Irish Construction News August September 2022 (Residential Development Special)

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NEWS 5 7 9 9

9 NEWS

Build 2022 Report highlights the need for upskilling to meet Project Ireland 2040 objectives Clancy Construction to accelerate its housing delivery by using off-site construction Women account for 9.3% of the Irish construction workforce – 167,300 people now employed in Irish construction Inaugural Towards NetZero Awards to take place in November

MAIN FEATURE

10 “Sustainability must be front and centre of all decision-making across the entire construction sector” – Phelim O’Neill, Head of Property, Land Development Agency 14 Quintain Ireland aims to reach its target of 1,500 housing completions a year by 2024 – Michael Hynes, Joint Managing Director, Quintain Ireland 20 “Our goal is to leave a meaningful legacy on the physical landscape of Ireland” – John Maxwell, CEO, Lioncor 24 86,000 residential units submitted for planning in past 12 months 27 Ireland’s top residential developers

SECTOR FOCUS 10 MAIN FEATURE

33 Get your company ready to tender under new Green Public Procurement rules – Liz Carroll, Construction Professionals Skillnet 35 Earlsfort launches new residential development fund 35 New Homebond Buildsmart app gives homebuilders instant access to latest regulations guidance 36 Irish Concrete Federation highlights the essential role of aggregates in meeting Ireland’s housing and infrastructural needs 38 Timber frame accounted for just under half of all low-rise scheme housing built in 2021 40 New Construction Technology Centre will move quickly to modernise Irish building practices 44 “Pipeline certainty is key to offsite sector having the capacity to meet market needs” – Framespace Solutions 47 Nicholas O ‘Dwyer’s Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage Scheme wins ACEI Engineering Excellence Project of the Year award

OPINION

14 MAIN FEATURE

48 The way we build and manage our offices can have a game-changing environmental impact – Neil Menzies, Director of Sustainability, Hibernia Real Estate Group 50 Time to clarify the contractual position of off-site construction sustainability – Henry Hathaway, Principal, Henry Hathaway Solicitors

SUSTAINABILITY

52 Healthy Homes Ireland aims to identify key criteria that define a healthy home – Kevin O’Rourke, Chair, Healthy Homes Ireland 54 Irish Water launches accreditation scheme to support efficient house delivery and construction sector Water Conservation Guide 55 Buildings need to halve their emissions this decade – Stephen Barrett, Irish Green Building Council

40 SECTOR FOCUS

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES 58 All the latest products and services news

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Tel: +353 (0)1 677 3157 EDITOR Robbie Cousins robbie@foundationmedia.ie DESIGN Joanne Birmingham CONTRIBUTORS Adam Dargan, Neil Menzies, Stephen Barrett, Liz Carroll, Henry Hathaway PRINTER WG Baird Ltd ADVERTISING SALES Joe Connolly joe@foundationmedai.ie Tel: +353 (0)86 396 6158 ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES To advertise in Irish Construction News or on www.constructionnews.ie, or to request a ratecard or details of promotional opportunities, contact Joe Connolly at joe@foundationmedia.ie CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter: @constructionnews.ie Linkedin: Constructionnews.ie Facebook: Constructionnews.ie Cover image: Richmond Rise, Cork, by Lioncor.

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From the editor T he latest BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland Construction PMI Report predicts that despite the sector having experienced its third month of slowdown, there will be a total of 28,000 housing completions in Ireland in 2022, with BBP Paribas Director and Head of Research John McCartney commenting, “The slowdown was marginal and, considering the pipeline of homes that are currently on site, approximately 28,000 new dwelling completions can be expected this year – a year-on-year rise of well over 30%”.

If this output figure is achieved, it would be most welcomed by many who feature in the pages of this issue of Irish Construction News, who, although confident about the future, are feeling an inflation pinch at this time.

Delivering the 33,000 residential units annual output goal of the government’s ambitious Housing for All plan was never going to be easy. Skills gaps and a planning system out of sync with the country’s housing needs are both enormous barriers to ramping up activity. Add to these continuously rising inflation, and it is no surprise that there has been a curb in enthusiasm for increasing activity and the recent slowdown in activity.

Despite current conditions, the general consensus in these pages is that the sector will get back on track next year or in 2024.

In this special Housing for All issue of Irish Construction News, analyst Adam Dargan of Construction Information Services assesses residential development activity in the past 12 months and looks at what is coming down the pipeline in the next 12 months.

Phelim O’Neill, the LDA’s Head of Property, sets out how the agency plans to hit an annual output of 2,000 residential units and what it is doing to be an exemplar

for sustainable residential development.

Michael Hynes, Joint Managing Director, Quintain Ireland, explains the difference between his company and other developers and why this means Quintain takes a different approach when planning projects.

John Maxwell, CEO of Lioncor and #BuildingLIfe ambassador, discusses the integral part sustainability plays in Lioncor’s operations.

We look at concrete, timber frame, and LGS panel systems and discuss the benefits of these residential build methods.

Dr Magdalena Hajdukiewicz, Co-Director, Construction Technology Centre, discusses how the new centre at the University of Galway (formerly NUI Galway) will foster innovation in Ireland’s construction sector and help SMEs transition to more modern construction techniques.

Elsewhere, we profile some of Ireland’s leading residential developers and talk to Healthy Homes Ireland Chair Kevin O’Rourke about HHI’s goal of making our residential building stock more healthy to live in.

Elsewhere, we have all the latest construction and engineering news and analysis.

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And, if there are any issues or stories you would like to see featured in Irish Construction News, email me at robbie@ foundationmedia.ie Regards Robbie

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NEWS

Build 2022 Report highlights the need for upskilling to meet Project Ireland 2040 objectives The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath, has published the Build 2022: Construction Sector Performance and Capacity report.

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he publication of the Build 2022: Construction Sector Performance and Capacity report by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath is a well-timed assessment of trends across the Irish construction sector at a time of continuing upheaval.

The previous Build 2020 Construction Sector Performance and Capacity report published in July 2020, detailed several encouraging trends in the sector, such as the increasing spread of regional investment and the increasing share of planning permissions granted for apartments.

The 2020 report was published soon after the construction sector had come out of the first Covid-19 lockdown. Covid-19 effectively shut down almost construction sector output for a time, with the exception of a limited number of essential projects.

The Build 2022: Construction Sector Performance and Capacity report is a timely assessment of trends across the construction sector in light of inflationary pressures associated with pent-up demand of the past year as economic activity rebounded, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and supply chain disruptions.

The Build 2022 report states that these challenges will likely remain for the remainder of 2022, but Project Ireland 2040 necessitates a competitive, dynamic and sustainable construction sector capable of delivering new social, economic and climate-resilient infrastructure. “To achieve this outcome, we must continue to foster an innovative and sustainable construction sector environment”.

KEY FINDINGS

The report analyses nine areas: Regional Activity; Investment and Output; Costs; Employment and Enterprise; Skills and Knowledge; Productivity; and Sustainability.

It draws overall conclusions and sets out the next steps based on findings in these areas.

Through its analysis of the available data and information, gathered from relevant

stakeholders in the construction and built environment sector. Build 2022 outlines a number of key findings in these areas. The challenges and risks facing the construction sector are also highlighted, including several initiatives being taken by the private and the public sector to increase skills, productivity and sustainability.

SKILLS GAP

The report observed that approximately half of the 2021 construction workforce was over 45 years of age, stating, “Securing the skills pipeline for the construction industry and work permits are an important element”.

Build 2022 stresses that upskilling is now more necessary than ever given the increasing targets and ambitions identified under the National Development Plan, Housing for All and the Climate Action Plan.”

TENDER PRICE INDEX

Build 2022 also observed that the Tender Price Index in H2 2021, which shows inflation of non-residential projects with a value of over €0.5m, stood at 6% nationally.

The Wholesale Price Index of ‘materials’ increased by 11% between 2021 and Q2 2022. The costs of materials such as timber, structural steel and energy have increased significantly as a result of pent-up demand following Covid-19 and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

CONSTRUCTION SECTOR GROUP A cross-cutting action of the Construction Sector Group’s Subgroup is the delivery of ‘Housing for All’. As part of this subgroup, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is conducting a study to illustrate how smart residential design could deliver housing, planning, social and environmental policy objectives in a cost-efficient manner with a view to reducing cost, with a particular focus on higher density development.

Additionally, the cost study, which is

expected to be published in Q4 2022, will compare Ireland’s residential construction to European countries.

MULTIPLE INITIATIVES

Overall, Build 2022 points out that it is clear that there are many challenges and opportunities in the construction sector.

“Challenges include increasing materials and wages inflation, and the increasing age of the construction workforce. The opportunities include the large capital investment from the government, necessitating an expansion of the construction workforce. While there are many challenges, there are also multiple initiatives being undertaken by both the industry and the government to improve outcomes and delivery within the construction and built environment sector.”

Minister McGrath praised the report commenting, “It contributes to the evidence base to inform government and the construction sector on the performance of the construction sector at a crucial time.”

The Minister also added that the interviews and case studies with key stakeholders of the industry in the report show the collaboration between the private and public sectors, which is vital to delivering on the priorities outlined in the National Development Plan 2021 – 2030.

The full report can be downloaded at https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/ 37606-build-2022-report

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NEWS

Clancy Construction to accelerate its housing delivery by using off-site construction Enterprise Ireland has announced that Clancy Group has been funded for an ambitious productivity improvement programme under ‘Built to Innovate’, an Enterprise Ireland initiative under Housing for All.

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lancy Group has received funding under the Enterprise Ireland ‘Built to Innovate’ programme to undertake an ambitious productivity improvement programme.

The announcement was recently made as Clancy’s celebrated the on-time and onbudget completion of the 554-bed Bandon Road student accommodation project in Cork city using offsite construction.

Clancy is the first firm to secure approval under Enterprise Ireland’s ‘Built to Innovate’ initiative. The initiative aims to achieve faster, higher quality construction of housing by providing funding support for productivity training, innovation and the introduction of digital, paperless systems.

The funding will be used to invest in training in Lean Construction practices and procedures, digitisation and the use of technology. When used in conjunction with modern methods of construction (MMC ) and offsite construction, it creates efficiencies and productivity outputs.

BANDON ROAD STUDENT ACCOMMODATION

The use of off-site construction reduced the overall personnel required on the site of the 554-bed Bandon Road student accommodation development and, at the same time, increased productivity, despite repeated delays caused by Covid-19 lockdowns. The opening of the new scheme ahead of the new college term freed up accommodation in urban Cork to the rental market.

The completed Bandon Road project comprises 77 apartments spread across five blocks, with light guage steel frames manufactured and assembled off site. The frames were then delivered and quickly erected on site. Bathroom pods were also assembled in the same way. The model of construction meant that an individual apartment block of five to six storeys high was constructed and weatherproof in an 18week period, with the internal finishing cycle taking just 16 weeks.

NEW CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGIES

Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath TD has welcomed the announcement, saying, “Schemes such as this will help the construction sector prove

L to r: Chris Chambers, Director, Clancy Construction; Des Riordan, Project Director, Clancy Construction; Michael McGrath, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform; Tom Maguire, Senior Development Advisor, Enterprise Ireland; and Tom Kelly, Manager, Enterprise Ireland Industrial and Lifesciences Division at the launch of Bandon Road student accommodation in Cork. new technologies that will ultimately help speed up the delivery of big infrastructure projects. We’re on a pathway to delivering 300,000 new homes between now and 2030, and modern methods of construction are going to play a significant role in achieving this.

“Enterprise Ireland is helping companies such as Clancy Construction maximise the value of modern methods of construction, and I look forward to seeing this new technology being further utilised to deliver thousands of much-needed homes in the years ahead.”

CLANCY CONSTRUCTION

Clancy is a family-owned business founded in Tipperary, and this year celebrates 75 years of experience in the construction industry. The company has an extensive portfolio of projects, including building two 24-bed isolation wards in 14 weeks for the HSE during the Covid-19 crisis.

John O’Shaughnessy, Managing Director, Clancy, said, “We were delighted to work with Enterprise Ireland on this new scheme, which forms part of the Housing for All initiative.

“Our Bandon Road project was halted for 12 weeks as a result of two Covid-19 lockdowns and also faced supply chain disruptions as well as social distancing requirements. However, by making use

of technological advancements, lean construction and off-site construction, the development has been completed on time and within budget. It shows the value of innovation and lean processes, and I am confident that it can be replicated across the residential construction sector.

“The Built to Innovate funding will be used to train all of our management staff in lean construction practices and better use of digitisation and technology to enable us to increase our use of MMC to create efficiencies and productivity outputs”.

Tom Kelly, Manager, Enterprise Ireland Industrial and Lifesciences Division, commented, “Enterprise Ireland’s ‘Built to Innovate’ initiative aims to improve construction productivity by increasing offsite production in factory-controlled environments and improving site and factory processes. This project on Bandon Road proves the potential of offsite construction to accelerate the delivery of housing within budget. Under ‘Built to Innovate’, we welcome Clancy Construction’s plans to further improve productivity with training and the introduction of advanced digital systems.”

To learn more about the Built to Innovate initiative, visit www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/fundingsupports/built-to-innovate

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NEWS

Women account for 9.3% of the Irish construction workforce – 167,300 people now employed in Irish construction

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The latest Labour Force Survey results (Q2 2022) published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) reveal that there are now 167,300 people employed in the Irish construction sector, compared to 127,300 in the same period last year. Of these, 151,800 (90.7%) are male, and 15,500 (9.3%) are female. By comparison, in Q1 2020, at the start of the Covid-19 lockdowns, the construction sector employed 147,700 people, of which 12,200 (8%) were female.

The national employment number is now at 2.55 million, an increase of approximately 9% over Q2 2021.

The increase in employment in Q2 2022 maintains the strong momentum in job creation that began in early 2021. This is reflective of the success of the government’s efforts to help workers and businesses during the pandemic, the successful rollout of the vaccination programme and the focus of driving a labour market recovery set out in the Economic Recovery Plan.

Commenting on the figures, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar TD, said: “More people are employed in Ireland now than ever before. The unemployment rate in July of this year was the lowest it’s been in 21 years. That is incredible given where we were a couple of years ago, with the pandemic and Brexit, and the current challenges we are now facing with Putin’s war and inflation. It is a testament to the hard work and remarkable resilience of Irish enterprise.”

“I know these results don’t tell the lived experience for all businesses and that some are still really struggling, especially with

increased costs, and we will continue to help, with our existing schemes, but also by introducing new measures in the upcoming Budget to help with what will be a difficult winter ahead.

“As we approach full employment too, the government is mindful of the need to help businesses recruit talent with the right skills. We continue to provide thousands of additional re-skilling and upskilling opportunities, as set out in the Economic Recovery Plan, while my department operates an employment permit system which is highly responsive to areas of identified skills needs and labour shortages across the economy,” the Tánaiste concluded.

Inaugural Towards NetZero Awards to take place in November

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he Towards Net Zero Ireland Awards is a new national construction awards programme devised to acknowledge those who are working towards more sustainable design practices in Ireland.

The 10 awards categories are Commercial Building; Public

Building; Industrial Building; Apartment Development; Housing Development; Civil & Structural Engineering Project; Retrofit of a Building; Design Practice; Net-Zero Champion; and Innovation.

The panel of assessors who are now judging the shortlisted projects and teams includes State Architect Ciaran O’Conner; Michael Curran, Chairman, CIBSE Ireland; Mona Duff, Senior Manager at International WELL Building Institute (IWBI); Paul Martin, Programme Manager, Technical Standards Development, SEAI; and John Macken, Associate Director, O’Mahony Pike Architects.

Derek Moroney, Manager, NetZero Awards, explains the objective of the awards: “The European Union seeks to be carbon neutral by 2050. What we need now is to move from aspiration to action, to insightful design, appropriate technology, knowledge sharing, data analysis and imagination. These new awards will help drive this critical objective.”

The Towards Net Zero Ireland Awards are sponsored by key industry leaders who are at the forefront in spearheading the drive towards a net zero Ireland. These include Gyproc Saint Gobain, Soprema, Forbo Flooring Systems, Ecological Building Supplies, Raynaers Aluminium and Kingspan.

The Towards Net Zero Ireland awards are supported by media partners: Irish Construction News, Architecture Ireland, and Building Services Engineering.

The inaugural awards lunch will take place on Friday, 18 November, at the RDS, Dublin.

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M A I N F E AT U R E Phelim O'Neill, Head of Property, Land Development Agency.

“Sustainability must be front and centre of all decision-making across the entire construction sector” As the Land Development Agency breaks ground on its first projects, LDA Head of Property and #BuildingLife Ambassador Phelim O’Neill speaks to ROBBIE COUSINS about the agency’s goal of achieving an annual output of 2,000 residential units and the central role of sustainability in its operations.

“Energy efficiency or sustainability is no longer about wanting to build an A-rated unit; it now requires a more sophisticated and holistic approach.”

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he Land Development Agency (LDA) is a commercial state-sponsored body established in 2018 on the back of the objective of Project Ireland 2040 (PI2040) to coordinate land within state control for more optimal uses where appropriate, with a focus on the provision of housing.

Phelim O’Neill, Head of Property, LDA, was one of then three staff members to open the LDA offices in early 2019. Today, the body employs 70 people and is beginning on-site works on two major sites in Dublin and Cork, the first of many large-scale projects over the coming years.

