price of building materials has led to a slowdown in construction growth with new orders and employment all rising at slower rates new data shows. The latest monthly construction industry index, published by BNP Paribas, still indicates growth, albeit at a much slower rate than previously. The index shows a reading of 53.9 for March, still above the 50.0 no-change mark but well down from the reading of 58.4 seen in February. The latest figure signalled a solid expansion in total construction activity over the month, but one that was the softest in 2022 so far. The housing and commercial construction sectors saw the largest rises in activity but both saw a slower expansion when compared with February. We’ll keep a close eye on these figures throughout 2022.

We have a lot of insightful articles in this issue along with news, appointments and a great new car review in the BMW iX so flick forward for all of that content.

We would like to thank all our clients and hope you enjoy the read.

James Kelly Editor Civil and Construction Ireland

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6 NEWS

Latest news from the civil and construction industry.

10 DUBLIN LADDERS

Dublin Ladders are manufacturers of Safety Steps and Mobile Podiums. They are also stockists and distributors of well-respected brands, including LYTE Industrial/trade extension ladders, roof ladders and platform steps.

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18 MOTORS

The BMW iX is a seriously impressive achievement from the German manufacturer.

22 DYNAMIC CONSULTING

Benchmarking and Innovation within the Construction Industry.

26 FINANCE

Supporting developers and home builders.

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28 CONSTRUCTION INFORMATION SERVICES Celebrating 50 years

32 SURETY BONDS

WAR - What is it good for?

38 BUILDINGLINK IRELAND

Will this market-leading technology influence the future of residential design in Ireland?

40 PIPELIFE

Meet the New Kid on the Bloc!

44 PROPERTY DISTRICT

A guide to crisis communication for construction and property leaders

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46 WARD PERSONNEL

A WIN WIN – How workers from the Asylum Seeker Community can play a part in addressing the construction labour shortage.

48 MASTER SYSTEMS INTEGRATOR A new type of contractor.

www.civilandconstruction.ie

66

NEWS MAGPLY COLLABORATION

US Investor Takes Majority Stake In Irish Engineering Firm Leo Lynch

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rish engineering company Leo Lynch has received strategic investment from Cathexis Holdings, giving the US firm a majority stake.

However, Cathexis promised that Leo Lynch would remain an Irish company.

The value of the investment was not disclosed. However, Cathexis’s equity commitments range from $3 million for niche deals with high expected values, to more than $100 million for the purchase of established companies or financing infrastructure development. At the end of December last year, Leo Lynch had turnover of €44 million for the year.

The company, a specialist technical, mechanical and electrical engineering contractor, employs more than 200 people between its headquarters in Dublin and its sites in Kilkenny and Kildare. The company provides a range of services including design, project management and installation to a range of blue-chip clients in the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, medical devices, semi-conductor and data centre industries.

The deal must be approved by the Irish competition authorities.

Conor Lynch, principal at Leo Lynch, said the investment was “an excellent opportunity” for both the clients of and the employees of the company.

“Our clients will benefit from the potential addition of new services and the ability of the company to leverage the fi-

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nancial strength and strategic capabilities of an international investment house,” he said. “The employees will benefit from Cathexis’s commitment to scaling the Leo Lynch business and the opportunities this association will create for the business in Ireland and overseas. Most importantly, this deal will guarantee the continued success and growth of Leo Lynch into the future.”

Texas-based Cathexis has highlighted Europe as an investment target, with Leo Lynch providing the company with the opportunity to enter a specialist sub-sector of the construction market in Ireland.

The combination of the two companies will allow it to tender for larger, more complex projects both domestically and internationally. Leo Lynch’s work is predominantly on the island of Ireland, although it has carried out some work overseas. Existing management of Leo Lynch have committed to stay with the business once the investment has been completed.

“Leo Lynch, as a leading mechanical and electrical engineering contractor, fits seamlessly with the tradition of Cathexis,” Cathexis Holdings said in a statement. “Via Cathexis, with its deep financial resources and experience of scaling companies, Leo Lynch can further expand the scope of its offering to its established blue-chip client base while providing these services across Europe through the Cathexis network. We always keep in mind that Leo Lynch is an Irish company and will remain an Irish company through which Cathexis will target future growth in Ireland.”

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NEWS MAGPLY COLLABORATION

IPUT Plans To Double Logistics Portfolio With Acquisition Of 118 Acres In North Dublin

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PUT Real Estate, Ireland’s leading property company and the largest owner of offices and logistics assets in Dublin, announces the acquisition of 118 acres of development land in north Dublin, which will enable it to double the size of its logistics portfolio to c. 5.5 million sq ft.

Acquisition of a further 118 acres in north Dublin The newly acquired site is strategically located less than 20 minutes’ drive from Dublin airport, off the M2 and close to the M50 orbital motorway, and adjacent to IPUT’s Nexus Distribution Park development. Combined with Nexus, the new development will create one of the largest and most sustainable single ownership logistics parks in Ireland. Of the 118 acres of land acquired at Killamonan, 100 acres are zoned for industrial use.

Subject to master-planning and permissions, Killamonan has the potential to add up to 1.6 million sq ft of logistics assets, increasing IPUT’s portfolio to close to 5.5 million sq ft in total.

Ireland’s Leading Logistics Portfolio IPUT owns a portfolio of 2.5 million sq ft of logistics assets, making it the largest prime logistics portfolio in Ireland. Master-planning is underway for the development of 750,000 sq ft to create Nexus Distribution Park on a 64-acre site acquired in 2021. IPUT has a further 700,000 sq ft of logistics space under development at Quantum

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Distribution Park, which is less than a 10-minute drive from the new investment, and at Aerodrome Business Park in west Dublin.

Across each of these developments, IPUT intends to set the highest standard for logistics development in Ireland, including a minimum of LEED Gold or BREEAM Excellent ratings for all buildings.

IPUT’s standing logistics portfolio is 100% let with a WAULT of 7.7 years.

Michael Clarke, IPUT Chief Investment Officer, commented: “Occupier demand for logistics facilities in Ireland, particularly around the capital, continues to grow and our ambition is to double the scale of our portfolio. Following the acquisition of the land at Killamonan, we now have a substantial landbank to deliver on that objective.

Our intention is to develop the next generation of logistics parks in Ireland, where the majority of stock is more mature and often not fit for the requirements of today’s occupiers. Our new facilities will have market-leading sustainability credentials but also offer an amenity rich environment including parks, activity spaces and features focused on the health and well-being of occupiers.”

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DUBLIN LADDERS

Dublin Ladders are manufacturers of Safety Steps and Mobile Podiums. They are also stockists and distributors of well-respected brands, including LYTE Industrial/trade extension ladders, roof ladders and platform steps.

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hey stock and supply Waku ladders, Clow Podium steps [aluminium & glassfibre], Glassfibre double & triple extension ladders, and Zarges combination ladders.

Dublin ladders is owned and managed by PJ. Crawley Engineering Ltd [formed in 1984] by PJ. Crawley. They have an 11,000 sq foot factory and distribution centre based in Blanchardstown. They operate a 32 county delivery service, 24-48 hours from receipt of order. All major Credit/Debit card payments are accepted, Stripe payments [via their website] or Cash on delivery. They also offer regular clients a 30 day credit facility.

For Trades:

Dublin Ladders offer low priced quality brands to all trades, including Glassfibre ladders and steps specific to the Electrical and Chemical sector. They welcome perwww.civilandconstruction.ie

sonal callers, who can select their ladder or step from their vast stocks. With extended opening hours [8.30am to 7.30 pm], they can facilitate tradespersons who can only call or visit after their working day is over.