Phelim O’Neill recalls, “We started with three of us in 2019. By the beginning of Covid-19 in early 2020, we had 12 people, and now we have about 70 members of staff.”

The LDA is structured much like a developer, with construction, planning, property, investment, finance, procurement, legal and operations teams, and it is very much continuing to scale up.

As it starts scaling up to become a key

developer on the national landscape, Phelim O’Neill notes that the LDA has nearly 2,400 units in planning at this time, with more to be lodged shortly, and it is expecting decisions imminently on a number of these schemes.

“More importantly, we’re going to site with two substantial schemes in the coming weeks. The larger of these is the Shanganagh public housing project in south Dublin. This is a partnership with Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and comprises 597 public homes, including cost rental, affordable sale and social units; Walls Construction has started work in September with a Design & Build contract.

Our St Kevin’s Hospital site in Shanakiel, overlooking Cork city, on a HSE site, is also about to go on site with enabling works for 265 homes.”

RESOURCES

Two key points have enabled the LDA to move quickly. Firstly, it had access to a

M A I N F E AT U R E

LDA's Shanganagh scheme, the largest passive house apartment scheme in the world. substantial state landbank, and, secondly, it has been given access to capital.

“We secured access to finance when the Land Development Act 2021 was enacted last year. We have an initial equity capital base of €1.25bn, committed from the Irish Strategic Investment Fund through the government.

We can borrow a further €1.25bn, and the government has indicated that another €1bn will be made available. This gives us a total firepower of up to €3.5bn, which enables us to progress projects much quicker, as seen with the fast turnaround of Shanganagh and St Kevin’s.

FRAMEWORKS

Phelim O’Neill adds that as LDA output grows, it will need structures in place to secure resources and contractors.

“We are actively looking at frameworks as a means to deliver projects as we scale up. We’ve already set up frameworks for professional services that we use to progress projects. As we move towards the delivery phase, frameworks for contractors are very much on our agenda. But we know that we need to have enough of a pipeline of similar type projects to make the frameworks attractive.”

He says that the past four years have been about setting up and getting to a point where the LDA can get projects on site. But now, it is looking to scale up the number of on-site projects and unit delivery.

“Our first units from householder partnerships will be completed later this year, with the first units from direct delivery state lands, Shanganagh and St Kevin’s, being delivered in 2024. There will be a significant ramp-up in activity across the country from there, as other projects come through the planning process. Our goal is to have an annualised output of 2,000 units later this decade, all or the vast majority being public housing.

“As part of this process, we will be looking at larger sites in major towns that have been identified in the National Development Plan (NDP) and PI2040. We will complement the output of local authorities and other bodies, focusing on larger-scale sites that are capital and labour intensive.”

He adds that the LDA has developed good working relations with local authorities and utility companies.

"Collaboration with local authorities has been a big win-win. We have good relationships across the country and active partnerships in place with several, Shanganagh with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council being one example. We also have a strategic partnership in place with Cork City Council to resource the Cork Docklands Delivery Office. This will work to deliver Ireland’s largest regeneration project, which has attracted approved infrastructure funding of €350m.

“We also have good relations with the

utility companies. But, that being said, we recognise the challenges ahead, such as capacity and network issues, all of which will have to be actively managed. The LDA has the same issues as other developers but is working with the various bodies towards achieving solutions.”

SUSTAINABILITY

He points out that the LDA has had sustainability embedded in operations from day one.

“We adopted the Home Performance Index (HPI), which is run by the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC). This gives us many metrics that look at numerous criteria, not just the typology or density. It looks at location, transport, biodiversity, etc. So, it gives us a great baseline to benchmark schemes.

“The sustainability criteria we have put in place for Shanganagh and St Kevin’s underpins our desire to be seen as the market leader in the sustainability space.

“Shanganagh will be delivered to a passive standard and at 540 apartments, it will be the largest passive house apartment scheme in the world. This is not an insignificant feat, given the construction and supply chain issues that the sector has to deal with at this time. Getting this project delivered will build market confidence for contractors that passive houses can be delivered at scale.”

Phelim O’Neill says that credit must

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M A I N F E AT U R E

The St Kevin's development in Cork will be built on a strategic brownfield site, with adaptive reuse of original structures. also be given to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council for specifying that passive standard some years ago.

“They have shown great foresight in this area and have helped build market confidence that the delivery of large-scale housing to passive standards can be done.

“St Kevin’s, as with many other schemes we will be developing, will be built on a strategic brownfield site, with adaptive reuse of original structures. While not without its obvious challenges, one of the effective things to do to drive sustainability is to adapt existing structures and use brownfield sites that benefit from existing transport networks, infrastructure and the social network of an area. I think that we’ve done that very successfully with our plans for St Kevin’s.”

WHOLE-LIFE CARBON

Phelim O’Neill explains that looking at the whole-life carbon element of any development is one of the keys to its sustainability.

“Managing construction inputs is only one part of reducing the whole-life carbon impact of a development. Because we have a cost rental model for many of the units we are developing, we want to fully understand and design for the full life cycle of our buildings.

"So, our starting point is to design for a sustainable future. To this end, we part funded a Whole Life Cycle Carbon Counter with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the IGBC. This is an early-stage tool that looks at the possible outcomes of different options considered for developments.

“The key challenge is to have enough

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reliable information to look at and understand the different options we can use to increase sustainability.

“As an island nation with a small market in the context of the world economy, Ireland is not a hugely attractive market to some manufacturers as, say, much of the rest of Europe and the UK. Because of this, the sector as a whole will have to work collaboratively across public, private, and various different agencies to attract larger operators into the Irish market and give them confidence that there is a strong pipeline of orders that can be achieved, while also supporting and growing our indigenous capacity.”

“The IGBC and our passive housing consultant Mosari were key in bringing us up the learning curve and increasing our knowledge, so that we can be active and effective in this space.”

O’Neill says that a big challenge with whole-life carbon is procurement.

“As an island nation, we are limited in terms of specifying, particularly at this time when resources and supply chain are challenged. The availability of product options is a limiting factor, but Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) can be used in the design specification to drive sustainability.

#BUILDINGLIFE

“From a property perspective, we’re dealing with projects from site assessment all the way through to asset management. Creating awareness and establishing a culture that considers whole-life carbon impacts at early stage decision making is essential. The earlier you consider this, the more impact you can have over the lifetime of the entire building. Bringing in everybody early from our own internal team, external teams, contractors and delivery partners is the best way forward.

“Everyone needs to be thinking about how we drive sustainability for the entirety of the lifecycle of a building or scheme.”

Phelim O’Neill says that the whole life carbon of the built environment is on everyone’s radar now “because, quite simply, it’s now on end-users’ radars, whether it be a commercial building, workplace, homeowner or tenant.

“Energy efficiency or sustainability is no longer about wanting to build an A-rated unit, it now requires a more sophisticated and holistic approach. It covers every part of the building process and the building’s life cycle. It is driven by enduser requirements as much as corporate strategies. Sustainability must be front and centre of all decision-making across the entire construction sector.

“Sustainability is a key pillar of the LDA business plan, and the IGBC is the market leader in this space. As we had already been working with the IGBC, #BuildingLife was an obvious tie-in, particularly with the Shanganagh project and the fact that it was passive housing at scale.

EARLY TEAM INVOLVEMENT

MODERN METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION

Phelim O’Neill comments that MMC, digital construction, and lean construction are critical to growing LDA’s operations.

“We are looking at how to support the indigenous Irish MMC market as well as learning from markets that are far more

M A I N F E AT U R E make announcements of delivery shortly.

mature in the MMC sector. It will require a concerted effort at scale across a number of agencies to manage compliance for existing systems and technologies entering the Irish market. The LDA is collaborating with the Construction Sector Group and Enterprise Ireland to try and unlock the obvious potential for this sector.”

IN CONCLUSION

PROJECTS

The LDA has several high-profile schemes in planning at the moment on which decisions are expected imminently. Most notably, the Central Mental Hospital site in Dundrum, Dublin, has a planning application for 997 homes. Elsewhere, applications are submitted for over 800 homes in Balbriggan, 220 in Naas and 345 units in Skerries.

Adding other schemes currently in planning, the LDA has about 3,000 units in planning or near planning stage at this time.

As the LDA moves towards its goal of delivering 2,000-plus units a year through its various delivery mechanisms, its available landbank will be even more important. It will, however, take time to build up to that level of output.

“In order to first achieve such delivery ambitions, we need to have a significant landbank going through planning, design, procurement and tendering. We need to keep our pipeline strong. Having the state lands database allows us to consider opportunities for the future with the state landbank, but we will also need to consider non-state lands to meet these ambitious targets. This is why we have collaborated with those in control of private land, through our Project Tosaigh initiative.”

PROJECT TOSAIGH

Initially using a forward purchase model,

John Coleman, CEO, Land Development Agency. with housebuilder partners that have control of planning consented land, Project Tosaigh is a framework that can unlock short-term delivery in the market where developments may have stalled or have not commenced due to financing and other commercial constraints, where existing planning permissions in sustainable locations have not commenced or are not delivering as quickly as they should, the LDA is looking to deploy its resources to expedite much-needed housing delivery, with predominantly cost rental units.

“We have a target of 5,000 units between now and 2026 through this initiative. Under Project Tosaigh, there was an open call for proposals late last year, which received a strong response. There are now several schemes that are going through their due diligence and negotiations, and we hope to

As the LDA brings its first projects to site, Phelim O’Neill says that what has been achieved over the past three years would not have been possible without the support of partnering organisations, "The partnership approach taken with local authorities to date has meant that by working together, we have been able to progress significant development opportunities to help address our national housing crisis.

“This squarely positions the LDA as being a partner and service provider to local authorities, and not in competition with them. The LDA is an enabler for local authorities by way of project delivery, financing and property management solutions, while local authorities have been enablers of the LDA through land provision, community relationships and their technical background knowledge base.

“The Shanganagh project with Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council has led to other significant projects, such as St Teresa’s Gardens with Dublin City Council.

We are constantly engaging with Fingal and South Dublin County Councils to see how we can work together on future delivery.

We are also working closely with Cork City, Limerick City and County, Galway City Council and Waterford County Councils, to drive housing delivery.

“These partnerships are a testament to our team’s collaborative approach to working with bodies in various sectors and have given people the confidence to trust the LDA to deliver large-scale strategic projects. We must continue to build on the progress to date and maximise delivery into the future,” Phelim O’Neill concludes.

The Central Mental Hospital site in Dundrum, Dublin, has an application for 997 homes submitted for planning.

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M A I N F E AT U R E Michael Hynes, Joint Managing Director, Quintain Ireland.

Quintain Ireland aims to reach its target of 1,500 housing completions a year by 2024 Michael Hynes, Joint Managing Director, Quintain Ireland, tells ROBBIE COUSINS that despite several strong headwinds, the Irish house-building market remains an attractive proposition for capital investment and Ireland an ideal location for construction professionals and workers to seek long-term employment, but that reform of the planning system and changes to housing policy are needed to support the sector’s future health.

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M A I N F E AT U R E

Michael Hynes and Eddie Byrne, Joint Managing Directors, Quintain Ireland.

Q

uintain Ireland was set up in 2019 by joint managing directors Michael Hynes and Eddie Byrne, with the backing of US private equity firm Lone Star, to deliver homes on several large landbanks compiled by Lone Star’s Irish arm Hudson Advisors between 2013 and 2019.

As directors of Hudson Advisors, Michael Hynes and Eddie Byrne played a pivotal role in the acquisition of these large landbanks in Adamstown, Clonburris, Portmarnock and later Cherrywood under Quintain.

Hynes and Byrne are now driving the development of these sites into what Michael Hynes describes as 15-minute sustainable communities and new modern Irish towns.

A chartered surveyor, Hynes has over 20 years of experience at the highest level of asset management and property development in Ireland. He sees Quintain Ireland as unique in the Irish property development market because of the scale of the schemes it is planning and constructing.

“The key difference between Quintain and other developers is one of scale,” Michael Hynes explains. "Quintain has a small number of large sites, whereas other developers tend to have a large number of small sites. We view our sites as new towns rather than developments, and to this end, we plan them to be diverse, inclusive and resilient with a combination of housing types and a good social mix. We are following the design principles for a 15-minute community, where most daily necessities can be accomplished by walking or cycling 15 minutes from residents’ homes.

“Our Adamstown development, for instance, when completed, will comprise 5,000 residential units with all necessary infrastructure and services, including a

modern town centre. The site closest to the Adamstown train station will have higher-density housing of four- to 10-storey apartment buildings. In the centre of these, we are developing a new town centre with 100,000-sq feet of retail space and an urban plaza. Further out, we will have smaller apartment blocks, a mix of duplexes and terrace-type housing. And then, we have lower-density two-storey detached, semidetached and terraced housing at the furthest edge of the town. This will also have a balanced mix of private and public housing and will include rental options.”

Hynes adds that Quintain will be providing roads, schools, community centres and every other facility one might expect in a modern Irish town, all within a 15-minute walk or cycle and that the move to remote working has also been factored into plans for the homes.

“Portmarnock, comprising 1,200 units, Cherrywood with 3,500 units and Clonburris are all being constructed to similar plans.

“This type of development takes a lot of planning, phasing and coordination to ensure it is delivered in a timely manner and complements everything in the surrounding neighbourhoods. We have put together an amazing team of planners, architects, engineers and project managers that share our vision and will help us achieve our ambitions.”

CONSTRUCTION METHODS

Digital construction technologies and lean practices are very much part of Quintain’s operations. Michael Hynes explains that the company uses a mix of construction methods, including timber frame, concrete

block, and in-situ and precast concrete.

“We build with the most efficient and appropriate material for the particular housing mix and employ BIM and other digital technologies as well as lean practices.

“About 90% of our low-rise housing is timber frame at the moment. For taller duplex buildings, we generally have a structural blockwork ground floor with timber frame above. Once we go above four storeys, we are into precast and in-situ concrete.

“We are open to using any building method, and we are looking at laminated timber and light gauge steel for the future, but these are not viable options for us at this time.”

HOUSING FOR ALL

Michael Hynes comments that when he first saw the Housing for All (HfA) plan, he believed its targets to be very ambitious. He says it now seems even more ambitious in light of the impacts of the Russian war on Ukraine.

“When HfA was announced, it seemed very ambitious, considering the skills gap in the construction sector and the planning system we have to work with. But it had clearly defined goals, which we all welcomed.

“I think the Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien has been doing a good job. He set the 33,000-unit target before we had the current headwind of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But we also have the ongoing substantial skills gap and a planning system that is not in sync with the HfA plan. In light of this, that 33,000-unit target seems exceptionally challenging. The market is turning out about 23,000 units a year at the moment; if we are to add another 10,000

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M A I N F E AT U R E

CGI of The Crossings, Adamstown, with the train station in the foreground alongside higher density residential units and a new town centre. great at attracting foreign direct investment to the country. Our current government now needs to turn its attention to attracting labour in a similar way. I should say that we as a sector must play a greater role in selling Ireland as a destination for skilled construction professionals and workers.”

units to this figure, the government needs to be more hands-on regarding the skills gap and reforming planning. ”

PLANNING

He says while it is early days, despite the replacement of the Strategic Housing Development system with the new LargeScale Residential Development (LSRD) system earlier this year, it is still very difficult to get projects through the planning system.

“No matter how much effort goes into preparing detailed plans and showing the many gains from proposed developments, too many schemes are being delayed for the wrong reasons.

“As things stand, it is very difficult to get plans through the system. I think about 40% of planning permissions last year got judicially reviewed. And, over the past five years, up to 30% of all approvals have been judicially reviewed. The percentages of plans getting reviewed are increasing month on month, ultimately delaying projects by up to three or four years.

“The LSRD system may improve things, but it is early days for that to have had an impact.

“One other area that needs addressing is zoning. I do not understand why local authorities are not zoning more land for housing. In light of the housing crisis, this should be a priority for local authorities.

There is simply not enough zoned land out there.”

SKILLS GAPS

Hynes believes that the Covid-19 shutdowns of 2020 and 2021 have had a profoundly negative impact on the sector’s capacity to

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INFLATION

3D model of Cherrywood Village. deliver new homes.

“For the past five years, we have known about the huge skills gap in construction.

When Covid-19 happened, construction sectors in other countries did not experience anything like the level of shutdowns we had here. During these shutdowns, many foreign workers went home and have not returned.

“We will need a renewed focus on attracting workers to the sector if we want to hit that 33,000-unit target.

“Solas estimates that we will need another 60,000 workers to meet HfA targets. We have to find new ways to attract talent from across the world, including bringing diaspora home. Irish governments have always been

Michael Hynes believes inflation is impacting investor confidence in the Irish market.

“Inflation in the sector has reached, at minimum, 15% in the past 12 months.

If you take it that developers’ margins are somewhere between 12.5% and 20% depending on the complexity of their projects, and banks will only fund projects that have a margin of 10% or more, we now have a real problem.

“I am concerned about investor confidence, particularly for larger, more complex developments. Low-rise housing is not as challenging as apartment blocks as it is easier to turn off the tap if there is a problem. But with apartments, the planning and development process takes too many years, and I am concerned about how this will affect investor confidence. I would also like to see house price increases stabilise. The estimated 10% increase in the price of homes in the past year is not sustainable.”

SUSTAINABILITY

Michael Hynes sees sustainability and the wider area of environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria as the hottest topics in any industry.

“Quintain’s ethos puts ESG at the top of our agenda. Because of the scale of our developments, we need them to be

M A I N F E AT U R E sustainable, have a balanced mix of private and social housing, and follow planning and design principles that foster community development. From a health and safety perspective, we expect all contractors that we work with to have rigid health and safety plans in place to protect and support their workers.

“When it comes to sustainability, it should first be acknowledged that Ireland has some of the most advanced and sustainable building regulations in the world. We build to the A-rated nZEB standard. By comparison, Germany and the UK are building to the B-rated standard, and in the US, much of the housing is being built to B and C standards.

“There is a huge opportunity for Ireland to attract more investment by showing the world how advanced our new housing stock is. We need to get the message out to banks and the international capital that supports development that we are global leaders in sustainable building.”

Quintain expects all the construction companies they partner with to be a member of the Considerate Constructors Scheme, which means it has signed up to ‘Respect the Community, Care for the Environment and Value its Workforce’.

Michael Hynes says that every contractor that works with Quintain must share these values and principles.

“We want anyone who works with us to proudly wear the Considerate Constructor badge, respect the people who live in the neighbourhoods around our sites and engage with them, so our developments have minimal or no negative impact on their dayto-day lives. We particularly want our sites to have rigid health and safety plans in place and the absolute least possible level of noise,

dust and to keep reasonable hours of work.”

WELL BENCHMARK

The WELL Community benchmark is a standard for communities that are designed to protect the well-being of those who live and work within them. The vision for a WELL community is one that is inclusive, integrated and resilient, fostering high levels of social engagement.

Michael Hynes says that the design and layout of Quintain towns are carried out with this in mind.

“We are seeking WELL Community certification for all of the towns and communities we are building’ he comments.

“We achieve this by applying the 15-minute town concept in our designs.

“We also incorporate a lot of social housing into our developments and work closely with Approved Housing Bodies to this end.

He adds that Quintain is in the Irish market for the long term, and he wants people who work for the company to develop their careers within the organisation.

“Culture, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of all that we do as a corporate body.

We will be a long-term player in the Irish housebuilding industry. We want anybody who works for Quintain Ireland to be comfortable and confident in their abilities and get the opportunities and training they need to develop as people and become leaders in the sector.”

OUTLOOK

Despite the many challenges of the moment, Michael Hynes’ and Eddie Byrne’s ambitions for Quintain Ireland have not been dampened.

“We are working towards our initial

five-year plan of becoming a leading house builder and achieving completion of up to 1,500 housing units a year,” Michael Hynes comments. “This year, we expect to complete 700 units, with about 800 next year. We are a little behind schedule, mainly due to Covid-19 and planning delays, But we expect to get back on track by 2024.

“We want to have a reputation for product and operational excellence. I think we have achieved this already, as we are recognised as being amongst the top housebuilders in the country. Now we are looking to be seen as innovative in terms of how we go about reducing the embodied carbon in our buildings and towns.”

He continues, “From a market perspective, I am confident but cautious about the shortto medium-term future of the housing development market in Ireland. I believe that all industry stakeholders need to get real about the challenges we are facing and box clever to ensure that the required finance, resources and labour are in place so we can pick up momentum.

“There is an onus on the government to ensure it is doing all that it can to make Ireland an attractive proposition for investors and a destination country for construction workers, but we as a sector also need to be doing more to attract the best talent.

“Finally, our planning system needs to be reformed urgently. There is no getting around this. If this is fixed, I am confident all the other pieces will fall into place. We have shown with our Covid-19 response that we are a resilient sector that can adapt and lead the way. With this in mind, I look forward to being part of addressing the challenges we face in the coming years.” Michael Hynes concludes.

Dún Sí, two-, three- and four-bedroom houses, duplexes and apartments at St Marnock’s Bay, Portmarnock.

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GRANT

Grant’s Integrated Heating Packages are helping to build sustainable, efficient homes

F

or over four decades, leading heating manufacturer Grant has been leading the way in meeting heating needs of those in the trade and their customers, thanks to its range of innovative heating technologies. Known for providing exceptional performance and reliability, Grant has been working with builders across Ireland, helping them to develop more ‘climate-friendly’ properties, by availing of the manufacturer’s integrated heating packages offering.

HASSLE FREE HEATING SOLUTIONS

Working alongside appointed contractors, the technical team of industry experts at Grant will analyse house plans, calculate the heating requirements for each room and correctly size all recommended heating technologies, resulting in a bespoke, highly efficient, integrated solution that will best suit the needs of the home and its occupants.

Grant’s technical specialists will also work closely with those involved in building the property to provide help and assurance in terms of compliance. Therefore, those in the trade can feel assured that each new build package has been professionally designed to maximise efficiencies, achieve Part L compliance of the Building Regulations and future proof the property.

DESIGNING BESPOKE HEATING SOLUTIONS

Grant’s Integrated Heating Packages for New Builds are designed by the manufacturer’s in-house technical specialists to suit the

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property and its owner’s lifestyle. All the heating technologies featured within the package are also correctly sized which is vitally important in maximising efficiencies and long-term savings for the homeowner.

Each heating package includes a main heat source like the Grant Aerona3 R32 air to water air source heat pump, a hot water storage unit from the manufacturer’s range and heat emitters, whether they be underfloor heating, radiators, or both. There is also an option to include smart heating controls within each integrated heating package.

For each project, the Grant technical team will work with the builder to identify which main heat source and supporting heat emitter technologies from the diverse Grant product portfolio would best complement the build.

GRANT AERONA3 R32 AIR TO WATER AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMP

Grant’s Aerona3 R32 air-to-water, air source heat pump, has an ErP rating of A+++ and is an innovative product for many builders across Ireland. Choosing heat pumps over traditional heating technologies, ensures efficiencies of up to 97% which can help homeowners save more on their annual fuel bills.

The Grant Aerona3 R32 10kW air to water air source heat pump is now being used by many builders across Ireland as the main heat source. The Aerona3 heat pump can work in tandem with Grant’s other heating technologies including Grant’s range of integrated and pre-plumbed hot water

cylinders which provide the home with domestic hot water.

The A+++ rated Grant Aerona3 ASHP range offers three single phase units of 6kW, 10kW and 16kW, and can provide both heat and hot water to the household.

GRANT UFLEX UNDERFLOOR HEATING

Grant Uflex underfloor heating is often chosen as the heat emitter within new build homes, especially those in which a heat pump is installed. Both technologies can run together at low temperatures, resulting in heightened efficiency.

Uflex underfloor heating is particularly popular amongst self-builders as it is a highly effective product at complementing minimalist home interior design and offers individual zone heating. To complete any heating system and to heighten efficiency, Grant smart heating controls are perfect for controlling the full heating system.

Grant’s aim is to make selecting home heating options as simple as possible for those in the building trade, whilst maximising cost savings and efficiencies for the future. The expert team at Grant takes pride in making all heating journeys hassle free.

Visit www.grant.eu for more information on Grant’s Integrated Heating Packages for New Builds and range of innovative heating solutions. Follow Grant on Facebook and Twitter @GrantIRL or Instagram @Grant_IRL.

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Grant Uflex Underfloor Heating

Grant Aerona3 R32 Heat Pumps

Grant Afinia Aluminium Radiators

Grant Integrated Hot Water Cylinders

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M A I N F E AT U R E

“OUR GOAL IS TO LEAVE A MEANINGFUL LEGACY ON THE PHYSICAL LANDSCAPE OF IRELAND” Lioncor CEO and #BuildingLife Ambassador John Maxwell speaks to ROBBIE COUSINS about the Irish Green Building Council’s Roadmap to decarbonise Ireland’s built environment and the changes that need to be made to halve Ireland’s built environment emissions by 2030.

T

he Irish Green Building Council’s (IGBC’s) #BuildingLife campaign aims to achieve a broad range of private sector actions and public policy changes that will be required to tackle the whole-life environmental impact of buildings.

Launched back in December 2020 in the run-up to COP26, the idea behind the #Building Life Campaign was to shine a spotlight and tackle the carbon effect from construction, both embodied and operational. The idea was to bring representatives from across various sectors, both public and private, to produce a science-based and industry-backed roadmap for national decarbonisation.

SUSTAINABILITY

An integral part of the campaign is the appointment of #BuildingLife ambassadors. The role of these ambassadors is to champion #BuildingLife goals and help drive change around sustainability across the construction industry.

Speaking about his role as an IGBC #BuildingLife ambassador, John Maxwell, CEO of property developer Lioncor, says that as a father of three, he feels compelled to try to undo some of the harm done to the planet and to do all he can in this role to leave a better place behind and help move the Irish building stock to a more sustainable footing.

“One of the most appealing parts of being involved in the #BuildingLife campaign is that it brings together diverse representatives from across the entire sector to find science-based

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Lioncor CEO and #BuildingLife Ambassador John Maxwell. and industry-backed solutions, such as the national decarbonisation roadmap for the built environment currently being finalised," John Maxwell comments.

“We understand the negative effects of the carbon emissions the built environment creates. Construction and real estate are amongst the highest emitters of carbon in the world. Approximately 37% of all carbon emissions in Ireland are generated from the construction industry and the built environment. The heating, cooling and lighting of our buildings account for 23% of our national emissions, with the remaining 14% being attributable to embodied carbon according to the roadmap.

“With these stats in mind, we are very cognisant of the part we can play in the various phases of construction from sourcing raw materials through to transport, construction, operation and, in some cases, demolition. The #BuildingLife campaign provides a platform for cross-sectoral collaboration where we can have an influence on reducing the carbon footprint of the built environment.”

The initial success of the #BuildingLife campaign will be the soonto-be finalised Roadmap to decarbonise Ireland’s built environment, which will provide a new framework for how the industry operates and will influence new green legislation.

“The introduction of a new roadmap will require further education and training in the industry to ensure awareness and compliance and encourage ‘green’ skills,” Maxwell comments. “We believe in the importance of clear, attainable goals and the necessity for us all to

M A I N F E AT U R E on Sandymount Strand, Dublin 4, and other south Dublin suburban locations.

“At Lioncor, we have an experienced, dynamic and passionate team of construction, finance, legal and property professionals who are committed to building highly efficient homes on development sites well connected to the local amenities and communities surrounding them.”

Lioncor’s The Nurseries, Dundrum, Dublin. 32 A-rated houses. Each house is fitted with solar panels, mechanical heat recovery and ventilation system, and GARO EV charging units

ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL GOVERNANCE

John Maxwell maintains that Environmental Social Governance (ESG) is integral not only to the Lioncor business but to the real estate industry as a whole, and it plays a key part in the development of all Lioncor sites.

“ESG now defines how both we and our assets are valued,” he explains. “We are passionate about playing our part in taking care of the planet, our people and the communities in which we work.

Our goal is to leave a meaningful legacy on the physical landscape of Ireland."

GOING “BEYOND THE BASELINE”

A-rated Castlebrook Manor, Castletroy, Limerick.

Richmond Rise, Glanmire, Co Cork. 77 A-rated three- and four-bedroom family homes

upskill and build capacity within the industry to ensure the policy ambitions of the roadmap can be met. We believe the campaign is vital to give a better understanding of what’s needed across the industry.

“On a personal note and as a father of three,” he adds, “I feel compelled to try and undo some of the harm that has been done to the planet and to do all I can in this role to leave a better place behind than the one we started with. This is a huge challenge, but one that we all need to work on across our industry and all industries.”

LIONCOR

Lioncor was established in 2018 with a view to becoming one of the top residential developers in Ireland. John Maxwell explains that as a new company in the space, it has no negative legacy issues, and its management team has scaled the business relatively quickly in the short life of the company.

“We pride ourselves in delivering housing to all cohorts of the market, from starter homes to social housing, and from luxury apartments and houses to build-to-rent developments. We have delivered homes throughout the country with seven active developments currently in Dublin, Wicklow, Limerick and Cork.

Our new homes pipeline can potentially deliver in excess of 7,000 homes, with a large percentage of these linked to the Glass Bottle site

When it comes to sustainability and reduction of carbon emissions, John Maxwell comments that Lioncor goes “beyond the baseline”.

“We use the phrase beyond the baseline because we are honest about the fact that Irish building regulations are already amongst the highest in Europe, ensuring that new buildings are increasingly low energy, meeting nearly-zero energy building (nZEB) standards. Our planning system also enforces good social practices, such as external stakeholder engagement.

“Lioncor’s ambition is to move beyond what is already a strong baseline to drive best practice in our industry.”

EU TAXONOMY

In January of this year, the EU introduced the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities. The EU Taxonomy is a classification system that establishes a list of environmentally sustainable economic activities. It could play an important role in helping the EU scale up sustainable investment and implement the European Green Deal.

Lioncor has set a target of achieving alignment with the Climate Change Mitigation environmental objective of avoiding significant human interference with Earth’s climate, under the new EU Taxonomy.

John Maxwell explains that this means that all Lioncor developments are designed to be 10% better than nZEB, achieving the target of carbon neutrality for new construction activities, as defined by the EU. “This target is meaningful for all of our stakeholders, simultaneously making our homes more sustainable for our communities. As part of these efforts, we are investing in Climate Change Risk and Vulnerability assessments, whole-life cycle assessments, disassembly and adaptability modelling and several other initiatives, which inform and guide our design and construction efforts from the earliest stages.

“During construction, we will be engaging a system of activities that are designed to minimise the energy performance gaps, ensuring that our buildings meet our expectations. We will also be engaging in post-occupancy evaluation in our efforts to continually monitor, measure and improve our buildings’ performance.”

TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION

John Maxwell believes that the Irish construction industry as a whole is acutely aware of the drive toward minimising carbon emissions and the consequent design and specification requirements that this entails.

“We believe that like all other business sectors, Irish contractors are working towards best practises in ensuring that they play their part in reducing carbon emissions, helped by our strict building regulations and the already mentioned introduction of EU Taxonomy

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M A I N F E AT U R E Our system is not fit for purpose; personal interest and nimbyism remain massive issues.

“The ultimate solution to high rents and high property prices is to increase supply, and that includes the supply of all housing tenures.

But, sadly, I believe that message has been lost. Too many people are focused on self-interest rather than national interest. Our economy is starting to suffer from a lack of competitiveness, and this comes back to cost of living challenges for employees, much of which is linked to housing costs. It always comes back to supply. supply, supply; It is simple economics."

FOLLOWING THE ROADMAP

Lioncor’s Chatham House development in Dublin 2 will be a LEED-certified office building.

Lioncor’s Southern Cross Central development in Bray includes 208 new homes and the first NZEB-compliant grocery store in Ireland. regulations in January of this year.

“Strong overall ESG performance, including the reduction of carbon emissions, requires Irish contractors to implement policies and strategies that account for all of the environmental, social, and governance aspects of their operations, and we believe Irish contractors are wholly aware of their obligations."

KEY CHALLENGES

While Irish construction may be on board with the goal of reducing carbon emissions, there are challenges.

“One of the biggest challenges we see in reducing whole-life carbon emissions is the lack of data on carbon emissions. Currently, emissions in Ireland are poorly quantified. Standard digitalisation is necessary at every stage of asset delivery to ensure a reduction in both embodied and operational carbon.

“The increased costs involved in low carbon construction will also be challenging.

“Finally, reducing whole-life carbon requires efforts from all stakeholders throughout the life cycle process, from designers to product manufacturers, to contractors, subcontractors and right through to the end-users. It’s vital that everyone in the value chain works together to ensure we achieve the end goal for net zero by 2050. We need cross-sectorial whole-life carbon commitments."

PLANNING

On top of these challenges, there is also the question of whether the Irish planning system is fit for purpose.

“The number one challenge for Irish developers today remains planning, but this is currently closely followed by build cost inflation.

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John Maxwell says that Lioncor is committed to constructing developments so that they have a net positive climate impact through whole-life cycle analysis, sustainable procurement, application of circular economy principles, resource management and the enhancement of the natural environment.

“We very much back the Roadmap to decarbonise Ireland’s built environment and applaud all those who invested their time in the workshops and assisted in creating the draft map. The Roadmap takes into account all aspects of the built environment from design, planning, construction and location and professes the need for crosssectorial cooperation, which we believe is vital to achieving targeted reductions.

“We note a red flag in relation to decarbonisation skills or “green” skills and the necessity to invest in education. We believe this upskilling is not only for higher education settings but also needs to occur at boardroom level."

John Maxwell says that it is vital that the planning process is streamlined and reviewed in terms of any new climate policy, that there is a necessity to take a good look at possible changes to financial contributions tied to low-carbon buildings. He also notes that the role of local authorities also needs reviewing.

UPSKILLING, INCENTIVISATION AND INNOVATION

“Education and upskilling are also not only important at ground level but also for those working within the government and at local authority level. To make the right decisions, we need the relevant expertise and manpower across all government departments.

“We need to incentivise the reuse and redevelopment of our existing building stock. Ireland has one of the highest rates of abandoned, unused and underused housing in the world. A nationwide review of the existing housing stock is needed to have a full understanding of what needs to be done.

“We also need to ensure that green building materials are incentivised, and to that effect that green buildings that perform in a highly efficient manner are encouraged through financial reward, ie, there is a financial incentive to build better.”