For Construction & Installation Applications:

Most of their products are focused on these sectors as they specialise in Access Equipment products which are specifically designed to operate in high-demand applications. All their Ladders and Podium steps comply with Height Access Legislation [2005] and are certified to EN131, EN131-2 and ANSI 14.5. Working at Height legislation has been a key driver in the development of modern Ladders and Steps. They ensure that all their products meet the latest milestones and that staff are trained accordingly. Dublin Ladders offer the complete range of sizes and configurations, all at prices which compete strongly within the market. As manufacturers,

D U B L I N L A D D E R S . I E

Special Offer on all Aluminium and Glassfibre Podium Wide Steps EN131 Glassfibre Widesteps •

• • • •

Non conductive to 30 000 volts making it ideal for both industrial and trade use where electrical hazards exist Wide working platform of 400mm x 600mm Lightweight and compact for storage with wheels at rear for easy transport Safety chain for added security Maximum Capacity Load of 150kg

EN131 Aluminium Widesteps • • • • •

Ideal for both industrial and trade use Wide working platform of 400mm x 600mm Lightweight and compact for storage with wheels at rear for easy transport Safety chain for added security Maximum Capacity Load of 150kg

Code

Closed Height

Open Height

Platform Height

Sale Price

NGFWP2

1540mm

1520mm

400mm

€365.00

NGFWP3

1695mm

1645mm

615mm

€395.00

NGFWP4

2010mm

1850mm

830mm

€410.00

NGFWP5

2260mm

2040mm

1040mm

€461.00

NGFWP6

2500mm

2280mm

1270mm

€499.00

NGFWP7

2790mm

2470mm

1480mm

€615.00

NGFWP8

2980mm

2660mm

1690mm

€665.00

Code

Closed Height

Open Height

Platform Height

Sale Price

NBSWP2

1540mm

1520mm

400mm

€305.00

NBSWP3

1695mm

1645mm

615mm

€335.00

NBSWP4

2010mm

1850mm

830mm

€388.00

NBSWP5

2260mm

2040mm

1040mm

€435.00

NBSWP6

2500mm

2280mm

1270mm

€489.00

NBSWP7

2790mm

2470mm

1480mm

€565.00

NBSWP8

2980mm

2660mm

1690mm

€639.00

*** Delivery Included. Vat to be added

CONTACT US AT Phone: 01-8222855 | Mob: 087-2581413 dublinladders.ie

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DUBLIN LADDERS

they regularly design and manufacture access products which are specific to customer requirements. Their engineers are fully trained and have a minimum of 12 years experience of Ladder/Safety Step development. All deliveries are made by their own transport and timed deliveries can easily be arranged.

Contact:

DIY/Household Ladders:

•

This range of ladder products has been upgraded recently and is certified to EN131-2. All Domestic ladders are now fitted with a base stabilizer as standard and can carry 150KG [same as trade/professional ladders]. Please feel free to call to their showrooms or visit online where you can securely purchase your ladder with your debit or credit card. Dublin Ladderare happy to advise you on all your ladder needs.

www.civilandconstruction.ie

• • • •

•

Sales: Dave on 01-8222855 or PJ on 087-2581413 Email us: crawleyladders@gmail.com Website: dublinladders.ie [They will take your call up to 9.30 every evening including weekends. Please ring PJ on 087-2581413] Price commitment: All quality brands at lower-thanmarket prices.

Delivery Via their own transport and free of charge.

Key personnel:

PJ. Crawley - Managing Director / production co-ordinator/ designer.

David [Dave] Maguire - Marketing/ Sales executive Denis Hyland - Production engineer Denise McCluskey - Product finishing/Quality Niamh Crawley - Product development.

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NEWS

KPMG Ireland Buys Construction Consulting Firm KMCS

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PMG in Ireland has acquired Dublin-based construction project and cost consultancy firm KMCS for an undisclosed sum.

Founded in 1954, KMCS provides services in the areas of cost and project management in Ireland and overseas.

KMCS’s staff of 35 will be fully integrated within KPMG, and the company’s managing director, Nigel Spence, will lead the new business unit, KPMG said in a statement.

KMCS has consulted on a wide range of projects in Ireland and abroad, and clients include Facebook, Stripe, Primark, Westridge Real Estate, Riot Games and Fiserv.

The company, which is based in Ballsbridge in Dublin, will relocate to KPMG’s offices at Stokes Place, Dublin, in the middle of this year.

“We believe that the acquisition of KMCS is a great opportunity, representing another component of our growth strategy,” said Seamus Hand, managing partner of KPMG in Ireland.

“This transaction does just that by combining the deep expertise of the KMCS team with KPMG’s capabilities, experience and client base across a number of industry sectors. As Ireland continues to attract high levels of foreign investment this is a timely acquisition which will facilitate investors when considering the allocation of capital investment in Ireland.”

Mr Spence said the deal “provides really exceptional opportunities for our combined business and our extended

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client base”.

Soaring prices News of the deal comes as figures from BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland showed that growth in construction activity slowed in March from the previous month, likely reflecting the impact of soaring prices on demand.

The headline seasonally-adjusted BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland Construction Total Activity Index declined to 53.9 in March from 58.4 in February, but remained above the 50 threshold that signals expansion. While housing and commercial activity rose last month, that of civil engineering dropped for the first time in five months.

More than 83 per cent of construction companies that participated in the survey said their input costs had risen over the course of the month.

“There were widespread reports of higher fuel prices, while material shortages and the conflict in Ukraine added to inflationary pressures,” BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland said.

“Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine, higher transport costs and material shortages all added to pressure on supply chains. Lead times on the delivery of inputs lengthened substantially, with the rate of deterioration getting worse for the first time in five months.”

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APPOINTMENTS

John Paul - Mike McLoughlin Appointed Associate Director - Health, Safety and Sustainability

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he Board of John Paul Construction is pleased to announce the promotion of Mike McLoughlin to the Senior Leadership Team as Associate Director – Health, Safety and Sustainability.

Mike is a long-standing member of the John Paul Construction team having joined as a graduate engineer in 1997. He worked in engineering and project management roles before taking on the role of Health and Safety Manager in 2010. Mike has been instrumental in championing our safety culture and putting in place many of the processes, procedures and certifications that are used daily across the company as part of our safety management system. In recent times, he has been at the forefront in setting our sustainability agenda and putting in place the policies and processes to support this critical objective across our entire business.

Commenting on Mikes appointment, Managing Director Liam Kenny said: “In elevating Mike to the position of Associate Director we acknowledge his contribution to the Health, Safety and Sustainability function and reinforce their fundamental importance to the business as we develop and expand.

We wish Mike continued success”.

Elliott Group - Will Leahy Appointed Regional Director for Munster

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native of East Cork, Will has deep roots in the region and with over 23 years’ Tier 1 Main Contractor experience, he is responsible for construction operations and new contracting opportunities in the Munster Region.

Will has managed large construction teams, multidisciplinary design teams, and numerous contractors in the past two decades, delivering successful projects for clients across all spectrums of the industry. He has also handled a diverse range of contract types, both civil and building. Throughout his career, he has also successfully worked with public bodies/stakeholders, such as councils, school boards of management, Irish Water, etc. He has also managed both complex and high value PPP and Design and Build projects as well as being noted for his strong track record in forming enduring Design Team and Customer relationships. Industry sectors he has worked in include healthcare, residential, leisure, education, pharmaceutical, industrial, and civil.

In appointing Will, Elliott Group have demonstrated their commitment to growing their presence within the Munster region, as well as providing a professional and quality service to their clients.

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Will spoke on his recent appointment, saying: “I am delighted to have taken on the role of Regional Director of Munster. Munster is a region I am both very familiar with and very passionate about, and I am looking forward to leading the progress of Elliott Group in this province.”

CHARGING INTO THE We have always been committed to embedding sustainability into the core of our activities. However, we now recognise the urgent need for an acceleration in our sustainability ambition and performance.

Our activities have an impact on our planet, the environment, the economy, and the communities in which we work; as such we are committed to ensuring environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors are embedded across all our operation and supply chain activities. Through our careful Stewardship, we will seek to enhance the communities and environment in which we operate.