He also believes that it is essential that further innovation and R&D into more sustainable building practices and the SMART use of buildings on completion is encouraged.

“We must embrace technology to ensure we build and use our buildings in the most sustainable ways possible."

LIONCOR OUTLOOK

In closing, John Maxwell says that from a Lioncor perspective, he is excited about upcoming opportunities, but he notes that nothing is ever straightforward when it comes to property development “Hopefully, it will be business as usual in the coming year. There are no straight lines when it comes to development; there will always be the unforeseen and challenges, which is what makes the job so interesting.

“We are very excited to be commencing works on the Glass Bottle site this year and some of our other sites around Dublin. Despite the challenges of inflation and the other clouds on the horizon, the outlook is bright. I am an optimist at heart; you have to be in this game,” he concludes.

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M A I N F E AT U R E

86,000 residential units submitted for planning in past 12 months ADAM DARGAN, Residential Researcher, Construction Information Services, details key trends in residential building activity in the past 12 months and analyses applications granted for indications of what residential construction activity there may be in the coming year.

O

ver the past 12 months, the residential sector in Ireland has witnessed a slight slowdown across all facets of the planning and construction cycles. Even though the country is still in the middle of a severe housing crisis, the delivery target of new units to market, for either purchase or rent, has remained well below what the government is committing to deliver.

There has been a consistent trend in the volume of planning applications being

lodged month on month for scheme housing and apartment developments over the past 12 months, albeit with a slight drop in August 2022.

Regarding planning approvals on residential applications, CIS has witnessed again consistent volumes of residential applications being approved, with a peak in volumes in June 2022. However, as part of weekly planning appeal monitoring, we have observed significant delays in appeal decisions being made by An Bord Pleanála,

The €1.15bn, 2,527-unit Belcamp Hall development, Malahide, planning submitted by Gannon Homes Limited. Image courtesy of Digital Dimensions.

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M A I N F E AT U R E developing in the near future.

The largest project to receive planning approval in the last 12 months was within Dublin City Council’s area. The project for Hines proposes 1,614 build-to-rent units at a site at Holy Cross College on Clonliffe Road, Dublin 3. The project has been designed by Henry J Lyons Architects and will see a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units set out in 12 residential blocks ranging in height from two to 18 storeys.

PROJECT STARTS Courtesy of Construction Information Services. which is impacting the progression of substantial volumes of projects. The lodging of judicial reviews in relation to Strategic Housing Development (SHD) applications has also resulted in delays in the progression of large-scale housing developments and student accommodation projects. With the conclusion of the SHD process in late 2021, it is undetermined if its successor, LargeScale Residential Development (LSRD) applications, will prove to be a catalyst for construction uptake in the sector.

Activity on the ground remains consistent, though, with circa 2,000 units on average starting on site each month, be it new developments or new phases within existing ongoing sites. However, supply is significantly outweighed by demand, whether in the private rental market or the purchasing of new properties. The lockdown of the sector in Q1 2021, as a result of Covid-19, was followed by a real bounce in activity levels from Q2 2021 onwards, when the industry reopened.

2,500 units in Malahide Road, Dublin 17.

The project designed by Wilson Architecture and Conroy Crowe Kelly comprises circa 2,000 apartments (558 of which are buildto-rent units) and almost 500 houses. Other elements planned include 18 retail units, cafés, restaurants and childcare facilities. A decision is expected in Q4 2022.

PLANS APPROVED

Over the past 12 months, over 43,000 units were granted planning permission. With the largest region (Leinster) having over 29,000 units and the smallest region (Ulster), 560 units.

There has been a stable number of projects being granted in the past year. This again implies that there is a sentiment in the market that there are still potential profits in

A total of 2,240 new projects commenced over the past 12 months, equating to over 24,000 units, with the largest region (Leinster) seeing over 16,000 units commence and the smallest region (Ulster), circa 500 units. The distribution of units commenced is linear across the board, with approximately 2,000 to 3,000 units per month starting on site The largest project to commence on site in the past 12 months was again in Dublin City Council’s area. The project for Cairn Homes Plc comprises 730 units at Parkside in Dublin 13. The project has been designed

by C+W O’Brien Architects and will see a breakdown of 316 one-bed, 376 two-bed and 36 three-bed apartments. Works commenced in July of this year, with 238 units currently under construction.

RESIDENTIAL UNITS COMPLETED Over the past 12 months, 16,149 residential

PLANS SUBMITTED

In the 12 months to July 2022, over 86,000 residential units were submitted for planning, with the largest region (Leinster) having over 67,000 units and the smallest region (Ulster) having just over 1,000 units.

The number of plans submitted per month peaked in December 2021. The next busiest month was March of this year. The highest aggregate value of total projects peaked at €4bn. As the programme of SHDs came to a close in late 2021, there was a sharp rise in plans for SHDs in the preceding months.

In fact, SHD applications continued to be lodged with An Bord Pleanála well into August 2022. From a broader perspective, there seems to be continuity in the number of projects being proposed in the past year.

This would indicate that despite all recent challenges for the construction industry, sentiments for future developments have not been dampened.

The largest project lodged for planning in the past 12 months was within the Fingal County Council area. The project for Gannon Homes Limited proposes over

Hines’ 1,614-unit build-to-rent development at Holy Cross College, Dublin 3, was the largest scheme to receive approval. Image courtesy of Brady Shipman Martin.

Courtesy of Construction Information Services.

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M A I N F E AT U R E units were completed, with the largest region (Leinster) having 11,738 units and the smallest region (Ulster), 446 units. These units would derive from both completed developments and units completed within ongoing developments. The mix comprises scheme housing, apartment developments and mixed residential projects.

One of the largest projects to be completed within the last 12 months was within Meath County Council. The project for Glenveagh Properties Plc, which commenced in H2 2019, sees the delivery of close to 170 new houses brought to market in a mix of threeand four-bed units. Designed by AKM Consultants, Oldbridge Manor also includes a single-storey childcare facility.

Cairn Homes’ 730-unit Parkside Dublin 13 development was the largest to start on site.

IN CONCLUSION

The demand for housing is currently outweighing the supply, which will continue to have a significant impact on Ireland’s everincreasing population and the generations to come. A number of factors have contributed to this imbalance and impact on the delivery of housing.

Increases in the cost of vital materials required for housing have many developers questioning the viability of the construction of large-scale housing projects. This is coupled with a shortage of labour, with many qualified tradespeople seeking a change of career or migrating to countries with a more favourable cost of living climate.

Planning has also been blamed for the delivery delays, with many developers greatly concerned about how time-consuming and expensive the process of getting development sites green-lighted and shovel-ready. The appeals process has also caused a bottleneck for activity progression, with decisions delayed by several months by An Bord Pleanála.

CIS has seen a slight drop in the sentiment toward new planning for housing being submitted to local authorities. However, at present, there is planning permission in place for tens of thousands of units. We need to see units built and delivered to public and private markets and those optimistic delivery targets being met.

Remote and hybrid working models, which have become the new normal following the Covid-19 pandemic, will also see new requirements for housing to facilitate this new working environment.

With winter approaching, it remains to be seen if another wave of Covid-19 will impact ground activity. *Information correct as of 24th August 2022 and Excludes the Self-build market For more details on Residential Project information and Analysis, please visit www. cisireland.com or call 01 299 9200 to speak with the Construction Information Services research, sales and insights teams.

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Courtesy of Construction Information Services.

Oldbridge Manor, Drogheda, comprising 170 units, completed by Glenveagh Properties Plc. Image courtesy of Model Works.

Courtesy of Construction Information Services.

M A I N F E AT U R E

Ireland’s top residential developers Irish Construction News profiles some of the leading developers who will play a key role in delivering the Housing for All objectives up to 2030.

KEY ACTIVITIES: New build homes ADDRESS: Digital Office Centre, Block B, Straffan Rd, Moneycooly, Maynooth, Co Kildare PHONE: 01 903 7100 WEB: www.glenveagh.ie FOUNDED: 2017

Stephen Garvey, CEO, Glenveagh Properties Plc.

GLENVEAGH PROPERTIES PLC

TURNOVER 2021: €476.8M

KEY PERSONNEL: Stephen Garvey, CEO; Michael Rice; CFO; Conor Murtagh, Chief Strategy Officer.

CAIRN HOMES PLC

TURNOVER 2021: €424M

KEY PERSONNEL: John Reynolds, Chairman; Michael Stanley, CEO; Shane Doherty, CFO. KEY ACTIVITIES: Residential construction ADDRESS: 7 Grand Canal, Grand Canal Street Lower, Dublin 2.

PHONE: 01 696 4600 WEB: www.cairnhomes.com FOUNDED: 2015 Cairn Homes Plc is a leading Irish homebuilder. Its vision is to be a guiding force in home building across Ireland, creating homes where people love to live and spaces where communities come together.

In the 12 months to December 2022, Cairn

Glenveagh Properties Plc is listed on Euronext Dublin and the London Stock Exchange and is focused on opening up access to sustainable, high-quality homes to as many people as possible in flourishing communities across Ireland.

Its three core markets are suburban housing, urban apartments and partnerships with local authorities and state agencies.

It aims to deliver 1,400 suburban homes in Homes expects its turnover to come in above €600m, with 1,500 closed sales for new homes from active sites which have full planning permission.

After a disruptive first half of 2021, due to Covid-19 restrictions, the second half of the year was its strongest ever performance in terms of new homes sold, margin progression, profitability and cash generation.

In 2021, Cairn closed 1,120 new home sales, up from 743 in 2020, and generated total core revenue of about €419m compared to €246.9m in 2020. Cairn also stated that the affordability of its starter homes remains a key objective, and its 2021 average selling price was €350,000, compared to €348,000 in 2020, in prime, sought-after suburban

QUINTAIN IRELAND

KEY PERSONNEL: Eddie Byrne, Joint Managing Director; Michael Hynes, Joint Managing Director.

KEY ACTIVITIES: Residential development ADDRESS: Fitzwilliam Court, Leeson Close, Dublin 2.

PHONE: 01 526 0352 WEB: www.quintain.ie FOUNDED: 2019 Jointly led by Eddie Byrne and Michael Hynes, Quintain’s vertically integrated team has vast experience in every aspect of property development, construction and finance.

Michael Hynes and Eddie Byrne, Joint Managing Directors, Quintain Ireland.

To date, it has delivered over 1,000 homes

2022, with a longer-term target of over 3,000 homes per annum.

Glenveagh completed 1,150 home sales in 2021, despite the Covid-19 lockdown, increasing revenue by 64% on 2020 and 36% compared to pre-pandemic 2019.

In a trading update for the year ended 31 December 2021, Glenveagh said its revenues in 2021 rose to €476m from €232m the previous year. Its core revenue totalled €402m, primarily from 977 unit sales, with core suburban average selling price at €308,000, down from €311,000 in 2020.

According to its interim report for the first half of 2022, revenues rose 57% to €200m, with 1,400 suburban units capable of closing in 2022 closed or in contract.

Cairn Homes Plc CEO Michael Stanley. locations.

Cairn Homes CEO Michael Stanley said the company delivered on all of its business objectives for 2021, despite public health restrictions early in the year, which closed construction sites across Ireland. within its Adamstown and Portmarnock neighbourhoods. Its team works across all stages of housing delivery, from acquisition to master planning, design and construction through to sales and marketing.

With its Irish portfolio, Quintain is the third largest residential mixed-use developer in the country. Its Adamstown scheme can accommodate approximately 4,800 homes across 200 acres of land, with further land at the neighbouring Clonburris site to build approximately 350 houses; its Cherrywood site is 120 acres and has an expected capacity of 3,000 homes, and its 87 acres in Portmarnock has the potential for 1,100 homes.

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M A I N F E AT U R E

BALLYMORE

TURNOVER 2021: £111.1M

KEY PERSONNEL: Sean Mulryan, Chairman and Group Chief Executive.

KEY ACTIVITIES: Property Developments ADDRESS: One Royal Canal Ave, Spindrift Ave, Royal Canal Park, Ashtown, Dublin 15 PHONE: 01 625 9100 WEB: www.ballymoregroup.com FOUNDED: 1982 Ballymore is a developer with vast and varied experience that is acknowledged as a pioneer of some of Europe’s largest regeneration projects. Owned and managed

PARK DEVELOPMENTS TURNOVER 2021: €123.5M

KEY PERSONNEL: Micheal Cotter, Chairman; Sean O’Neill, Managing Director; Dick Cuddihy, Construction Director.

KEY ACTIVITIES: Residential, commercial, office development, joint ventures ADDRESS: The Herbert Building, The Park, Carrickmines, Dublin 18.

PHONE: 01 696 4600 WEB: www.parkdevelopments.ie FOUNDED: 1962

by the Mulryan family, Chairman and Group Chief Executive Sean Mulryan founded the business with his wife, Bernardine Mulryan, in 1982.

It works in complex urban settings, both Park Developments is one of Ireland's most respected and long-established development and building companies. Established in 1962, it has forged a reputation for constructing high-quality residential and commercial properties.

In the past 50 years, Park has built over 15,000 houses and apartments and two million square feet of commercial space, predominately in the Dublin area.

Park Developments (Dublin) Ltd accounts showed revenues of €123.57m in the 12 months to the end of June 2021, with pretax profits increasing by 48% to €17.2m.

O’FLYNN GROUP

KEY PERSONNEL: Michael O’Flynn, Chairman and CEO; Michael Kelleher, Group Operations Director; John O’Flynn, Construction Director; Patrick O’Flynn, Construction Director; Margaret O’Neill, Group Finance Director.

KEY ACTIVITIES: Residential, commercial, office development, joint ventures ADDRESS: Beckett House, Barrack Square, Ballincollig, Co Cork.

PHONE: 021 434 3111 WEB: www.oflynngroup.com/ FOUNDED: 1978

Michael O’Flynn, CEO, O'Flynn Group.

MARLET PROPERTY GROUP

Pat Crean, CEO, Marlet Property Group.

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KEY PERSONNEL: Pat Crean, CEO; Paul Horn, Chairman; Stephen Kane, Chief Financial Officer; Brian Coppinger, Head of Development; Padraig Breen, Chief Financial Officer.

KEY ACTIVITIES: Property development ADDRESS: O'Connell Bridge House, 27/28 D'Olier Street, Dublin 2.

PHONE: 01 244 4011 WEB: www.marlet.ie FOUNDED: 2014

new and old and in emerging markets, to create transformative opportunities with ambitious mixed-use developments.

Its development vision is creative, carefully executed and broad in scope, from five-star hotels in Prague to housing developments in Dublin and Kildare.

Its residential portfolio pipeline gives it the capacity to add a further 15,000 homes to meet future demand.

Key current Irish developments include Bellingsfield, Naas, which will comprise 243 homes when finished; River Walk, Ballymore Eustace, comprising 80 new homes; and Seamount Rise, Malahide, with 76 exclusive apartments.

Park Developments' Fernbank apartments scheme, Churchtown, Dublin.

The firm recorded revenues of €87.6m from residential contract work and €35.8m for industrial contracting work.

The O’Flynn Group started as a development business in Cork in 1978, founded by Michael and John O’Flynn.

Today, it builds new homes across Ireland and develops and manages commercial property in Ireland, the UK and Europe. In December 2017, O’Flynn Construction and O’Flynn Capital Partners re-branded under the O’Flynn Group banner.

Its success and continued growth are built on the pride it takes in the quality of its work. It protects and supports this as a benchmark for all its activities and people – from its management team to those who work on its sites.

The Marlet Property Group is a cross-sector property developer, operating primarily in residential, commercial and mixed-use developments.

Founded in 2014 by Pat Crean, it markets its developments on the basis of being innovative, high quality and sustainable and states that it has an unmatched commitment to creating Dublin’s most inspiring and sustainable places to live and work. As one of Ireland’s largest property developers, Marlet is dedicated to bringing innovation, quality and environmentally sound solutions to all of its projects.

M A I N F E AT U R E

CASTLETHORN CONSTRUCTION

KEY PERSONNEL: Joe O’Reilly, John Fitzsimons KEY ACTIVITIES: Property Development ADDRESS: Usher House, Main St, Dundrum, Dublin 14 PHONE: 01 216 4060 WEB: www.castlethorn.ie FOUNDED: 1991 Founded in 1991, Joe O’Reilly’s Castlethorn Construction is a residential and commercial developer. It states that when it comes to development, perfection involves not just the actual units that it

Rathborne Boulevard, Ashbourne.

ARDSTONE

KEY PERSONNEL: Donal O’Neill, CEO; Steve Cassidy, Managing Director KEY ACTIVITIES: M ADDRESS: 48 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2.

PHONE: 01 614 1400 WEB: www.ardstonehomes.ie FOUNDED: 2019 Ardstone's White Pines development in Rathfarnham, Dublin.

GANNON HOMES

KEY PERSONNEL: Gerard Gannon, Managing Director; Aidan Kenny, Director; Julie Gannon, Residential Director; Mark Fitzpatrick, Chief Financial Officer.

KEY ACTIVITIES: Residential development ADDRESS: Kinvara House, 52 Northumberland Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.