We are working towards setting clear measurable targets to reduce our use of fuel, and energy as well as materials, waste, water, transport, and other sources of emissions. We are also developing a plan to enhance biodiversity and the natural environment where we operate. Building on work that has already commenced, such as our deployment of new technology, we will continue implementing changes at our facilities to help them to become even more carbon efficient and reduce material waste.

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T

PEUGEOT BMW IX E-2008

he new BMW iX is the first fully electric Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) based on a new, modular, scalable toolkit on which the future of the BMW Group will be built. Conceived from the outset for purely electric mobility and sustainable manufacturing techniques, the BMW iX combines locally emission-free driving pleasure and sporting agility with a highly usable operating range and luxurious spaciousness. The styling is certainly distinctive, with a low shoulder line and enlarged kidney grilles setting the iX apart from just about anything on the road.

The footprint is about the same as a BMW X5’s, but with a significantly lower roofline; in the metal the design is rather striking.

Step inside the iX and the cabin is very impressive. The dashboard slopes down from a low scuttle, which coupled with the lack of a transmission tunnel and a panoramic glass roof, gives a pleasingly airy ambience. Material quality is extremely high, with soft quilted leather and metal trim, and BMW was intent on minimising clutter, so the dashboard is almost entirely clear of buttons.

Instead, the main controls can be found on a floating centre console, which features a crystal-glass volume dial, gear selector and iDrive controller, with buttons integrated into a smooth touch-capacitive sleek black panel. It provides an appealing interior in what is BMW’s most technologically advanced interior to date.

The iX offers 20 times more computing power than any previous BMW, and introduces the marque’s new iDrive 8 infotainment system. It brings new features such as 5G connectivity, mixed-reality satellite navigation and Digital Key Plus, which uses your smartphone in place of a conventional key.

There’s also a handy little slot on the floating centre console that lets you stand a phone upright.

The seamless, curved display takes centre stage inside and houses a 14.9-inch infotainment screen alongside a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel. Graphics are extremely crisp, and the interface is responsive to operate, whether that be through touch or the rotary dial. With so many functions, however, it can seem at first to be difficult to navigate the myriad of icons and sub-menus while on the move, but after our week of testing with the BMW iX, it became an easy task.

Thanks to the iX’s large dimensions, there’s a generous amount of rear legroom, and the car’s boxy shape means that headroom is in abundance, even for those over 6ft tall.

The rear seats share the same soft cushioning as those in the front, with a slight recline providing added comfort. There are also more charging ports than you would have devices.

The car’s battery packs are housed within the floor, which usually results in shallower footwells for rear-seat passengers, but the iX’s rear seats are set quite high relative to the floor, which minimises this effect.

The model range will comprise the BMW iX xDrive40 that produces 326hp and is able to cover up to 414 kilometres on a single charge, plus the xDrive50 with a combined output of www.civilandconstruction.ie

BMW IX Words: Anthony Kelly

Pics: Webpress

The BMW iX is a seriously impressive achievement from the German manufacturer.

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PEUGEOT BMW IX E-2008 523hp and a range of up to 613 kilometres (WLTP). Powerful performance is instantaneous and all with zero tailpipe emissions. Both versions are equipped with an intelligent all-wheel-drive system, making the iX the very first all-wheel-drive pure electric vehicle produced by BMW.

there’s no combustion engine to mask unwanted sounds).

Since it is a tall, SUV, there is some wind noise at high speed, although a drag coefficient of 0.25cd makes the iX slipperier through the air than an X5 and it’s hardly noticeable when cruising.

The impressive battery range is complemented with flexible charging that is designed to be as convenient as possible. DC power can be taken on board at a rate of up to 195 kW (BMW iX xDrive50) or 150 kW (BMW iX xDrive40).

This allows the battery charge to be increased from 10 to 80 per cent in around 35 minutes in the BMW iX xDrive50 or 31 minutes in the BMW iX xDrive40.

But it’s the new underpinnings that impress most. Made from a blend of aluminium and carbon-fibre construction that you can see when you open the doors, the structure of the iX feels very rigid, and provides a strong platform. The set-up is well judged, and the iX rides very well, smothering uneven surfaces. Sudden road imperfections, such as potholes are not very noticeable, with only the harshest of bumps sending a distant thud into the cabin. Turn in and the steering is accurate for a car of this type. With the 600kg battery pack mounted within the floor, most of the car’s 2.5-tonne mass is concentrated low down, allowing it to mask much of its weight during direction changes. Roll is well contained, and the iX feels incisive in a way that such a tall, heavy car shouldn’t. The iX can feel wayward when nearing the limit on a tight road, and it can’t hide its mass under braking, but this is certainly a dynamically accomplished SUV.

Both variants are available in Sport or M Sport trim levels, with the extensive standard specification including 21inch alloy wheels, Driving Assistant Professional, Parking Assistant, BMW Live Cockpit Professional, climate comfort windscreen, four-zone air conditioning, heated front seats, wireless phone charging and Shadow Line exterior trim.

An array of options, including dedicated Packs that group extras which complement each together, allow for further personalisation. Also set to join the model line-up is the BMW iX M60 which, with an expected maximum output in excess of 600hp, promises an exceptionally sporty all electric driving experience.

A 2.5-tonne, electric SUV is unlikely to satisfy the ultimate driving experience, but the iX has a fair stab at it. We drove the xDrive 40, and in pure performance terms, it’s genuinely quick. Press the acceleration pedal and thrust is instant. Refinement is excellent, and the iX feels very well isolated from road noise (particularly important when

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Conclusion With a bespoke EV platform, cutting-edge tech suite and BMW’s new-generation electric motors, the iX promises much, and it delivers. Putting aside the very quick straight-line pace, there’s real depth to the package and driving experience; the chassis feels expertly judged, cabin quality is superb and real-world driving range is strong.

Overall it’s a convincing EV and we’ll worth a look.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION Model BMW iX xDrive 40 M Sport Twin-motor, 71kWh battery

630 Nm

320 hp

200 km/h

6.1 seconds

€120 per year

0/100km

€98,656

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22

DYNAMIC CONSULTING

BENCHMARKING AND INNOVATION WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Within recent times there has been a wide range of technological advances such as Augmented Reality, drones and BIM, however the Construction industry has been slow to take up and embrace innovation and technology.

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Within the private sector, comparable cost information is not so easily available, although some large companies may have access to in-house cost information.

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s of 2022, millennials range in age from 24 to 40 and make up a majority of the current workforce, Millennials have adapted to a techdriven lifestyle. The newest members of the workforce, Generation Z are between the ages of 23 and infancy and are the first true tech natives, having never known a world without the internet as it exists today.

It is well known that Companies that are embracing and implementing construction technology are at an advantage, with increased productivity, better collaboration, and the ability to deliver projects on time and or under budget.

Benchmarking is important on construction jobs and more so on public projects where public money is being spent.

Having looked to see if we are missing a tool that can collect cost information digitally, report seamlessly and have a structured cost data base based on real data on construction jobs both past and present from preconstruction to the full life cycle of a building, I came across a company delivering productivity and innovation within the industry. The Fifth Dimension offers a cloudbased solution to manage, track, report and analyse the commercials of a construction project. The platform in its simplest terms is to support the delivery of the commercial side of a construction project for the full life expectancy of a building and to track, control and report. This will cover areas such as: specific project information, project budgets, project estimates at the different design stages, project risk management, value engineering & earned value management, contracts management and invoicing & reporting, high level time schedule tracking, consultancy information, carbon counting, whole life costing tracking and operating expenses (OPEX) tracking. The data base allows analysis www.civilandconstruction.ie

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DYNAMIC CONSULTING of a specific project and projects against other similar projects within the knowledgebase.

Another advantage of the system and upshot will result in an international and national data base of construction costs filtered by building scenarios (e.g., location, ground conditions, quality, materials, sector etc.) without sensitive information being seen, the database will have project anonymity meaning only non-confidential information is visible.