PHONE: 01 608 0500 WEB: www.gannonhomes.ie FOUNDED: 1984 Gannon Homes was founded in 1984 by Gerry Gannon. Today, it is one of the

LIONCOR

KEY PERSONNEL: John Maxwell, CEO; Michael White, CDO; Padraig Breen, CFO; Lisa Dempsey, Head of Legal; Carolyn Strauss, Head of Sales and Marketing.

KEY ACTIVITIES: Residential development ADDRESS: 1st Floor, Block E, Iveagh Court, Harcourt Road, Dublin 2.

PHONE: 01 518 0900 FOUNDED: 2018 Lioncor is a sustainability-orientated residential developer delivering new homes across Ireland with a landbank in excess of

Ardstone is a full-service real estate investment manager based in Dublin and leading home builders in Ireland. A family business, it has built thousands of homes for generations of families.

Gannon Homes develops modern A-rated energy-efficient family homes with large, bright living areas and contemporary designed kitchens. It was the first Irish development company to join the National Biodiversity Data Centre’s Pollinator Plan 2015–2020. It has introduced a range of measures to create pollinator-friendly townscapes.

Earlier this year, Gannon Homes lodged plans for the largest ever SHD, Belcamp Hall, Malahide Rd, Dublin. The scheme comprises 2,527 residential units of which 6,000 homes. The Lioncor goal is to create landmark communities across all residential

Castlebrook Manor, Limerick.

builds, but the complementary quality of the landscaping and overall finishing that typifies a Castlethorn development.

It believes that quality is apparent in the selection of its sites, and it provides homes in areas rich in physical and social amenities. Castlethorn has built some of the most attractive and innovative developments in the greater Dublin area.

Current projects on site include Rathborne Boulevard in Ashbourne, comprising a variety of three- and four-bedroom family homes. Also on site is Woodbrook in Shankhill, Co Dublin, comprising three, four and five-bedroom homes.

London, also with offices in Barcelona and Dusseldorf. Its expertise covers all sectors of European real estate, with a particular focus on residential and offices.

Its approach to investment combines a well-established programme of opportunity sourcing and an excellent track record of asset management and fund performance.

Ardstone Homes is an Irish-owned residential property developer focused on building high-quality homes in the greater Dublin area, Cork and Galway.

Belcamp Hall, Malahide Rd, Dublin. there are 1,780 apartments, 473 houses and 274 duplex units, and this includes 532 homes for social and affordable housing. market sectors that will set new standards in design, sustainability, technology and placemaking. Lioncor is led by an experienced, dynamic and passionate team of property, construction, finance and legal professionals who are continually adapting to the changes in market requirements.

Key Development sites include Alta Verde, Blackrock, Co Dublin; Carlisle, Kimmage, Dublin 6W; Castlebrook Manor, Limerick; Chatham House, Dublin 2; Glass Bottle, Sandymount Strand, Dublin 4; Marmalade Lane, Dundrum, Dublin 14; Merrion Road, Dublin; Priorsland, Carrickmines, Dublin 18; Richmond Rise, Cork.

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AMVIC IRELAND

Amvic Ireland ICF system offers a fast-build energy-efficient solution for house builders Amvic Ireland is an Irish-owned company that has been operating out of Ireland for over 17 years, with production facilities in Dublin and a new state-of-the-art plant in Longford, increasing its capacity to meet future growth in the market. It also has a UK-based presence.

A

mvic Insulated Concrete Formwork ICF is a simple, cost-effective and fast method of construction for high-performance homes and buildings. It is used all over Ireland and the UK for largescale housing and apartment developments, one-off housing, extensions, healthcare, commercial and industrial units.

The Amvic ICF system is certified by NSAI IAB and The BBA for buildings up to 6 stories.

THE AMVIC ICF SYSTEM

The Amvic ICF system consists of modular interlocking, flame-retardant expanded polystyrene (EPS) building blocks (graphite enhanced) for permanent formwork for constructing in-situ concrete walls. Each block or form is based on two EPS panels with recycled polypropylene connectors moulded into the polystyrene panels and spaced 150/200mm vertically. The surfaces of the forms are marked with lines showing the location of the connectors.

The panels are castellated top and bottom, like Lego, and fit together to form a shuttering system for concrete walls.

The forms are easily cut on site to the construction dimensional requirements, resulting in a system as flexible as traditional construction methods. Wall openings or ducts for service penetrations can be positioned within the formwork before concrete pouring.

Concrete is pumped into the space between the panels one full storey at a time.

When set, the concrete wall is capable of supporting building structures up to six storeys. The polystyrene remains in place to act as the thermal insulation for the building.

The Amvic ICF system can be used to construct almost any type of building, including residential developments at scale, self-build homes and extensions, basement and earth-sheltered development, commercial units, healthcare units and industrial buildings. Amvic recently completed a six-storey apartment block.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

The standard Amvic ICF 300 block system forms the structural basis to achieve an A2 BER Rating. The new Amvic 350 block system, with a u-value of .16 W/m2K, performs close to passive-house standard and is being used in several passive house developments.

BENEFITS OF AMVIC ICF SYSTEM

The benefits of the Amvic ICF system include short lead times from order to site, fast build times, typically less than 2% waste, and no requirement for wet trades. Amvic ICF formwork is light and easily handled, simplifying on-site material handling, with resulting safety and cost benefits.

Party walls constructed using Amvic ICF easily comply with the requirements of Part E of the Building Regulations, demonstrating sound reductions of 56dBa as standard.

Any external finish can easily be accommodated, including brick, stone, render or cladding. There is no drying time required for structural walls. The interior of units is dry as soon as the roof, doors and windows are installed. All internal finishings can be easily completed, with electrical and plumbing chasing groove cut in the face of Amvic ICF block using a hot knife to depth of chase for cables conduit and water gas pipes.

Gypsum board can be screwed directly

to Amvic ICF wall to embedded webs at 150/200mm centres.

AMVIC IRELAND CLIENTS

Amvic Ireland’s clients include Glenveagh Homes, Sisk Living, D-RES, Cannon Kirk, Clancy Homes and KPH Developments, to name a few. The company has also supplied social housing through developers for Approved Housing Bodies Cluid Housing and Tuath Housing.

Over the years, Amvic has developed long-standing relations with clients, where their design and engineering teams know and understand the system. Once a schedule is agreed upon, Amvic Ireland can deliver the formwork to site as required within a matter of weeks.

To learn more about Amvic ICF systems, visit www.amvicireland.com or phone 01 899 1883 For residential schemes/developments, email cillian@amvicireland.com For technical queries, email Alan@amvicireland.com

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Return with Confidence – a returner programme for women in construction Are you unemployed and an engineer, project manager, health and safety officer, QS, or …?

Are you thinking about going back to work?

Would it be useful to have a series of supports to help you to: • Decide what type of job you are looking for?

• Be updated on hybrid working options?

• Revive your job application skills?

• Refresh your IT skills?

• Boost your soft skills?

• Build your confidence?

If so, Return with Confidence is for you. This is a 12 week programme starting on 3 October 2022. The programme is an industry led, fully funded programme for people who are not in employment, subject to eligibility criteria and the availability of places.

The programme includes: • 4 hours personal coaching • IT Skills – Word, Excel and Navis Works refreshers • Job Preparation Skills – cv and cover letter preparation, LinkedIn Profile, interview skills • Communication Skills • Creativity and Adaptability • Teamworking • Critical Thinking • Problem Solving • Self Management • 6 week work placement to match your working choice, i.e. full-time, part-time, job share. In company mentor to support you during your placement.

Enhancing Skills in the Construction Industry.

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Contact Liz at cpskillnet@cif.ie for more information.

S E C TO R F O C U S

Get your company ready to tender under new Green Public Procurement rules LIZ CARROLL writes that with sustainability increasingly high on everyone’s agenda, there are many things that construction firms do to become more sustainable in their operations.

U

be included as part of the estimating, purchasing and tendering process.

sing lean principles to reduce waste, designing for net zero and using the circular economy are just three of many sustainable routes for those in the Irish construction sector to take on.

Government spending constitutes between 10% and 12% of Ireland’s GDP. This provides Ireland’s public sector with significant influence to stimulate the provision of more resource-efficient, less polluting goods, services and works within the marketplace. As such, the public sector has a responsibility to promote green procurement to support Ireland’s environmental and wider sustainable development objectives.

To this end, all procurement using public funds must include green criteria by 2023. It is not only the public sector choosing green procurement; many investors and clients in the private sector are also moving in this direction.

FIVE STEPS TO BEST-IN-CLASS GREEN PROCUREMENT

WHAT IS GREEN PROCUREMENT? According to the European Commission (2016), “Green Procurement is a process whereby private, public and semi-public authorities meet their needs for goods, services, works and utilities by choosing solutions that have a reduced impact on the environment throughout their lifecycle, as compared to alternative products/solutions.”

Life cycle costs and the environmental and economic impacts from the cradle to the grave are now accounted for. Public and some private clients now include the social dimension of contracts by being cognisant of how they impact employment, social inclusion, human rights and ethical trade.

To support the sector, the Construction Professionals Skillnet offers a Green Procurement workshop delivered by sustainability consultancy Davy Horizons and based on CIF’s Green Procurement Guidebook.

The workshop brings participants through what they need to do to effectively complete the key steps to prepare for the upcoming changes in public procurement. As well as pursuing certification such as ISO14001, the following steps will bring a construction company well on its way to meeting the requirements of green procurement.

THE FIVE KEY GREEN PROCUREMENT STEPS

1. Update policies, management plans and risk assessments to incorporate all new legislative changes. This will protect

Liz Carroll, Network Manager, Construction Professionals Skillnet.

2.

3.

4.

5.

internal systems and ISO certificates. An effectively managed ISO certificate is a guaranteed way to highlight a company’s environmental commitments.

Measure baseline environmental performance data of main contractors and the supply chain. This will be a starting point for setting sustainability KPIs that can reduce overheads while providing environmental benefit.

Set wider sustainability KPIs for waste, water, biodiversity, diversity and inclusion, volunteering, social interactions and community development. There needs to be a shift in the industry from CSR committees to stand-alone sustainability teams.

Incorporate sustainable procurement requirements that reflect green public procurement (GPP) processes into existing procurement and estimating teams. Develop a supply chain minimum requirements or code of conduct that can be included in future contracts.

Life Cycle Costing Assessments, which include the whole life-cycle costs of items such as purchase price, use and maintenance, decommissioning and disposal, are key to GPP and should

There are a further five steps for those who want to move to best in class.

1. Develop a sustainable procurement team to work with the sustainability team to ensure all items procured meet GPP requirements, building regulations and green building certification requirements (LEED/BREEAM/nZEB) as a minimum.

2. In construction, preventing waste and promoting reuse is central to the circular economy.

3. Build a sustainability section on the company website to highlight policies and strategies, modern slavery statements and good news stories.

4. Start collecting Scope 1 and Scope 2 carbon data and prepare a strategy for Scope 3, which you can control.

5. Setting science-based targets and targeting A on CDP for climate change, water and forests are now seen as the gold standard for companies targeting ambitious corporate climate action.

GREEN PROCUREMENT VIRTUAL WORKSHOP 22 September 2022 9.30am – 4.30pm You will learn: • What is green procurement • Who is required to implement Green Public Procurement (GPP) • The types of evidence you will need to provide in the public tendering process • The 10 steps your company needs to take to prepare for GPP • How to do a life-cycle cost analysis • How to set up a resource-efficient construction site • How to incorporate GPP into your existing policies and procedures Attendees are invited to submit some real-life examples to be used during the training.

The number of participants is limited to a maximum of 20.

For further information or to book, contact Liz Carroll at cpskillnet@cif.ie

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Diamond Core Drilling Wire Sawing

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S E C TO R F O C U S

Earlsfort launches new residential development fund

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arlsfort Capital Partners Limited (Earlsfort) has announced the launch of Earlsfort Development Finance DAC, a new lending vehicle dedicated to providing construction finance for residential development projects in the €7.5m to €20m range.

As part of the launch, Earlsfort also announced the closing of its first two transactions with total commitments of €25m.

The first transaction is to provide construction financing for a €15m apartment development in Limerick city. The development will comprise 61 units with a mix of predominantly one- and two-bedroom residential units bringing increased and necessary residential availability to the city.

The second transaction will provide construction financing for a €10m starter home housing development, Oakley Park in Enfield, Co Meath, by Pivotal Construction, where construction is well underway, with the first homes expected to be delivered in October.

Both of these transactions are with established developers who have a track record in delivering quality residential units in their respective markets.

The main focus of Earlsfort Development Finance is “ready to go” residential projects in locations with proven demand – both in the private and social housing markets. Advance rates will be up to 90% of cost, subject to a maximum Loan to Value of 70%.

Commenting on the launch of Earlsfort Development Finance, cofounder and Managing Director Paul Brophy, said, “We are delighted to launch this programme and to help provide much-needed support and liquidity to the housing sector.

Oakley Park, Enfield, Co Meath, receiving €10m in construction financing from Earlsfort Development Finance DAC. “Earlsfort was the first non-bank lender to enter the Irish market in 2014, and since formation, has funded circa €1.25bn of lending transactions. This new vehicle is a natural add-on to our current offering, and we are excited to enter the market and grow the business. Given the recent market uncertainty and lack of liquidity in the development sector, sponsors are looking for a dependable funder who understands their project needs and can execute quickly.”

Earlsfort Development Finance plans to invest over €250m into the Irish market over the next two years.

New Homebond Buildsmart app gives homebuilders instant access to latest regulations guidance

H

omebond first produced its House Building Manual in 1993. The bestselling publication, considered the housebuilder’s bible, is a standard reference book on construction sites and design offices and is used in many third-level constructionrelated courses.

The increasing complexity of building regulations, construction products regulations and the Building Control (Amendment) regulations make it critical for all in the residential construction sector to have an in-depth understanding of the relevant legislation and practical compliance requirements.

The 8th edition of the manual containing more than 1,000 drawings and charts, and colour photographs from foundation to completion, has been updated to reflect recent revisions to the building regulations, building control regulations, construction products regulation, European and Irish standards, and construction industry guidance, including changes and updates to Technical Guidance Documents A-M and, in

particular, Part D Materials & Workmanship, Part B Fire Safety and Part L Conservation of Fuel & Energy and Mechanical & Electrical Services.

BUILDSMART APP

A replica PDF of the print edition of the manual is now accessible as an eManual across desktop, mobile and tablet devices or within the new Homebond “Buildsmart” native mobile app on iOS and Android platforms.

Buildsmart contains additional enhancements to increase reader engagement and a modern user experience, including article view, image galleries and

videos, and readers can browse through the eManual via several navigation options, and it can be viewed in single page or double page mode.

Additional features include BuildSmart FAQs, ProductCheck, Technical Extra, 3D Viewer and access to the most recent issues of Irish Construction News.

Conor Taaffe, Managing Director, Homebond, comments: “The launch of the new Buildsmart app is a great addition to our service offering. It ensures that subscribers have the latest guidance and information on their mobile devices, and we are delighted with how the app has been received by our customers.”

HomeBond has been the leading provider of structural defect cover for new homes in the Republic of Ireland since 1978. To date, more than 600,000 homes have been registered with HomeBond.

To learn more about the Buildsmart app, visit www.homebond.ie, or email info@homebond.ie

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S E C TO R F O C U S University College Cork Student Hub. Building Category Winner, 39th Irish Concrete Society Awards. Major Supplier - Kilsaran International.

Irish Concrete Federation highlights the essential role of aggregates in meeting Ireland’s housing and infrastructural needs Gerry Farrell, CEO, Irish Concrete Federation, discusses the essential role of aggregates and concrete products in house building and how progress is being made to ensure the sector plays its part in assisting the construction industry move towards a more sustainable future.

A

ggregates are an integral part of Ireland’s built environment.

Crushed rock, sand and gravel, ready-mix concrete, concrete blocks, precast concrete, paving, mortars and plasters are all aggregate-based products and are found in every construction project in the country.

Gerry Farrell, who heads up the Irish Concrete Federation (ICF), says his members are an essential part of the construction supply chain. For him, the big concern regarding the objectives of Housing for All (HfA) and the National Development Plan NDP) is the need to ensure that future supplies of aggregates are planned, monitored and managed in a sustainable manner to meet society’s needs. In addition, he is determined that the ICF and its members work towards a concrete and aggregates sector that is environmentally responsible, resource-efficient, and makes a positive contribution to the people, places, and economy of Ireland as we move towards a net zero-carbon future.

IRISH CONCRETE FEDERATION

The ICF is the national representative organisation for the Irish aggregates and concrete products industry. It has 74 members and associate members operating at approximately 300 locations throughout the country.

Its membership includes publicly-listed and family-owned businesses that are responsible for the manufacture and supply of

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the key building materials used in the construction of Ireland’s built environment. The majority of members manufacture aggregates (crushed rock, sand and gravel), ready-mix concrete and precast concrete products for supply to Ireland’s construction sector.

HOUSING FOR ALL

Gerry Farrell comments that targets set out in HfA are ambitious, but ICF members are up to meeting the supply needs of the housebuilding sector.

“We welcomed the HfA plan, and our members are focused on ensuring that they can service the needs of the construction industry in both housing and the supporting infrastructure for housing,” Farrell comments.

He adds that the regional goals of HfA are of particular interest to ICF members.

“The overwhelming majority of materials produced by ICF members are delivered locally. Crushed rock, sand and gravel and ready-mix concrete are all delivered locally by ICF members daily throughout the country. Ready-mix concrete rarely travels more than 35kms to a construction site, as it needs to be onsite within two hours of production. An additional benefit of local raw materials is the reduced transport distances, thereby reducing their carbon footprint compared to non-local or imported materials.

S E C TO R F O C U S

Paul Marshall Building, London School of Economics.

Winner International Award, 39th Irish Concrete Society Awards. Irish Precast Concrete Exporter - Techrete.

SECURING THE SUSTAINABLE SUPPLY OF AGGREGATES FOR THE FUTURE

Farrell points out that the ICF is becoming increasingly concerned that, while Ireland has abundant natural reserves of high-quality aggregates and currently there are no significant capacity constraints, scarcities of some particular aggregate products are already emerging in the eastern and midland regions.

“We estimate that approximately 38 million tonnes of aggregates, 135 million concrete blocks and 4.75 million cubic metres of ready-mix concrete were produced by the industry in 2021. In addition, substantial volumes of precast concrete were produced for the domestic and UK markets. ICF conservatively estimates that approximately 1.5 billion tonnes of aggregates will be required to meet the needs of Project Ireland 2040.

“Given that aggregates can only be accessed where they occur, Ireland’s strategic reserves of aggregates need to be identified, quantified and protected. We need to preserve access to materials in the years ahead, which means ensuring that sufficient land is protected for quarrying. In addition, a robust, effective and efficient planning system for quarries is needed to ensure that the extraction of Ireland’s aggregate reserves is enabled in a sustainable manner.

Currently, the reality is that the extractive industry operates in a planning system that has an indeterminate timeframe for quarry planning applications, with some decisions taking years. The ICF will publish a report on this later in the year that will set out our concerns in this area.”

INFLATION

Input cost inflation is an immediate concern for Farrell and ICF members.

“In 2022, our members have seen unprecedented increases in manufacturing and transport costs. Cement production is highly energy intensive, and, as a result, there have been significant increases in the cost of cement, which is a key raw material for concrete manufacture.”

In addition, fuel price increases have had a major impact on delivery costs.

“Our members are transport and logistics companies as well as manufacturers and have large fleets of trucks on the road every day, and therefore the massive increases in fuel costs this year is a major challenge.”

Farrell continues, “Unfortunately, suppliers have little choice but to try to pass on these increased costs to customers, which ultimately leads to increased building costs. While this is understandably seen as an unwelcome development, the reality is that the concrete and quarried materials used in new house construction represent a small element of overall housebuilding costs.”

ICF research carried out in 2021 shows that the basic construction materials supplied by quarry operators, ready-mix concrete suppliers and other concrete product suppliers accounted for less than 4% of the cost of building a three-bedroomed semi-detached house in the greater Dublin area.

“So, despite the recent increases in materials costs, the basic construction materials supplied by our members still represent great value compared to other construction products,” Gerry Farrell explains.

SUSTAINABILITY

The ICF aims to have a fully resourced sustainability function within the federation in the coming months. A series of environmental product declarations (EPDs) are currently in development, which the ICF hopes will inform and assist the construction sector when it comes to concrete design and construction.

“We are also contributing to the development of end-of-waste criteria for concrete that comes from construction and demolition waste by the Environmental Protection Agency to facilitate the greater use of recycled aggregates,” Gerry Farrell explains.

“Over the past 20 years, cement companies have made significant progress in reducing the carbon footprint of cement through greater energy efficiency and the use of alternative fuels. New innovative products like CEM II cements and the use of Ground Granulated Blastfurnace Slag (GGBS) are also helping to reduce the carbon footprint of concrete.”

The global cement industry has developed a roadmap to achieve net zero carbon by 2050, which is a challenging target. Gerry Farrell concludes, “The concrete and aggregates sector will contribute positively to Ireland’s climate ambitions, biodiversity and circular economy, while also delivering the development required to enable sustainable communities and economic growth.”

To become a member or learn more about the Irish Concrete Federation, phone 01 464 0082, email info@irishconcrete.ie, or visit www.irishconcrete.ie

Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Bridge. Infrastructure Category Winner, 39th Irish Concrete Society Awards. Major Suppliers - Banagher Precast Concrete, Roadstone.

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S E C TO R F O C U S Cygnum’s state-of-the-art fabrication facility

Timber frame accounted for just under half of all low-rise scheme housing built in 2021 John Desmond, Chair, ITFMA and Managing Director, Cygnum Timber Frame, tells ROBBIE COUSINS why he believes timber frame is the ideal solution to sustainably meet Housing for All output targets.

A

ccording to a recent members survey by the Irish Timber Frame Manufacturers Association (ITFMA), timber frame units accounted for 48% of all houses built in low-rise housing schemes in 2021. This was at a time of unprecedented timber price increases and supply challenges.

John Desmond, Chair of the ITFMA and Managing Director of Cygnum Timber Frame, says he is confident of the sector’s ability to meet the demand generated by the Housing for All (HfA) strategy, but he would like a government stipulation that a substantial percentage of houses being built should come from off-site construction, adding that this would not only overcome on-site labour shortages but would go a considerable way to helping the government

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John Desmond, Chair, ITFMA and Managing Director, Cygnum Timber Frame.

meet its carbon emissions reductions targets.

“Timber frame manufacturing is the longest established sector of the Irish offsite construction industry, and ITFMA members enjoy long-standing relationships with Irish developers and builders,” John Desmond comments. “The primary driver of timber frame demand has been onsite labour shortages. ITFMA members produce a highly sophisticated product that reduces the need for on-site labour and dramatically reduces carbon emissions in the construction sector.

He refers to a recent survey of ITFMA members that suggests that timber frame housing is experiencing substantial growth.

“A recent survey of our members indicated that last year 48% of low-rise scheme housing was timber frame. This amounts

S E C TO R F O C U S bring greater stability to the sector.”

SUSTAINABILITY

Timber frame and off-site presents opportunities to reduce the whole life carbon of developments. Earlier this year, a UK study found that modular construction could cut carbon emissions by as much as 45% compared with traditional building methods. It noted, “Using modular to build 900 homes had saved a combined 28,000 tonnes of carbon”.

John Desmond comments that it is widely accepted that in terms of embodied energy, timber has the lowest of all mainstream construction products.

“It would be a straightforward and painless move for public bodies to stipulate that timber frame is used for public projects.

This would sit comfortably alongside a housing stipulation under HfA. This would also go some way towards helping the government meet its carbon emissions reduction targets.”

ENTERPRISE IRELAND

to 5,300 timber frame houses by ITFMA members alone. If you go back to 2019, that figure was 37%. So, there has been a significant change, and this has happened during a period when there were huge price and supply chain pressures.”

He adds that timber frame is also being used in other areas, such as delte medical facilities, nursing homes, commercial developments and creches, to name a few.

“The most recent expansion of Kildare Village outlets was also in timber frame.”

Desmond says that the esteem with which Irish timber frame is held in the market is highlighted by the recent acquisition of Harmony Timber Frame Solutions by one of the country’s biggest residential developers, Glenveagh Properties plc.

“The recent acquisition of Harmony Timber Frame Solutions by Glenveagh indicates how many developers view timber frame as a key part of their delivery model.”

HOUSING FOR ALL

John Desmond welcomed the HfA announcement last year, as he sees it as a backdrop against which ITFMA members can plan for their future.

“Having HfA as a backdrop against which we can plan is very positive for the Irish timber frame manufacturing sector. It is an

ambitious document with clear targets, and we feel confident in our ability as an industry to play an active part in its delivery. “

MMC STIPULATION

He adds that in recent years, the timber frame manufacturing sector has become more capital intensive, with highly skilled professionals, trades and workers required to deliver product.

“As an industry, we invest in people as well as plant and equipment. My big concern relating to HfA is that if there were to be a significant slowdown or deviation, it would be a major blow to the sector. The crash of ’08 left our industry largely depleted. We lost a lot of skilled people, and it has taken us a long time to rebuild the sector and give people the confidence to pursue careers in our field.”

He continues, “It is essential that we get pipeline guarantees if we are to increase capacity to meet market needs. In the UK, the government stipulated in its £12bn affordable homes programme that 25% of all homes built through the scheme must use MMC. “A stipulation such as this or even bigger under HfA would give ITFMA members greater confidence to invest further in their plant and increase capacity. It would also

John Desmond comments that Cygnum has invested heavily in upgrading its plant and equipment in the past few years and, with the support of Enterprise Ireland, has introduced new training modules and lean manufacturing systems for staff and management, which have helped it further develop its product offering.

“The timber frame product on offer in Ireland has become highly sophisticated.

At Cygnum, we have invested in CNC equipment and software that has completely changed our factory floor, digitised our operations and made our overall setup leaner. We now have a web of digital information going directly from our design office to the factory floor. We can seamlessly incorporate individual customer requirements. This has given us a great platform for growth going forward.”

IN CONCLUSION

In closing, John Desmond says that, like everyone else in construction, he is concerned about inflationary pressures related to the Russian war on Ukraine, but he is confident that the market share of timber frame will continue to grow in the coming years.

“From talking to members, I know that the sector is in a good place. Supply issues with timber have been resolved, and prices are more stable than they have been for a number of years. Now, If the government was to stipulate a sustainable level of housing and public building to be delivered through MMC, this would be a huge step forward for the timber frame sector as well substantially reducing carbon emissions from the construction sector,” he concludes.

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S E C TO R F O C U S

New Construction Technology Centre will move quickly to modernise Irish building practices Dr Magdalena Hajdukiewicz, Co-Director of Ireland’s new national Construction Technology Centre, explains to ROBBIE COUSINS how the centre will support the construction sector as a whole in transitioning to more modern and efficient construction practices.

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he Construction Sector Group (CSG) was created by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) to ensure regular and open dialogue between the government and the construction sector and identify areas for action. Establishing a construction technology centre was a key recommendation of the CSG ‘to enable technology and innovation advancement across the sector’.

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY CENTRE

A consortium comprising the National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway, Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin and University College Cork and the Irish Green Building Council was recently awarded the contract for the new Construction Technology Centre.

The Government will provide funding of €5m over five years to the consortium to operate the new centre, which aims to accelerate research and innovation within the construction sector.

The Construction Technology Centre will bring together the whole value chain to accelerate people-centric innovation in construction and the built environment that drives the transition towards a sustainable society and economy, relying on the active engagement of its members and a European network of innovation clusters. Membership of the Construction Technology Centre is open to all construction/built environment

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Dr Magdalena Hajdukiewicz, Co-Director, Construction Technology Centre. stakeholders with an interest in the development of construction technology expertise in Ireland.

The new centre will be hosted at NUI Galway, and, in line with the government’s Housing for All (HfA) strategy, it will first have a particular focus on advancing innovation and productivity in residential construction.

A strong team of researchers with expertise in the main areas of digital adoption, modern methods of construction and sustainability will be organised under five pillars to address the critical areas of: Productivity; Affordability and Cost; Quality and Safety; Sustainability; Skills and Training; and Collaboration.

CUTTING-EDGE DEVELOPMENT Speaking at the announcement of the

contract, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar said: “The government is investing billions - substantially above the EU average - in the future, building new homes, roads, public transport, schools, hospitals and other vital infrastructure. This new Construction Technology Centre will make sure we are at the cutting edge of new developments in the sector, making sure Irish companies and the taxpayer are getting the best value for money while building this important infrastructure in the most modern and efficient way possible.”

Under the HfA strategy, the government has expanded the remit of Enterprise Ireland to work with the domestic housebuilding sector for the first time, and it will play a central role in developing the Construction Technology Centre.

Enterprise Ireland CEO Leo Clancy said the new centre will leverage the best combination of skills, equipment and knowhow in the Irish research system.

Leo Clancy commented: “Through innovation, the centre will help to increase the productivity, sustainability and export potential of the construction sector while enabling reduced costs and build times for Ireland’s housing and infrastructural requirements.”

Professor Ciarán Ó’hÓgartaigh, President of NUI Galway, where the centre will be based, commented, “NUI Galway has made significant strides in terms of sustainability, one of our core values. It is a testament to

S E C TO R F O C U S

At the launch of Ireland’s Construction Technology Centre, (L to r): Professor Jamie Goggins, Co-Director of Construction Technology Centre and Director of Research & Innovation in School of Engineering, NUI Galway; Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar; Leo Clancy, CEO, Enterprise Ireland; Dr Magdalena Hajdukiewicz, Co-Director of Construction Technology Centre and Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, NUI Galway; and Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, President, NUI Galway. our dedication in this area that we will host the country’s Construction Technology Centre and bring all of our talent, knowledge and expertise, and that of the higher education sector, to the fore in driving sustainability, innovation and technology transformation in the built environment sector.”

The centre directors Professor Jamie Goggins and Dr Magdalena Hajdukiewicz, both at NUI Galway, added: “Our consortium proposed a centre that will deliver on its vision to make Ireland a global research and innovation leader for sustainable construction and built environment technology. The centre will bring together the whole value chain to accelerate people-centric innovation in construction and the built environment that allows industry to increase its capacity and competitiveness while creating a sustainable society and economy.”

VISION FOR A CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY CENTRE

Speaking to Irish Construction News, Dr Hajdukiewicz says that the consortium’s tender submission set out a clear vision for the centre, which will facilitate the involvement of contractors and companies of all sizes in the sector supply chain.

“The majority of contractors operating in the Irish construction sector are small businesses,” Dr Hajdukiewicz explains. “We will be looking to work with contractors, subcontractors and suppliers of all sizes to help them address the challenges they face.”

She adds that much of the preparation work for the centre had been done in recent years by the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) for the CSG, and

Enterprise Ireland.

“There has been a lot of work done over the past few years by the CIF for the CSG, particularly in identifying the key challenges the construction sector faces.

Enterprise Ireland commissioned a report that identified the needs of the construction industry and the kind of challenges it faces. These challenges included industry fragmentation and low productivity compared to other sectors. The report also contained comparisons with what is happening in construction sectors in other countries.”

The construction industry has been under pressure for some time to increase productivity and achieve greater efficiencies and move away from traditional technologies and start innovating. Covid-19 showed how quickly the sector could adopt and use new technologies. The pandemic accelerated many changes, particularly digital adoption.

But the industry needs to start designing and constructing in a more productive, sustainable way.

GLOBAL INNOVATION LEADER

Dr Hajdukiewicz explains, “The concept for Construction Technology Centre is to make it a centre of technological research that is for everyone. There are early adopters, but we need to support everyone to enable the transition to a more sustainable sector as a whole and not leave anyone behind.

“Our vision is to make Ireland a global research and innovation leader for sustainable construction and built environment technology. We are building the centre to empower the industry, so that Irish contractors and suppliers can innovate and work in more productive, efficient and

sustainable ways.”

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY CENTRE RESOURCES

Dr Hajdukiewicz outlines some of the many resources the centre already has in place.

“Our consortium consists of five institutions. We have support from six Science Foundation Ireland research centres hosted at our partner universities and strong commitment and engagement from key international players in the construction innovation sector through our many cuttingedge research projects. We are part of an international network of research partners across 13 EU countries, where we work with organisations such as the European Construction Technology Platform, The Spanish Construction Technology Platform, European Network of Living Labs, and Housing Europe to unleash the innovation potential of SMEs in the EU construction sector.

“Within the consortium, we also have a team of experienced, funded experienced investigators with an extremely strong track record in research and innovation, including digital adoption, MMC and sustainability.

Everything we will do in the centre will be adapted to the needs of our members, and collaboration between our research teams and the sector will be key to the centre’s success.”

METABUILDING LABS

Metabuilding Labs is an EU-wide network of testing facilities and innovation services for new building envelope technologies & products.

Metabuilding Labs element of the centre will be of particular interest to companies

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S E C TO R F O C U S and suppliers can directly access leading experts in the area to help them address the challenges they face.

“We now want contractors and suppliers of all sizes to engage with us, tell us their concerns and join working groups with similarly-minded people to identify projects for us to take on. By doing this, we will create a network of like-minded companies and individuals working together to make real and sustainable change in the sector,” Dr Hajdukiewicz concludes.

To learn more about Ireland’s Construction Technology Centre, visit www.constructinnovate.ie or email info@constructinnovate.ie

that are developing new technologies and products, particularly those who are looking to carry out testing and certification for new products.

“As part of the Metabuilding Labs research project, we are building an EU-wide network of testing facilities and innovation services for new building technologies and systems, as well as a Metabuilding open innovation platform,” Dr Hajdukiewicz explains. “So, for instance, if technology developers are bringing new products to market, they can access the technical support of experts and services, labs, test-beds and demo buildings across Europe to test their products and get certification quicker than might be the case today.”

MEMBERSHIP MODEL

Dr Hajdukiewicz points out that the Construction Technology Centre wants to engage directly with all areas within the Irish construction sector.

“We will have a membership model, with member companies driving our research agenda around the five pillars: Productivity; Affordability and Cost; Quality and Safety; Sustainability; Skills and Training; and Collaboration, and these will dictate how the centre operates. Ultimately, we aim to give the construction sector access to innovation, knowledge and business ecosystems and to act as an accelerator of change, with sustainability at the core of everything we do.

A FEW QUICK WINS

Dr Hajdukiewicz explains that the centre’s immediate focus will be on addressing challenges in the housing sector.