The product is available worldwide, as the platform will be used across all languages. The product and business are made up over teams based out of Ireland, Denmark, Netherlands & Finland. Founded by Ross Griffin, Elia González & Cong Vu. Limerick native Ross Griffin is the founder & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Elia González, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer (CPO) is based in Denmark for the last 8 years, currently within her role she is a Specialist Commercial Manager providing support

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and leadership during the design phase, feasibility phase and aiding in the execution of the project and Cong Vu, Co-Founder & Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

Karen Muldowney is Managing Director of Dynamic Consulting, Dynamic Consulting is a professional organisation providing Bid Management, Tender Management, Sales and Marketing Plans, Talent Management and Business Plans to Start-Ups, SME’s and Large Organisations.

Tel No: +353 (0)1 563 8718 Mobile No: +353 (83)486 8878 Website: dynamicconsultinggroup.ie Email: k.muldowney@ dynamicconsultinggroup.ie

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FINANCE

SUPPORTING DEVELOPERS AND HOME BUILDERS ACROSS IRELAND

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astlehaven Finance is an industry-leading alternative lender providing development finance for both private and social housing, commercial, and mixed-use projects nationwide. We are proud to support home builders and developers who have a solid track record and proven delivery skills. Over the past eight years, the team at Castlehaven Finance has backed some of the most prominent and respected property developers in the country. This team knows the industry and understands that time is of the essence; the funding service offers speed and flexibility when it comes to the delivery of property projects.

The company was founded back in 2014, in response to the need for an alternative lender in the residential development market in Dublin. Founders Clark McCann and Will Aylmer were both working in the alternative finance space in London, commuting every week from Ireland to their UK office. Realising that the Irish market was beginning to recover in 2013, they began to discuss the possibility of taking their work back to Ireland.

In 2014, Castlehaven Finance was formed and an office opened in Dundrum, on the Southside of Dublin.

Since 2014, the team has grown from the original team of 3 and now employs 16 people. Over this period, Castlehaven Finance has advanced close to €1.7 billion to Ireland-based property developers and home builders, across almost 200 loans. In fact, in 2021, the company advanced loans in excess of €413 million across 37 facilities and, in the first four months of 2022, the team advanced loans in excess of €240 million. In the midst of a housing crisis, the company is particularly proud to have advanced over €100 million of the funding in 2021 for sites providing social housing. Upon completion, these sites will provide over 400 social homes. Critically, Castlehaven Finance will fund social housing anywhere there is a proven requirement for this type of housing nationwide.

The past two years have been an uncertain time for Irish, and indeed global, real estate. There have been many challenges encountered by the development and www.civilandconstruction.ie

construction company in Ireland. As the leading alternative lender in Ireland, Castlehaven Finance credits its deep understanding of the industry for enabling the team to build and maintain relationships of trust.

“Trust is our key differentiator in the marketplace. Our service has evolved alongside our clients and the broader market over the past eight years. Our team builds lasting relationships by making borrowing as simple and straight-forward as possible. We believe that a strong relationship between lender and client is fundamental to mutual success. As a result, we are transparent with our cost of funds, underwriting approach, and lending process from the outset.” Will Aylmer While the pandemic was certainly a challenge, it presented an opportunity to support the rapid delivery of social housing in new locations around the country.

While many other lenders closed their doors to new business, the Castlehaven team continued to lend throughout Covid. This has led to new client relationships and a deepening of existing relationships.

“We work closely with our clients, which allows us to remain ‘in step’ with our clients, this leads to a more responsive relationship, one that is open to discussion and innovation. For example, the development community is embracing innovation, emerging technologies and modern methods of construction so flexibility on the funding conversation is essential. We run an agile operation and this suits the demand of a changing industry. Above all, we emphasise relationship, transparency, speed, reliability, flexibility,” concludes Will.

Established in 2014, Castlehaven Finance has provided development finance for both private and social housing to developers, builders and project owners across Ireland in excess of €1.7 billion (200 loans). With offices in Dublin and Cork, the company currently employs 16 people. The team at Castlehaven Finance have been involved in the delivery of more than 3,500 new homes, both private and social, across the State.

FUNDING IN EXCESS OF

€1.7 BILLION ADVANCED ACROSS 200 LOANS w w w . c a s t l e h a v e n fi n a n c e . c o m

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CONSTRUCTION INFORMATION SERVICES

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

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onstruction Information Services (CIS) is commemorating its 50th year since its establishment in 1972. Since then, it has cemented itself as a cornerstone of the construction and related industries, delivering comprehensive, well-researched, timely, and verified business opportunities and intelligence. CIS hopes to initiate a new era of growth throughout the year to honour its past achievements and to share with its members the milestones and challenges of the last 50 years while looking forward to future opportunities for many years to come.

and Q3 2021 (€3.2bn) and up form a three year quarterly average of €2.3bn.

The results from Q1 2022 highlight the continued resilience of the construction industry against the backdrop of multiple unique challenges – rising material costs, disruption of supplies, Brexit, the pandemic, rising fuel costs and other impacts of the war in Ukraine.

Across the island new project starts rose to just over €3bn for the quarter, the third highest quarter value recorded in the last three years, behind Q2 2021 (€4,4bn)

New starts in the civil sector rose significantly to €978m outstripping the previous three-year quarterly average of €274m and driven by new investments in wind and solar projects.

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There are variations of course across sectors. New starts in the residential sector fell for the third consecutive quarter to €979m (excluding new phases of existing developments). In the non-residential sector starts rose in Q1 to €1.2bn, a 27% rise on the quarterly average over the last three years. Indeed, the only sectors falling below the previous three-year average for new starts were medical, retail and hospitality.

Plans Submitted The value of ROI planning applications lodged in Q1 2022 was €3.5bn, which was higher than the previous

29 three-year average but down 21% from the previous quarter. In comparison to the same period last year, the number of residential units increased by 31% to approximately 18,000. The number of apartments planned is 9,681, an increase of 18.5% over the previous year, and is more than the number of traditional dwelling units planned, which is 8,263. A 2% decrease in the value of housing in the Eastern and Midland Regions from Q1 2021 is countered by rises in the Southern Region (69%) and the Northern and Western Regions (123%).

Planning applications for non-residential projects totalled €1.6bn in the first quarter, up 36% from the same period last year and 8% from the preceding quarter. Plans for 911 hotel beds, 682 nursing home beds, and 273 classrooms were among the applications. This quarter’s considerable expansion in the business sector was driven mostly by plans for new offices. The hospitality industry grew, but at €118m, it was still less than the previous three-year average of €150m.

Plans Granted The value of planning grants for residential applications declined by 16% from the same period last year and by 12% from the preceding quarter, totalling €1.9bn. In the

quarter, a total of 272 projects were granted planning permission, equal to 9,686 residential units – a 16% increase over Q1 2021. Apartments and traditional housing were about equal in terms of planned developments, with one and two-bedroom apartments accounting for nearly half of all grants. The number of units granted approval in the Eastern and Midland regions declined by 10%. Units authorized in the southern region increased by 151%, with approximately 3000 units approved.

In the non-residential sector, the value of plans granted in Q1 was €1.3bn, which was 15% lower than the previous three-year average and 15% lower than the same period last year. There were 15 hotel developments approved, totalling over 1,000 hotel beds. 168 projects worth €270m have been approved for the commercial sector, representing a 34% decrease from the first quarter of 2021. In the education sector, 63 new projects have been approved, including plans for 254 new classrooms.

In the medical sector, approval was granted for 196 new hospital beds and 354 nursing care beds. A total of 67 public sector projects were approved, totalling €222m in investment, a 19% decrease from the first quarter of 2021.

www.civilandconstruction.ie

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CONSTRUCTION INFORMATION SERVICES Commencements New projects started comprise of a gross total of 5.3k units, which is less than the three-year average of slightly more than 6k. All regions exhibit a huge growth compared to Q1 2021, when the economy was partially shut down. In the third quarter, 160 new housing projects worth €932m were launched. Apartments and dwellings are currently being built at the same rate.

In the first quarter of 2022, 342 new non-residential projects were commenced, totalling just over €1bn. Starts for 2022 are on course to exceed last year’s record of €9.6bn, a 28% increase over the previous three-year average of €805m and a 140% increase over Q4 2021.

During the quarter, 539 hotel beds, 274 nursing care beds, and 217 classrooms were all opened. The value of starts was higher in all three regions than the previous three-year average, with the Southern region nearly twice the average.

Conclusion Please visit our website at info.cisireland.com for further information, statistics, and the full Q1 2022 report spanning both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. If you are not already a customer, you can take advantage of our Free Trial to gain access to the complete report as well as our many other system features. If you have any questions about the data in this report, please contact us at research@cisireland.com or on 353 1 2999 200.

www.civilandconstruction.ie

With half a century behind us, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank our many valued and loyal clients, both current and past, as we look forward to continuing our path of providing the best support and service to the construction industry.

NZEB Fundamental Awareness 358962 - One day onsite 9th of June Online 2 half days 359659 - 18th to 19th of July NZEB Ventilation 3 half days online, 1 day onsite 358965 - 7th to 9th of June plus one day onsite TBC 340607 - 6th to 8th of July plus one day onsite TBC NZEB Retrofit Two half days online 358596 - 16th to 17th of June 358593 - 6th to 7th of July Retrofit Insulation Skills 7 days onsite 358534 - 27th of June to 11th of July Mon - Wed over 3 weeks NZEB Site Supervisor 6 days onsite 2 days per week over 3 weeks 358591 - 4th to 21st of July External Wall Insulation 2 days online, 5 days onsite 359682 - 2nd and 3rd of June online 13th to 17th of June onsite 359681 - 23rd and 24th of June 27th of June to 1st of July onsite 359683 - 7th and 8th of July 11th to 15th of July onsite

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SURETY BONDS

WAR - WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

N

orman Whitfield and Barrett Strong wrote the song War (What is it good for) in 1969, Edwin Starr performed the vocalis and it went to No.1 in 1970. While the meaning could be construed a protest to war such as the Vietnam war which was ongoing it was actually a counterculture song aimed at the racial wars that were going on inside America at the time.

The words however ring clear today as war rages on in Ukraine; “War, huh, yeah what is it good for? Absolutely nothing”……. “Cause it means destruction of innocent lives War means tears to thousands of mother’s eyes”……. “It ain’t nothing but a heart breaker (War) Friend only to The Undertaker, woo Peace, love and understanding, tell me Is there no place for them today?”

I never envisaged the scenario we face today, the impact of war within our European territory. The war in Ukraine leaves none of us untouched, while we look at the atrocities being inflicted upon a civilian population most of us can only look on aghast. The little we can do from afar; donations, accepting fleeing families into our homes and

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providing what other basic necessities we can.

The US, EU and other supporting nations have come together in a unified force inflicting the toughest sanctions on the Russian nation, it is unfortunate that we have to crush a nation knocking it back to the old cold war era of the 1960’s in order to break a despotic dictator who is pushing the world into a potential recession and maybe even a global war. The potential for the conflict to grow should not be discounted as unthinkable, as it is President Putin does not seem deterred from his course and is willing to go beyond what any other leader would consider inhumane.

My concern last summer as we headed into the autumn and winter months along with the lifting of restrictions and the much-needed return to social life, was that we would be looking at the energy industry in relation to disruption in supply and whether that would be a shortterm issue or a long-term global issue. With those issues leading to higher inflation. In a recent article I argued the case that high inflation in Europe was transitory but

T N E I L I S E R G N I D L I BU D N A G N I T DUC S K R O W T E N E N I L E P I P S M E T S Y S S U I D A R WITH

For more information contact us on t: +44 (0)1773 811112 e: sales@radius-systems.com www.radius-systems.com

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SURETY BONDS

the caveat of course was if Russia invades Ukraine, then inflation could hang around longer as supply of oil and gas are constrained driving up prices along with other supply chain issues that a war on our doorstep could potentially bring.

The war has now and forever fractured the form of supply of energy that we as Europeans have over relied on for decades, mainly Russian supply of coal, gas and oil, a reliance that has come back to haunt us. In order to really hurt Russia/Putin we need to cut the supply off at the tap, that is going to hurt Europe in the short-term, possibly even more than the financial recession of 2008 but it is a necessity as it will have the greatest impact in stopping this needless war. The future impact will also mean Putin does not have a stranglehold on European nations which he has held for decades.

While it is difficult to see or even mention the word opportunity in such times, there has never been a better time than now to seize the moment and change how we readdress our energy needs. Yes, it normally takes years for the changes that are required but when the need arises it is possible to deliver what is deemed to be impossible rapidly. Ireland in particular has an opportunity to lead from the front if the political will is there.

Ireland is not the only country with an energy crisis nor the only country that needs to invest vastly in infrastructure. With the fastest growing economy in Europe and an increasing population current infrastructure is creaking

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under the pressure and it is not sustainable. More people than ever are living in cities, some 55% of the world’s population live in cities, this is being mirrored in Ireland but without the supporting investment by government in sustainable energy supply which makes living in cities attractive.

The incentive now however, is for governments and private companies to invest in such projects as money has never been cheaper, although with current inflation that may just be about to change. With quantitative easing globally supported by central banks in order to support governments stepping in to stabilise markets which were closed due to public health restrictions along with negative interest rates has created an opportunity for governments to grasp the excuse to deliver long postponed projects.

In conclusion it is imperative that stakeholders along the value chain; the public, individual companies, the energy industry as a whole and the government should take action to move the industry forward. The government, as a key project owner should create a fertile environment for the transformation of the renewable energy sector.

That means encouraging and incentivising the public’s buy in on micro-generation, off-shore wind, on-shore wind farms and solar. The last thing we want is a decade of delayed planning permission from all in sundry objecting to crucial developments and projects.

Colm McGrath, Managing Director, Surety Bonds

www.dconsafety.com

RECREATING LEADERSHIP

DCON Safety Consultants are and independently owned Built Environmental Safety, Health & Wellbeing Consultancy

The Irish government has committed to enabling a more ef cient and sustainable approach to building design, construction and operation. nder the ambitious ational

Are you involved in the planning, design, procurement or delivery of offsite and other modern methods of construction in Ireland?

1 2 3 4

Development lan and the ational lanning ramework, MMC has a vital role to play. It is particularly important for the post-pandemic recovery of our built environment, economy and communities. o ensure successful navigation of these ambitions, Evolusion Innovation and C+W O Brien Architects are seeking to bring together organisations and professionals to form a representative body for designers, manufacturers and installers of Modern Methods of Construction in Ireland. he overarching ob ectives of the body are to develop and promote Ireland s MMC sector, nationally and internationally, in order to:

BUILD KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF MMC THROUGH:  Sector networking - Industry events  Sharing case studies and seeking to understand obstacles to adoption  Collating, maintaining and sharing sectoral knowledge 

rovide continual professional development to members and industry

 Collaborate with other similar bodies organisations to increase knowledge and awareness of MMC.

PROMOTE A REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT ADDRESSING TESTING, CERTIFICATION AND QUALITY THROUGH:  A shared voice for promoting policy change and development  Dissemination of industry knowledge and experience  Actively engaging with overnmental and Sectoral bodies, work groups task forces  Engaging with MMC bodies organisations outside of Ireland

SUPPORT AND FOSTER ACCESS TO THE MMC MARKET THROUGH:  Engagement with Enterprise Ireland and other funding bodies  Engagement with ublic and rivate procurement bodies agencies to develop greater ef ciencies in procurement policies  Develop and strengthen supply chain capacity  Engagement with professional organisations to promote a DfMA philosophy at the design stage of pro ects.

ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THE MMC INDUSTRY THROUGH: 

obbying of policymakers

 Offer professional advice 

ublic voice for members



romotion of sectors at industry events

MMC Ireland will be a collaboration of industry talent and experience, working in partnership to gather insights and ensure these insights feed into relevant policymaking. Input is sought across the seven categories of MMC, namely: volumetric modular, structural panellised, offsite components, additive manufacture, non-structural assembles and sub-assembles, offsite building material improvements and onsite process improvement.

Annual fees: €4,500 per organisation Contact the MMC Ireland team at info@mmcireland.ie with any queries and register to join us for the inaugural meeting on Monday 16th May 2022, 4pm.

Declan Wallace Sincerely, CEO Evolusion Innovation

Arthur O’Brien Managing Director C+W O'Brien Architects

www.mmcireland.ie

Pat Kirwan Head of MMC Delivery C+W O'Brien Architects

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BUILDINGLINK IRELAND

BUILDINGLINK AND ITS CUSTOM RESIDENT APP

Will this market-leading technology influence the future of residential design in Ireland?

I

n 2015 successful entrepreneur Galen Bales spotted an increasing trend in the PRS (multi-family) property market for a comprehensive wrap-around property management system. BuildingLink had been operating globally in over 2 million residential units as a sophisticated operating platform in hotel branded and lifestyle residential buildings and an extensive property management system for some of the largest multi-family residential developments in the world.

rising number of businesses are partnering with BuildingLink Ireland to offer a wider, community-based approach to everyday living. Local businesses are increasingly eager to join us as Resident Partners - offering discounts on their local services and this, along with a growing portfolio of Community Events is becoming an integral part of the package - connecting residents to their neighbourhoods and, at the same time allowing property owners to fulfil the social element of their ESG commitments.

As the ownership and development of Private Rental Sector (PRS) apartment buildings has increased over the years, developers are looking for new ways to differentiate their offering from the competition, with the provision of in-built amenities. An increase in demand for multi-family or PRS developments with the new ‘must-haves’ such as outdoor lounge areas and fitness centres, children’s playgrounds and EV charging stations are driving this trend.

As this area has grown, so too has the demand for an increase in service-based and local business amenities. A

The use of BuildingLink software to manage such PRS properties has a distinct and quantifiable advantage – for example in 2021, Irish residents made over 50,000 resident amenity reservations via a BuildingLink Resident App - and the clear trend is for continued growth year on year.

The same year, Irish residents logged into a BuildingLink Resident App over 600,000 times. We are proud to be the software of choice in 11,000 residential units in Ireland and controlling 35% of the Irish New Build PRS Market.

BuildingLink Ireland have published industry reports to

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date, tracking the trends and growth in this area – we are currently finalising our latest report ‘Private Rented Sector - Future Trends in Irish PRS Resident Amenities’ to be published in June.

ding value to the investment.

‘At BuildingLink Ireland we believe that competitive amenities are a vital component to a prospective tenant’s choice of home. We work with owners, developers and managers to think carefully about how to leverage technology to maximise the value of built amenities and services to help create cohesive communities.’ Galen Bales, Managing Director BuildingLink Ireland

Looking ahead, we foresee that multi-purpose designs (special adaptability) in the property industry will become increasingly important Galen Bales, Managing and prevalent in the Irish Director BuildingLink Ireland PRS market. The majority of potential tenants visit multiple competitive properties, so the WOW Factor is what attracts potential tenants when deciding upon a new home. Our Irish Private Rented Sector Amenities Benchmarking Report – Boston and Dublin, published in October 2021, cited that in Boston luxury apartments can command a ‘rent-premium’ – with residents paying up to €28.49 monthly for pet care, such as washing stations and day-care services for example. In the same report BuildingLink Ireland and PRS Insights found that concierge and fitness centres are most common in both markets – Boston and Dublin – showing that they are essential amenities. When constructing PRS residential developments investors are choosing to include amenities such as resident lounges, roof terraces and EV charging stations, as well as bicycle storage areas and multi-use meeting rooms, ad-

About BuildingLink Ireland provides an indispensable, secure and all-inclusive property management solution for the Private Rented Sector (PRS), Co-living, Student Housing, Owner Management Company (OMC) and Social Housing sectors. Easy to use technology, available through a mobile app enhances the resident experience, increases management efficiency and integrates all stakeholders. The custom resident app works to create a seamless experience - integrating a multitude of services such as maintenance requests, resources for moving into/out of the property, laundry services, housekeeping, amenity reservations, parcel handling, health and wellbeing resources. The result is a complete property management system that fulfils the owner’s ESG commitment and adds value to the overall asset. During COVID contactless PRS Management had the added advantage of ensuring the seamless continuity of services for such developments.

For more information, or to receive copies of our latest report, please contact Suzanne Nolan, Communications Manager suzanne@buildinglink.ie

www.civilandconstruction.ie

40

PIPELIFE

MEET THE NEW KID ON THE BLOC!

Pipelife Ireland is delighted to welcome Midea to the Pipelife family.

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T

he Midea Monobloc Heat Pump is the latest addition to our range of heating Solutions and will compliment our existing range off Heat Pumps, Underfloor Heating, Smart Controls, Low Temperature Radiators, Heat Recovery Units and Air Conditioning units!

Midea are the world’s No 1 Manufacturer of HVAC Products. In 2018 Forbes Global named Midea as the world’s 253rd largest business as a result of $40bn sales.

With a European market share of over 20%, Midea now manufacture 1 in every 5 air conditioning systems sold into Europe, and in 2019, HVAC total global sales output reached over 40 million systems. Midea are so confident in their products reliability that they are offering the industries 1st 10 Year Warranty…this is a game changer!

Discover Easy Comfort

The Midea M Thermal is an integrated system that provides space heating and cooling as well as domestic hot water, offering a complete, all-year-round solution which can remove the need for traditional gas or oil boilers, or work together with them.

A compact solution where a single unit is installed on the outside of the property, taking up no space inside and can be used alongside an existing heating solution. The heat pump is connected to the indoor heating system simply by laying two heat insulated pipes and the electric connection cables under the ground.

The Midea M Thermal Monobloc air-to-water heat pump systems are available in single phase capacities of 4 kW

- 16 kW, or three phase capacities of 12 kW to 30 kW. M thermal A Series have higher leaving water temperature in low ambient temperature. The water temperature is up to 60C at -15C ambient temperature. With the help of AHS or IBH, water temperature can reach 65C at -25C Michael Geary, Technical Sales Manager with Pipelife commented – “One of the things that’s really clear when you look at the Midea unit is that the engineers have clearly looked at other machines available on the market and what the best features were when they made this unit. An example of this would be how they have managed to get 16 Kilowatts out of a unit that which only has a single fan. This comes down to the design of the fan unit itself with Midea making out a scallop shape cut out of the blade and this is done to help increase air flow but also to keep the sound down, hence the Midea unit can boost to being one of the quietest on the market today” Geary continued – “The Midea unit comes with all the features that you’d expect, weather compensation, 2 zone control, legionella protection, quiet modes etc.

So everything that all major brands include in their heat pumps come with this as well. The biggest advantage we see with the Midea Unit is the fact that they offer a 10 Year warranty. This really reinforces the quality of the unit and is currently the longest guarantee on the market today! For us we think this represents the next generation of heat pumps”

10 Year Warranty

Nothing says you are confident in the quality of your heat pump, more than a 10 year warranty www.civilandconstruction.ie

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PIPELIFE

Wide Operation Range

Available in single phase capacities of 4 kW - 16 kW, or three phase capacities of 12 kW to 30 kW.

Domestic Hot Water And Underfloor Heating

The M Thermal can provide domestic hot water (up to 55°C) and underfloor heating, improving room comfort.

Perfect For Small Spaces

The M Thermal is designed for installation in any type of property, especially homes with limited space. Being a compact system with a single unit installed outdoors means the available space indoors remains unchanged.

Performance

A+++ ErP Energy Rating Efficient heating capacity even when at -7°C air temperature. Maintains continuous hot water supply up to 55°C even with outdoor temperatures as low as -20°C

Easy Installation & Maintenance

All functions are achieved with a single outdoor unit, bringing significant cost savings. Furthermore, installation is quicker and easier as there is no need for refrigerant piping, and the product is pre-charged at the factory. Twodoor design for easy access to internal components for easy maintenance.

So So Quiet

Engineered to be no noisier than 35db(A) sound pressure level at 3 metres. the Midea M Thermal range need never bother your neighbours ever again. www.civilandconstruction.ie

R32 Refrigerant

With a global warming potential of 675 (two-thirds less than R410a) R32 is better for the environment.

THE MIDEA M THERMAL R32 MONOBLOC AIR-TO-WATER HEAT PUMP

A REAL CONTENDER

Discover Easy-Comfort with our New Midea Monobloc Heat Pump which comes with a Market Leading 10 Year Warranty! Another Plus+ Advantage from Pipelife!

Pipelife Ireland Limited, Whites’s Cross, Cork.

1B Damastown Way, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15.

T: +353 21 488 4700 F: +353 21 488 4701 E: ireland@pipelife.ie Discover our full range at www.pipelife.ie

44

PROPERTY DISTRICT

A GUIDE TO CRISIS COMMUNICATION FOR CONSTRUCTION AND PROPERTY LEADERS

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Reputation is everything

Fundamentals of crisis communications

Data protection breaches, protests, public consultation fails, property PR disasters, construction marketing mismanagement, poor social media management, vexatious claims and actions by disgruntled staff members, trespassers on site, accidents on site, inaccurate media reporting, compliance breaches, social media videos that capture members of your team or parts of your organisation out of context and without your knowledge, public safety concerns, financial issues, trade and media speculation… Unfortunately, this is not an exhaustive list of the issues that your organisation may be facing.

While the anatomy of every crisis is different, there are fundamentals that hold true in every case and there are priorities that apply to most instances. These are broadly as follows: 1. Stop the bleeding: That is to say, take immediate action to make safe or mitigate the ongoing cause of the crisis.

2. Don’t hunker down: Respond quickly to acknowledge that an issue is being attended to; do not speculate or engage with media or stakeholder speculation.

3. Assess: Take time to fully understand the facts; this is not a time for positioning or a CYA approach.

4. Speak with integrity: Do not lie, misrepresent the facts, blame or make excuses 5. No time for blame: Blame and responsibility are not the same thing: Leaders might not be to blame, but it is generally their role to accept responsibility.

Events of recent weeks have prompted us to put together a high level guide or checklist for the leaders of organisations within the construction and property industries who might be dealing with an issue that is likely to have a negative impact on reputation, both internally and externally.

The role of our Property District Crisis Communications & Issues Management team is to help manage the issue i.e. put a response structure in place, and to help lead your people in the direction needed for your organisation. Simply put, if something bad has happened to impact your organisation, we cannot undo that. Our immediate priority is to ensure things don’t get worse. From there, our role is to help your team to understand what happened, so that it can be truthfully explained to stakeholders, and to take action to prevent reoccurrence.

A crisis is no place for a manager It has become something of a cliche to say that real leaders are forged in times of crisis, but that does not stop it being true. In our experience, when faced with a crisis, managers either fail or evolve into leaders who speak and act with integrity, who show moral conviction and who earn and maintain the trust of stakeholders. Frankly, a crisis is no place for a manager, it requires a leader.

It is important to clarify here that people are not to be managed (and definitely not ‘handled’). The organisation is to be managed, the response to the crisis ought to be managed, but people need to be led, particularly during times of crisis.

Act with integrity “A crisis is an opportunity riding a dangerous wind.”

Chinese Proverb It is critical to learn from the situation that gave rise to the crisis. This might mean changing organisational procedures, improving internal and external communications, media training, a change in the SMT, upskilling team members, updating communications, heightening cyber and/ or physical security, putting social media management policies in place, and a host of other activities to ensure that similar issues do not evolve in a future crisis. Above all, act with integrity. If an undertaking is given to make changes, MAKE THE CHANGES. Use the crisis as an opportunity to do better.

This might be the right time to get smart about protecting your organisation’s reputation; to get your construction marketing right and your property PR in order.

Contact the team at www.propertydistrict.ie in confidence to discuss putting together a crisis response and business continuity plan.

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WARD PERSONNEL

A WIN WIN – HOW WORKERS FROM THE ASYLUM SEEKER COMMUNITY CAN PLAY A PART IN ADDRESSING THE CONSTRUCTION LABOUR SHORTAGE A fantastic partnership being established with the Asylum Seeker Community in Cork which has proved beneficial for all parties.

“

A chance encounter on a Cork city street” was according to Dave Ward, MD of Ward Personnel, the catalyst that would lead to a fantastic partnership being established with the Asylum Seeker Community in Cork which has proved beneficial for all parties.

“My wife was in a bit of bother with a flat tyre and was holding up traffic on Wellington Road, and as I was just arriving, a group of lads from the local Direct Provision centre were insisting on helping her out and changing the tyre

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for her. It really was heart-warming to see as the lads were incredibly kind and just wanted to help out. We started chatting and Gary Delaney, a volunteer with local group BRIJ, which helps the asylum seeker community, also joined the conversation and the whole idea started from there. Within a few weeks the first worker from the centre was working on a Cork building site for one of our clients.

The logic is fairly simple – the lads desperately want to work and start contributing to Irish society, the state wants to support their integration into mainstream society and

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reduce the need for social welfare, and our economy is crying out for construction and industrial workers.”

Over the last 6 months we have worked closely with a number of asylum seekers to understand what work experience they have brought from their local communities, and with the local support groups such as Cork City Partnership and with Susan Long in particular, to find work opportunities in Cork. Once the work permits have been issued and the required training such as safe pass, manual handling etc has been complete then it is over to us to source suitable work from there.

Overall, it has worked really well for all parties as a case study below illustrates: Esmeraldo is originally from Angola. Having come through the direct provision system has through Ward Personnel found consistent and well paid work with a number of contractors in the Cork area.

“It’s been a great experience for me and I now feel that I am contributing to society by working and earning money and can really start to build a good life for myself in Ireland” Gary Delaney, a volunteer with BRIJ commented “the long-term aim has to be to get people into work and to become fully integrated into our society. There is a vast array of skills and experience available to Irish society from

asylum seekers and it’s terrific that we are now beginning to see more work opportunities emerge in the economy with companies such as Ward Personnel but naturally there is a lot more work to do in this area” From our clients side the experience also been incredibly positive. George Lordan, Finishing Foreman at KPH site in Riverstick, commented as follows: “Esmeraldo is an honest worker with a great attitude and really fitted in well with the team here. He quickly built up a rapport with both his colleagues and the public whilst performing his role on site and it makes perfect sense to enable more workers from asylum seeker backgrounds to join the workforce”.

Peter Abernethy, Account Manager with Ward Personnel, also wholeheartedly agrees : “Esmeraldo’s story is a great example of how it can work well for all parties – it’s a WIN WIN all round and hopefully the timelines around work permits being issued will continue to shorten. We will certainly continue to work with all parties to further improve the process. As we know there is no silver bullet to solve the overall construction worker shortage in Ireland but this is an example of another small step that can only help so we will certainly support it where possible.”

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MSI

MASTER SYSTEMS INTEGRATOR A new type of contractor.

T

he role of Master Systems Integrator, or MSI, is a relatively new concept for the built environment in Ireland, although its relevance has been growing in other regions in line with the growth of smart buildings globally. The term ‘smart buildings’ essentially describes connected buildings and these connections improve the user or occupant experience of that space while enhancing the overall performance of the building under a range of metrics, including environmental, social and governance, or ESG. Contemporary buildings contain numerous smart solutions supplied by multiple specialist contractors.

The systems may work well on their own, however, they generally do not integrate well with one another, or at all. Whether retrofitting existing spaces, or designing new spaces from scratch, an ad hoc approach to the deployment of IoT, or Internet of Things, solutions weakens the integrity of the building’s systems and fails to channel data into any central repository. Without such a central data repository, useful information remains unleveraged, resulting in a ‘smart building’ with little to no intelligence. The core function of the MSI in the delivery of contemporary smart buildings is to ensure frictionless operation and communication between all systems within that building. This requires top level integration by the MSI of layers of software enabling the smart functioning of the building system and aggregation of all data captured. The MSI contractor is responsible for this top level of integration on a smart building project, ensuring that all systems achieve compliance with an agreed data model or schema. By using an agreed www.civilandconstruction.ie

data model, the data from the building’s smart systems can be understood by people and third party software applications to ensure longevity through interoperability into the future. This end result is a real-time ‘data lake’ for use by the building owner, operator and occupants.

This ‘data lake’ gathers valuable building performance data, including ESG metrics, that are made accessible and actionable by the building owners/operators in order to optimise the experience for the occupants.

Early engagement of a MSI contractor is essential to ensure alignment with the design team in terms of approach and delivery. This allows for pre-emptive screening of all hardware devices, in line with the client’s IP security protocols, and a framework for onboarding third party solutions. In addition to project managers, an MSI contractor’s team typically consists of software developers, building service engineers, BMS specialists, BIM co-ordinators and data scientists.

Learn more about the emerging technologies enabling smart buildings through McKeon Group company Hereworks.ie About McKeon Group: Established in 1950 and ISO certified for more than two decades, McKeon Group offers expert construction, fitout and building services.

The family-run Group delivers projects, services and maintenance across a range of sectors for State, local authority, FDI and private clients. For more information, contact: www.mckeon.ie

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KENNEDY WILSON

KENNEDY WILSON SIGNS LEASE WITH NEW TENANT TO FULLY OCCUPY NEW TEN HANOVER QUAY OFFICE DEVELOPMENT Redevelopment completes the 5.3-acre Capital Dock campus with ESG credentials at its heart.

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F

ollowing the recent completion of the Ten Hanover Quay office development at Capital Dock, global real estate investment company Kennedy Wilson (NYSE: KW) and 40% joint venture partner, National Asset Management Agency (‘NAMA’), have signed a full-building lease with a global occupier, signing a new 15-year lease, with a tenant break option at year 12.

The tenant will occupy 68,300 square feet across seven floors at the waterfront, Class-A industrial warehouse office redevelopment that combines historic features and contemporary office space in the heart of Dublin, Ireland.

Following the new lease, Ten Hanover Quay is expected to generate a yield on cost of in excess of 6%.

The development has leading sustainability credentials, including Gold certifications across LEED, WELL and WiredScore and thoughtful placemaking and community engagement. As part of the redevelopment project, Kennedy Wilson refurbished and extended the historic Lock Keepers Cottage, which is earmarked for community

use, and commissioned the Sentinel, a 40-foot limestone sculpture by the renowned artist Michael Warren that anchors the extensive public realm.

“We are very excited to lease Ten Hanover Quay, completing our cutting-edge Capital Dock campus, with its fantastic public amenities, innovative placemaking and recently accredited ISO certifications,” said Ali Rohan, Head of Ireland at Kennedy Wilson. “The financial and tech sectors are well represented around the Docklands and have furthered demand for intelligent buildings that enable collaboration, connectivity, and occupier wellbeing.”

The Ten Hanover Quay property dates to the 1780s, when it originally served as a warehouse and stables. Following the acquisition of the site in 2017, Kennedy Wilson, working with its partner NAMA, transformed the site into a unique, modern, large floor plate office building with a roof top terrace that fuses contemporary design by OMP and Mola Architecture with best-in-class conservation features. John Sisk & Son were the contractor.

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KENNEDY WILSON

Fronting onto Three Locks Square at the heart of the Capital Dock campus, Ten Hanover Quay completes this iconic 5.3-acre mixed-use urban quarter, including 460,000 square feet of fully occupied offices; 190 premium residential units that are currently 92% occupied; 2.5-acres of public space, 27,000 square feet of restaurant, bar, and food offerings, including Dublin’s flagship Brewdog Outpost and Fresh the Good Food Market, and a new waterside park and playground.

John Collison, Chief Commercial Officer at NAMA added: “Ten Hanover Quay is a state-of-the-art new building set on the Dublin waterfront and developed with our partners www.civilandconstruction.ie

Kennedy Wilson. We are delighted that this high-quality building has been full let as it shows the continued strong confidence in the Dublin Docklands office market.”

About Kennedy Wilson Kennedy Wilson (NYSE:KW) is a leading global real estate investment company. We own, operate, and invest in real estate through our balance sheet and through our investment management platform. We focus on multifamily, office and industrial properties located in the Western U.S., U.K., and Ireland. For further information on Kennedy Wilson, please visit: www.kennedywilson.com.

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54

BUILDING COSTS

CONSTRUCTION GROWS AT THE WEAKEST PACE OVER RISING BUILDING COSTS

Monthly construction industry index shows a reading of 53.9 for March, above the 50.0 no-change mark but down from 58.4 seen in February.

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55

T

he soaring price of building materials has led to a slowdown in construction growth with new orders and employment all rising at slower rates new data shows.

The explanation for the softening growth is “straightforward” according to BNP Paribas head of research John McCarthy.

The latest monthly construction industry index, published

by BNP Paribas, still indicates growth, albeit at a much slower rate than previously.

“Arising from supply chain issues and sharp hikes in oil and gas prices, building firms experienced the secondfastest growth in input costs since the index began 22 years ago,” he said.

The index shows a reading of 53.9 for March, still above the 50.0 no-change mark but well down from the reading of 58.4 seen in February.

“This tips the balance against marginally profitable developments, softening growth in the demand for construction services.”

The latest figure signalled a solid expansion in total construction activity over the month, but one that was the softest in 2022 so far.

The construction purchasers managers index (PMI) survey was gathered from responses to questionnaires sent to a panel of around 150 construction companies.

The housing and commercial construction sectors saw the largest rises in activity but both saw a slower expansion when compared with February.

A similar picture was evident with regards to new orders, which increased solidly but not at a rate seen in previous months.

Meanwhile, civil engineering activity dropped for the first time in five months.

With a reading of 54.0 the new orders sub-index continued to show expansion, however, this was the lowest level of order book growth in more than a year. www.civilandconstruction.ie

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BUILDING COSTS

McCarthy also said the March reading may be “flattered” by advance orders from clients seeking to get ahead of inflation and secure scarce materials with some panellists indicating that concerns about material supply had encouraged customers to make advanced orders.

Construction companies themselves also indicated that they had been looking to stockpile materials in advance of expected price rises and supply problems.

As a result, purchasing activity increased solidly, though again here the rate of expansion eased.

Surge of input costs Input costs surged higher in March, with the rate of inflation accelerating to a pace that was only slightly weaker than the survey record posted in October last year.

More than 83% of survey respondents indicated that their input costs had risen over the month. There were widespread reports of higher fuel prices.

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The conflict in Ukraine, higher transport costs, and material shortages all added to pressure on supply chains.

The survey found that lead times on the delivery of inputs lengthened substantially, with the rate of deterioration getting worse for the first time in five months.

Building supply firm MyBuildingSupplies.ie which tracks the price of key building materials across the industry said they expect the price of certain products like insulation and MDF to rise further this year, in some cases by as much as 10%.

They said the price of MDF will be affected in particular by the recent conflict due to key ingredients sourced from Ukraine for this.

However, they said there was cautious optimism that prices for products such as cement blocks or timber could be maintained or rise marginally but warned that additional energy and transport costs may cause further increases in prices.

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