“There will be long-term programmes, but we will also be looking for a few quick wins in the first year,” she comments. “These will be addressed in the form of 90-day projects, many of which will be based on the work that our researchers or partner institutions have been carrying out to date. Alongside

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the quick wins, we will also have mediumand long-term programmes that will aim to provide solutions for the delivery of national strategic outcomes identified in Project Ireland 2040.”

ENTERPRISE IRELAND FUNDING

Compared to other sectors, construction has shown very low uptake of R&D funding from Enterprise Ireland.

According to the KPMG/Future Analysis 2020 report Economic analysis of the productivity in the Irish construction sector, ‘The level of intensity of R&D activity as a percentage of GDP is at a small and decreasing level and suggests increased innovation needs to take place within domestic firms to ensure they do not fall further behind other EU countries’.

The report also stated that given Ireland’s ranking in terms of innovation in other areas, there is an opportunity for the construction sector to leverage this experience and expertise to improve its levels of innovation.

Dr Hajdukiewicz says it is the goal of the Construction Technology Centre is to drive change in the area of construction R&D in Ireland.

“We want companies working in the construction sector to realise the benefits of getting involved in R&D, to draw down available Enterprise Ireland funding and work with us to address issues and challenges that concern them. Once SMEs engage in the process and see what can and is being achieved, we hope that they will start to invest in research and become empowered by this process.”

NEXT STEPS

Dr Hajdukiewicz concludes by saying the Construction Technology Centre will ultimately become a one-stop shop for the construction sector to find solutions to the challenges it faces, where contractors

RESEARCH GROUPS WORKING WITH CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY CENTRE NUI Galway Sustainable & Resilient Structures research group Informatics Research Unit for Sustainable Engineering (IRUSE) Timber Engineering Research Group (TERG) Geotech Research Group Thermal Energy Research Made Efficient Research Group (Therme) Advanced and Sustainable Manufacturing and Materials Engineering (ASMME) Environmental Engineering Power Electronics Research Centre (PERC) Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies (CCAPS) Health Promotion Research Centre Data Science Institute Trinity College Dublin: Structures Group Environmental Engineering Group Science and Technology in Advanced Manufacturing (STAM) Fluids and Heat Transfer Group Geotechnical Research Group University College Dublin Centre for Critical Infrastructure Research (CCIR) Modern Methods of Construction Research Group (MMCRG) Centre for Irish Towns (CfIT) University College Cork Civil Engineering/ Centre for Infrastructure Reliability and Risk Intelligent Efficiency Research Group (IERG) Environmental Engineering/Future Sustainability Research Group Irish Green Building Council

Solicitors specialising in: Construction Law The Build Environment Dispute Resolution Corporate Training & Seminars Contract Reviews and Drafting

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Osprey Business Centre, Naas, Co Kildare +353 01 639 2911 henry.hathaway@hathawaysolicitors.ie www.hathawaysolicitors.ie

Henry Hathaway Solicitors is a niche law firm that is tailored and designed to cater specifically to the construction industry.

Henry Hathaway qualified originally as a Civil & Structural Engineer and has previously spent twelve years in the construction industry representing both Contractors and Engineering Clients. He is a practising solicitor in both Ireland and England and Wales.

He acts for clients in relation to disputes and litigation as well as regularly advising on dispute avoidance and alternative dispute resolution. He also acts on non-contentious matters on smalland large-scale construction projects using his

extensive knowledge of the industry both in Ireland and the UK. Henry Hathaway Solicitors provides bespoke training and development progammes for construction companies, which cover areas of contract formation and interpretation, claims in loss expense, and interim and final account disputes. These programmes are suitable for companies that require advice on the compiling of claims, that have payment disputes and to support those who require legal assistance in the process of administering their contracts.

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S E C TO R F O C U S

“Pipeline certainty is key to offsite sector having the capacity to meet market needs” Declan Murtagh, CEO of LGS structure manufacturer Framespace Solutions, believes the Irish off-site construction sector is well placed to help meet the output goals of the Housing for All strategy, but manufacturers need a secure pipeline of work to give them the confidence to make the necessary investment.

I

n April of this year, Framespace Solutions officially opened its new manufacturing facility in Longford, following an €8m investment, where it employs about 100 people. It also announced that it plans to hire an additional 150 more staff, with the goal of doubling its capacity and ramping up to deliver 1,100 homes per annum by 2025.

Framespace Solutions specialises in the design and manufacture of light gauge steel (LGS) structures for use in the residential construction sector throughout Ireland and the UK. With its new 120,000 sq-foot facility, CEO Declan Murtagh says that the company will achieve the milestone of delivering 550 residential units per annum within the next 18 months.

Declan Murtagh believes that while the Irish offsite sector is in a good place at this time, there are still a few not insurmountable barriers that need to be addressed if it is to confidently increase capacity to help meet the output ambitions of the Housing for All (HfA) strategy

INCLUSIVE FRAMEWORKS

“Offsite construction accounts for maybe 1% to 2% of total Irish residential units compared to the UK, where it is between 8% and 10%. Offsite has grown in the UK because, over the past 15 years, government policies and framework structures focused

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Inside Framespace Solutions’ new €8m facility in Co Longford. on moving toward offsite construction. This has helped its construction sector address labour challenges and improve quality and efficiency.”

He adds that the big challenge for Irish offsite manufacturers is that, unlike contractors, they cannot turn off supply at the end of a project.

“Pipeline certainty is key to offsite having capacity to meet market needs,” Murtagh comments. “Continuity of output is vital in terms of investment in facilities and human resources. To scale up, we need to have guaranteed pipelines in place. The development of new frameworks that include offsite companies in Ireland would be a huge step forward. We can respond to the demand, but this is not feasible unless we

see a continuous pipeline.

“Framespace has moved into a position where we are partnering with clients for larger projects, and this is giving us a clear pipeline of work.” he continues.

“While a number of contractors have invested in off-site facilities, there is going to be a point where there will need to be partnerships between developers, contractors and offsite manufacturers to achieve the annual HfA completions goal of 33,000 units. Offsite manufacturers need to be part of the frameworks rather than a supplier tendering for work from a contractor. Being in a framework gives the pipeline certainty needed to invest. This is why inclusive frameworks are so important.”

S E C TO R F O C U S FRAMESPACE SOLUTIONS

Declan Murtagh explains that Framespace started out manufacturing and building one-off houses and that it still provides that service. But its primary market is developers building housing for Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) and private sale.

“We recently completed a 16-unit scheme in Leitrim Village. This was a fast-track programme that we started in January, and the units were let on the market in June.

“We are currently on the second phase of a scheme in Co Kildare with Alchemy Homes, which has 90 units, comprising a mix of housing and duplex apartments. Some of these are for Cluid Housing and the rest for private sale.

“We also have a 29-unit six-storey apartment development in Dublin 8 on the factory floor at this time, and we are looking at some exciting and innovative projects for the coming year.”

All Framespace units are built to NZEB standard with A2 and A1 BERs. “We provide a complete turnkey service, or a frame and façade service whereby we provide clients with a fully weatherproofed and sealed building, which they then fit out.

“In jobs of greater scale, we would partner with a main contractor to ensure that the project is delivered on time and budget.”

Framespace has a successful track record of partnering with clients. It has a strategic partnership with Tetrarch Capital’s housebuilding affiliate Tetrarch Homes, which is planning to use offsite housing to accelerate the delivery of elements of its pipeline. Framespace is also looking to partner with AHBs and local authorities as well as contractors and developers at this time.

RESOURCES

Declan Murtagh explains that Framespace prefers to come on board on projects at the earliest stage possible.

“The earlier we are involved, the better.

You can’t fast-track the construction process without putting effort in at the design and planning stages. With this in mind, we invested in the people, technology and plant to ensure that our expertise and digital capability can benefit projects from the earliest stage.”

Framespace also has an apprenticeship programme in place, and Declan Murtagh highlights the point that the traditional role of the apprentice has changed, with modern digital and lean construction skills being an essential element of any apprentice’s training.

“I am delighted to see that a lot of effort has gone in at Solus and CIF level to modernise our construction training programmes. I am also delighted that Enterprise Ireland is now playing an active role in the modernisation of the sector.”

INFLATIONARY IMPACTS

Declan Murtagh, CEO, Framespace Solutions.

“Developers and contractors are looking at offsite for solutions that will deliver projects more efficiently.”

Declan Murtagh, CEO, Framespace Solutions.

Materials price inflation has been rife in the market this year. Declan Murtagh comments that while it has been documented that some costs are stabilising slightly, price increases have been astounding.

“The cost increase of oil-based insulation products has been particularly phenomenal, with as much as 120% increases in the price of some products since the third quarter of last year. Tying people to fixed-price contracts is not viable at the moment, and this is delaying project delivery, with projects either slowing down or being put on hold.

There is also a situation where developers have to go back and renegotiate for extra money on pre-sold units. This is probably a short-term issue and will resolve itself. But it points to the importance of having a fast and efficient delivery system.”

TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION

In closing, Declan Murtagh says that in order for housing targets to be met, the adoption and acceptance of new technology by the Irish construction sector is critical. However, independent third-party certification of new technologies and systems is also vital.

An increase in resources for the National Standard Authority of Ireland (NSAI) and the Irish Agrément Board is key to ensuring the timely adopting of these technologies. ”Having an efficient certification process is essential. To enable the offsite sector to grow and increase capacity, the government needs to put resources into the NSAI and the Agrément Board and ensure there are more accessible certification processes. Testing and certification is a continuous process due to the innovative products and materials coming on line all the time. A properly resourced certification process is essential if the offsite sector is to grow,” he concludes.

CHANGING MARKETS

Referencing once more the importance of partnerships in the delivery of largescale projects, Declan Murtagh says that developers want to partner with contractors and suppliers because of the huge investment required from them to get projects shovelready.

“Project delivery is not just about construction costs anymore. Huge investment is required at the front end of projects and across the full life cycle of a building or scheme. Getting through planning and putting finance in place is an enormous challenge. As a result of this, the construction element of a project must work to tightening timelines. And the shorter the construction period is, the quicker that the contractor will get paid. As a result, developers and contractors are looking at offsite for solutions that will deliver projects more efficiently.”

ABOUT THE FRAMESPACE SOLUTIONS BUILDING SYSTEM The Framespace Solutions building system allows for the manufacture of high-quality and environmentallysustainable buildings in a factorycontrolled environment. Prefinished floor, wall, and roof panels are manufactured in the facility in Longford and then delivered to site, where they can be assembled in a matter of hours. The system is certified for use in buildings up to six storeys, and Framespace says it can reduce onsite construction durations by as much as 40% when compared to more traditional building methods.

Framespace can provide an environmentally sustainable solution that dramatically reduces the waste produced in the construction process.

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Tel: 091 389020 Email:info@coshlaquarries.ie www.coshlaquaries.ie

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S E C TO R F O C U S

Nicholas O ‘Dwyer’s Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage Scheme wins ACEI Engineering Excellence Project of the Year award After a three-year Covid-19 hiatus, the Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland held this year’s ACEI Engineering Excellence Awards at the Shelbourne Hotel, where David McHugh, ACEI President 2021-2022, presented the awards.

Project of the Year: Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage Scheme by Nicholas O ‘Dwyer Limited.

T

he Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland (ACEI) Engineering Excellence Awards 2022 and gala dinner took place at the Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin, on 02 September. The awards were presented by David McHugh, immediate Past-President of the ACEI. The ACEI Engineering Excellence Project of the Year winner was Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage Scheme by Nicholas O’Dwyer Limited.

Completed in 2021, over 20,000 businesses and homes are now connected to the new wastewater scheme, which will protect the environment and support the sustainable development and growth of local communities.

Speaking after the event, David McHugh said, “Although regular ACEI business has resumed for our members and we have been meeting in person this year, the awards were a great opportunity to bring everyone together to celebrate our sector’s contribution to Irish society and honour those who have excelled in their fields over the past couple of years.

Speaking after the awards, current ACEI President Brian Kavanagh said that consulting engineers have an even more essential role to play in helping clients find innovative solutions to address project challenges that have arisen due to the current global problems.

“We are currently operating in a period of great uncertainty with inflationary pressures impacting many projects,” Brian Kavanagh commented. “Consulting engineers across the country are devising innovative solutions that are helping clients overcome project

Innovation Category Winner Medium Projects: NUI Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome by TOBIN Consulting Engineers. challenges. We play a pivotal role in ensuring a successful outcome on projects and continue to be clients’ trusted advisors.”

He added, “Through the Pledge to Net Zero, the ACEI is continuing its work to move our sector and the projects we work on to be carbon neutral by 2030. I welcome the continuing commitment by all of our members to achieving this goal.”

ACEI ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS 2022 Project of the Year Winner: Nicholas O ‘Dwyer Limited Project: Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage Scheme

Civil Category Joint Award Winners: TJ O’Connor & Associates and JB Barry and Partners (with Royal Haskoning DHV) Project: Ringsend WwTP Upgrade Project: Capacity Upgrade Project Structural Category - Large Projects Winner: O’Connor Sutton Cronin Project: Project Fitzwilliam Highly Commended: GDCL Consulting Engineers Limited Project: WuXi Biologics Structural Category - Medium Projects Winner: Barrett Mahony Consulting Engineers Project: Guinness Enterprise Centre Mechanical & Electrical Category - Large Projects Winner: Homan O’Brien

Civil Category Winner: Ringsend WwTP Upgrade Project: Capacity Upgrade Project by TJ O’Connor & Associates and JB Barry and Partners (with Royal Haskoning DHV).

Project: 70 St Stephen’s Green Mechanical & Electrical Category - Small Projects Winner: Varming Consulting Engineers Limited Project: Donegal Town Garda Station Refurbishment & Extension Environmental Sustainability Natural Environment Category Winner: PUNCH Consulting Engineers Project: National Forensic Mental Health Service Facility Environmental Sustainability Built Environment Category Winner: RPS Project: Glasgow Airport Investment Area (GAIA): Ancillary Infrastructure Project Management Category Winner: Nicholas O’Dwyer Limited Project: Vartry Water Supply Scheme Innovation Category - Large Projects Winner: Mott MacDonald Ireland Project: Clonakilty Flood Relief Scheme Innovation Category - Medium Projects Winner: TOBIN Consulting Engineers Project: NUI Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome Overseas Category Winner: Nicholas O’ Dwyer Limited Project: Monrovia Raw Water Pipeline Project, Liberia.

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OPINION

The way we build and manage our offices can have a game-changing environmental impact NEIL MENZIES, Director of Sustainability, Hibernia Real Estate Group, writes about the company’s approach to sustainability within its property portfolio and how it intends to become a netzero carbon and climateresilient business by 2030.

W

e talk a lot about the negative environmental impact of aviation and agriculture, but we shouldn’t forget that the built environment is responsible for about 40% of global carbon emissions. Buildings are often taken for granted in the climate debate, but many commercial buildings, holding hundreds or sometimes thousands of people, are carbonintensive to build, run and maintain.

Thankfully there is a growing awareness of the role low carbon and sustainable buildings have in addressing climate change. At Hibernia Real Estate Group, one of Ireland’s largest office landlords and developers, we have placed the sustainability of our buildings at the core of our operations.

The internal courtyard of Hibernia Real Estate Group’s 1WML in Dublin’s south docks, which includes occupiers like Pinsent Masons and Core.

CLANWILLIAM QUARTER Hibernia Real Estate Group’s plans for the redevelopment of what will be called the Clanwilliam Quarter are set to break new ground in Ireland for sustainable buildings. The proposed eight-storey office building will provide over 333,000 sq feet of space to LEED-Platinum and WELL-Platinum standards, with an annual energy usage intensity of 55 kWh/m2, a level Hibernia believes will be unmatched across current equivalent buildings in Dublin.

It will be designed with a ‘Passive first’ approach, removing the need for electricity usage wherever possible. For example, smart, natural ventilation will provide high air quality while reducing energy intensity throughout the building. A large rooftop solar PV array will deliver maximum on-site renewable energy generation, whilst heat recovery units will minimise wasted energy. Reduced car parking spaces and increased

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A CGI of communal occupier space in Hibernia’s planned Clanwilliam Quarter on the Grand Canal

cycling and charging infrastructure will reduce the carbon generated by people commuting to and from work.

This will all be delivered using materials that have been chosen to minimise the whole of life carbon emissions involved and with significant enhancements to the public realm from which the whole community can benefit.

OPINION

The living wall on Hibernia’s 1SJRQ in Dublin’s South Docklands, fully let to HubSpot

Beehives ready for inspection on top of Hibernia’s Montague House on Adelaide Road.

Consumers are conscious of the environmental impact of the cars they buy, the food they put in the fridge and even the holidays they take. Employers and employees are no different when it comes to the spaces that they occupy. We are seeing a strong demand from our occupiers and prospective occupiers to understand the carbon footprint of their building and what it is we are doing to reduce its environmental impact. They are mindful that an environmentally responsible business outlook is what their employees expect.

Occupiers want happy employees, and we want happy occupiers, so there is a positive feedback loop that reinforces the commitment to best practice sustainability standards in buildings. It makes commercial sense, too, given that there is a growing divide in the Dublin office market between premium assets with top-tier sustainability credentials and older buildings where substantial investment in retrofitting will be needed. Buildings will only command the highest rents if they are sustainable.

SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP

Last year, Hibernia announced our commitment to become a net-zero carbon and climate-resilient business by 2030. We are one of the only property companies in Ireland to set that goal, as well as being one of the first Irish property companies to sign up to the World Green Building Council

(WGBC) Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment.

We have reached a number of milestones in recent years in our pursuit of being a sustainability leader. In 2021, we achieved a 43% reduction in operational energy use intensity and 42% reduction in operational greenhouse gas emissions versus our 2019 Net Zero Carbon Pathway baseline. We have built several new office buildings to LEED Platinum or LEED Gold standard. And, we have received a four-star rating from the Global ESG Benchmark for Real Assets (GRESB) for the past two years, the leading environmental benchmark standard for real estate, as well as an A- in the CDP climate change questionnaire, placing us in the top 15% of companies responding globally.

Making sure our buildings prioritise the health and wellbeing of those who occupy them is also a key consideration as we emerge from pandemic-imposed restrictions. The return to the office is well underway, but employers and employees want to feel safe, and workplace wellbeing has emerged as a key priority. Access to green, open spaces as well as areas for relaxation and resetting is fast rising to the top of the list in terms of requirements.

will be used to create a carbon-reduction fund that will help pay for energy reduction capital expenditure in our existing buildings.

This incentivises the use of lower-carbon materials and construction methods when our staff are working on their own financial models for new projects.

We are mindful that there is more to do, and that is why we apply this decisionmaking process to our entire portfolio. 57% of our office portfolio by value is rated B3 or better, this is in contrast to only 12% of the national office stock, and it is important that the industry continues to collaborate to increase that figure significantly.

IN CONCLUSION

With construction and material costs continuing to rise, it would be easy for the industry to put the issue of sustainability on the backburner. It is vital, however, that this does not happen. We have a responsibility to ensure that our emissions footprint continues to get smaller rather than larger.

With rising energy costs, developing buildings to the highest environmental standard will pay for itself over the mediumto long-term while allowing us to do the right thing for broader societal goals.

BRIEFING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Building on this, we have drafted a ‘Sustainable Development Brief ’ to guide us through every stage of our development and redevelopment pipeline. This pipeline includes major schemes like the Clanwilliam Quarter and Harcourt Square redevelopments and ensures that we have sustainability at the heart of each step of these major projects, which will deliver over 600,000 sq feet of new office space in central Dublin over the next three to five years.

One critical approach we have introduced for new developments, and which is now a priority under the Irish Green Building Council’s new Net Zero Whole Life Carbon Roadmap, is to ensure that at the design stage, we take the opportunity to estimate the carbon emissions for a building and identify innovative ways to reduce these emissions throughout its entire lifecycle.

As an example, Clanwilliam Quarter will aim to reduce construction-related emissions by using lower-carbon concrete and steel with a high-recycled content. We will require the contractor to use low-emissions plant and equipment. We will utilise a hybrid ventilation system for heating and cooling the building, which will radically reduce operational-related emissions.

FINANCIAL LEVERS

We are also using financial levers to ensure our staff take into account climate factors, with an internal levy on the constructionrelated embodied carbon from projects that

Neil Menzies, Director of Sustainability, Hibernia Real Estate Group.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Neil Menzies joined Hibernia Real Estate Group as its sustainability manager in 2020 and was promoted to Director of Sustainability in June 2021. He is responsible for the delivery of Hibernia’s sustainability strategy and commitment to become a net-zero carbon business by 2030.

Menzies has over 15 years’ experience in environmental and sustainability management/consultancy across the waste, transport and property sectors and has worked in Ireland and overseas. He holds an honours degree in Geography and Economics and an MSc in Environmental Science from Trinity College Dublin. He is also a chartered environmentalist and certified energy manager.

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OPINION

TIME TO CLARIFY THE CONTRACTUAL POSITION OF OFF-SITE CONSTRUCTION HENRY HATHAWAY asks when it comes to off-site construction or manufacturing, when does construction, in fact, commence on a project, and how does this affect the rights of the parties, including issues such as but not limited to payment, title and/or risk and vesting rights?

I

t is impossible to read any construction journal or paper without seeing some degree of mention of off-site or modular construction techniques or processes. There have been many papers and articles published in respect of the use and potential benefits of off-site construction methods and especially when issues such as the housing crisis appear to be more pronounced.

As to whether there are any novel aspects to this process, the question as to whether the parties to an agreement have applied their respective minds to the contract remains to be seen, and, even if the units produced are not wholly modular in effect, the very concept of substantial units of construction arriving at a project in a near complete state does continue to evolve. While there is a continuing trend in respect of the degree of off-site construction, the same principled approach ought to be applied.

The question then is this, when did construction, in fact, commence on the works, and how does this affect the rights of the parties, including issues such as but not limited to payment, title and/ or risk and vesting rights?

THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF AN AGREEMENT

The primary purpose of an agreement is to have sufficient clarity on the terms expressly or implicitly to be applied and to ascertain what the parties intended.

The question in this article is whether or not the standard forms of contract or the law have evolved to keep pace with the development of the industry. Off-site construction and modular units can be complex, and where there is complexity, there is a greater degree of risk that a dispute may arise. Examples of complexity may arise from design or process or the degree of integration and tolerances required.

WHAT DO “CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS” ACTUALLY COVER?

The issue perhaps can become even more identified when, for example, there is a payment dispute even where no works potentially have been carried out on site. Certainly, in the UK, there has been extensive case law in relation to the fact-sensitive nature of what “construction operations” do entail or cover.

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It is an established position that in order for the Construction Act 2013 to bite, there must be construction operations and what the current authorities in the UK tell us is that this can be a fact-specific question.

This became a distinct issue in the case of CIMC Limited (formerly Verbus Systems Limited v Bennett (Construction) Limited, where the Judge found at the first instance that the Act did apply to the whole contract, this was despite the fact that fabrication of the modular units was undertaken in China to a degree of substantial completion.

Conversely, a well-known case was required to examine in detail whether or not the delivery and placing of concrete by a supplier could be captured under the heading of installation. Further, in Savoye and Savoye Limited v Spicers Limited [2014] EWHC 4195, a central issue arose as to whether or not a system constructed had the required fixity to the land to consider whether it was, in fact, to form part of the land and therefore would be caught by the Act. In this case, there were repeated rounds of submissions, attendance to the site by the Judge and further oral evidence. This case in itself illustrates the type of legal costs that can be incurred over what became a discrete but necessary issue to resolve on a fact-sensitive basis.

In Cleveland Bridge (UK) Limited v Whessoe-Volker Stevin Joint Venture [2010] EWHC 1076 (TCC), a dispute arose over the final account, and at an enforcement, the Judge was required to determine (a) whether the work carried out consisted of construction operations under S105(1), (equivalent and relatable to Section 1 CCA 2013 and whether any of the work was excluded and (b) if the works did consist of construction operations and also excluded operations, was the decision of the Adjudicator enforceable or severable. These are all issues concerning elements where there was a degree of off-site production, manufacture and design. The key point here is that clear drafting and or incorporation of express terms are required in terms of payments where a degree of off-site manufacturing is to occur.

Inadvertently, a party may lose its rights in terms of payment or not consider whether its works are caught by the relevant legislation, especially when there are clear exceptions to what are considered construction operations as defined by the Construction Contracts Act 2013.

OPINION

“What is now critical in an environment of development and change is whether or not either bespoke documents or amendments to the standard forms of construction contracts indeed actually capture or recognise the realities of changes in construction methods that are in existence, including off site construction.”

The primary and salutary lesson in this instance is to ensure that for any works that the parties have agreed to carry out, whether onsite or off-site including design and manufacture, there is a specific agreement in place whether based on a standard form or recorded as a bespoke agreement. Parties must also ensure that it is drafted to encompass the necessary provisions of the Act if they later seek to rely upon it. As off-site construction grows, it is relevant that the agreements reflect this process and not fall foul or incur expensive legal costs in having a discrete point resolved.

WHERE DO THE PARTIES STAND IN RELATION TO TITLE AND RISK?

From the employing party’s perspective, it must consider that it will be required to make payments in respect of any off-site manufactured elements, those elements at the time not being on the end site, let alone being attached to the land.

Certain questions arise from this, such as what and how are the payments to be made and to what extent, given that responsibility may be an unresolved position or in an environment where insolvencies can be regular. Clearly, the position of title and risk is to be analysed and expressly set out as to who retains title and when does it pass and, if this is resolved, then how is the risk to be also allocated. This is a common position where a supplier will retain title but seek to pass risk immediately or as soon as practicable, and there is little coincidence of both happening at the same time. Damage prior to delivery or in transit then becomes a ground for dispute.

OFF-SITE MATERIAL BONDS AND INSURANCE

Clear detailing within vesting certificates should clearly set out the nature of ownership of off-site materials and ought to consider and make certain what the nature of the insurance will be and that such terms adequately address the process. This, of course, will also introduce the potential of off-site material bonds and whilst the appropriateness of such a bond will depend on the circumstances and costs associated.

Henry Hathaway, Principal, Henry Hathaway Solicitors.

Where many forms of standard form contracts are employed, there will, in most cases, be a series of amendments. What is now critical in an environment of development and change is whether or not either bespoke documents or amendments to the standard forms indeed actually have been updated or recognise the realities of changes that are in existence. This forces the drafter to consider the whole process and interrelationships that exist, including cooperation and coordination and careful consideration of the effects of not drafting to encompass the entire process as the reality now provides.

Henry Hathaway is a solicitor who practises in Ireland, England and Wales and specialises in construction law. He is a qualified civil engineer and spent 12 years working in the industry. He advises on contract formation and provides practical advice when entering construction contracts, and regularly provides training and seminar days to companies to assist knowledge and application in order to assist them in avoiding disputes in construction. If you require further information in relation to contract formation or would like to discuss training and development in this area, contact henry.hathaway@ hathawaysolicitors.ie This is one of a series of articles by Henry Hathaway for Irish Construction News. To read previous articles, visit https:// constructionnews.ie/records-the-building-blocks-claim/ or scan the QR code.

Disclaimer: This content is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. It is provided to present information to the broader construction industry and provide awareness. Independent legal advice should always be sought prior to application, and no solicitor/client relationship is formed, and no duty of care nor liability arises from any of the contents of this article.

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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

Healthy Homes Ireland aims to identify key criteria that define a healthy home Healthy Homes Ireland recently held its first forum meeting and heard from experts on the subject of healthy homes. Kevin O’Rourke, Chairperson, Healthy Homes Ireland, speaks with ROBBIE COUSINS.

H

ealthy Homes Ireland (HHI) aims to positively influence public policy and building industry practice by bringing together stakeholders to consider how to address health problems caused by existing low-quality homes and ensure there is no conflict between health and energy efficiency in new-build homes.

Various factors are involved in making homes, both new-build and retrofitted, sustainable and healthy to live in. At the recently held first HHI forum meeting, it was pointed out that a home that does not foster healthy living conditions cannot be considered to be truly sustainable. Older building stock presents a particular challenge as the government’s retrofit programme is rolled out in the coming years; this is a crucial factor that will have to be considered.

HEALTHY HOMES IRELAND

This HHI forum aimed to start the process of gaining new insights that will advance the provision of greener and healthier Irish homes. By bringing together those with an interest in and responsibility for delivering such homes, HHI aims to develop evidencebased policy solutions that can be presented to the government, improve understanding among policymakers and share insights with the broader construction sector about what is a healthy home and how to achieve it.

HHI is led by a high-level steering group of 13 industry practitioners and academics.

Members of the steering group were joined by over 40 experts in construction, engineering, architecture, public health and the environment. During the forum meeting, they participated in a workshop designed to gather feedback on the definition of a healthy home and consult on a research project the forum has commissioned CBRE to undertake.

Speaking after the forum’s first meeting, Kevin O’Rourke, Chairperson, Healthy Homes Ireland, said: “There are three key facets to the HHI initiative. Firstly, it is engaging an active cross-section of experts (forming a steering group) and other stakeholders across the housing sector.

“Secondly, a research team from CBRE will deliver a research assignment for completion by early 2023. The first phase of the research aims to map the arena, to investigate at a macro level the extent to which current public policy and regulation,

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Kevin O’Rourke, Chairperson, Healthy Homes Ireland. building industry practices and other factors help or hinder the achievement of healthy homes, and identify if and where gaps exist.

This will draw on a range of existing research sources and policy documentation, including Building Regulations, Technical Guidance Documents, Design Manual for Quality Homes long-term renovation strategies, the Climate Action Plan, Housing for All, National Skills Strategy, National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan and expected to deliver new insights.

“Thirdly, the assignment will conclude by drawing together the research evidence into a report that will present a set of policy recommendations to the government, prioritising those likely to have the most impact and those that are easiest to implement.”

He continues: “The main purpose of the first HHI forum meeting was to consult on the full range of what is meant by a healthy home and to help set the priorities for the research. This is the first step in a ninemonth project.”

Kevin O’Rourke commented that the forum meeting provided insights on how improving the energy efficiency of homes and making them healthier must go handin-hand.

“While decarbonising homes is critical for Ireland to reach its climate targets, health risks from poor indoor air quality, insufficient light, underheating or overheating, damp, and noise pollution

must also be tackled. In the drive for greener homes, whether new-build or retrofit, this is about taking a more holistic view, avoiding unintended consequences and minimising risks, and seeking to future-proof our housing stock. ‘ Speaking at the HHI forum Rachael McGinley, Head of Sustainability, CBRE Ireland, who is leading the policy research team, said, “The HHI research being undertaken by CBRE Ireland will help inform future policy and practice that delivers greener and healthier homes for the people of Ireland.

Velux, which is sponsoring the work of HHI, has published an annual European Healthy Homes Barometer since 2015. This research-based report takes the pulse of Europe’s building stock, and since 2015 it has highlighted the importance of improving buildings to address health and climate concerns across populations in different countries.

In terms of environmental conditions, some perhaps familiar concerns regarding poor air quality, cold, dampness and poor daylighting were discussed at the HHI forum meeting.

A relatively new concern highlighted was the risk of solar overheating and measures to guard against this risk. Extending beyond the dwelling itself, the importance of neighbourhood, being well connected to community and having access to sustainable transport options influencing people’s

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y wellbeing also received attention.

HEALTHY PERIOD HOUSES

New build and retrofit are both important to delivering housing that fully meets people’s needs, in other words, quality housing.

Inherently, the solution options with energy efficient retrofitting are more constrained, and some degree of technical compromise may be unavoidable, such as when it comes to aesthetics with period houses.

Of interest in this regard is a concept put forward at the forum meeting by Nick Baker, of the UK Architectural Association, who has extensive experience in this field. He questioned the traditional rigid approach to prescribing indoor environmental conditions in design codes. He recommended that a bandwidth of indoor temperature conditions should be considered, tolerating a degree of drift for a small number of hours per year. That is, being content with conditions that are ‘good enough’ rather than so-called ‘optimal’.

HOUSEHOLDER ROLE

The vital role of the household itself in ultimately achieving healthy conditions in the home is an important concern.

For instance, not drying clothes in living spaces, opening windows appropriately, understanding heating controls, etc, are all essential. The day-to-day operation of homes will determine whether the asset of a welldesigned and built home provided by the industry actually delivers good quality living conditions. This highlights the importance of educating householders in these matters, including the provision of practical householder manuals.

PRACTICAL OUTCOMES

Kevin O’Rourke says that in terms of HHI delivering practical outcomes, the holistic nature of this topic means that the full range of factors needs to be captured in the research, the policies and the guidance.

“Such a wide and complex range could be a recipe for paralysis, and therefore it is a concern to ensure that HHI puts forward initiatives that are prioritised according to impact and according to ease of implementation. We therefore need to present our findings in a way that will lead to practical implementation on the part of those responsible for the planning, design, construction and servicing of our housing stock. But also, to follow through with matching guidance to householders on the issues.”

OTHER RESEARCH

Included in the HHI review of current policies, codes and other professional guidance, the research team will draw on a pool of knowledge and experiences from stakeholders, many of whom participate in

Rachael McGinley, Head of Sustainability, CBRE Ireland, and Kevin O’Rourke, Chair of Healthy Homes Ireland. the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) programmes. Both Velux and the IGBC are active in a number of relevant international research initiatives, and developmental and educational projects in the EU arena, which contribute to the enhancement of the built environment.

“It is possible that the findings of the CBRE research will identify the need for further work, based on gaps and priorities identified,” Kevin O’Rourke comments.

“However, as this work is still at a relatively early stage, it would be premature to suggest what those gaps and priorities might yet be.”

He hopes that the research being carried out will assist with the delivery of the government’s National Retrofitting Scheme.

“We would like our findings to enhance the good guidance (eg the Code of Practice) already in place with the National Retrofitting Scheme, with which contractors must comply. But any specifics will depend on what research evidence emerges from the identification of best-practice solutions in Ireland and internationally.

“As I said earlier, the solution options with energy efficient retrofitting can be restricted, and some degree of technical compromise may be unavoidable. For example, in relation to respecting aesthetics with period houses.

But it also needs to be recognised that energy efficient retrofitting can equally provide an opportunity to get other things right as part of a more extensive renovation – for example, protecting against dampness, providing healthy ventilation, and providing good standards of daylight.”

O’Rourke points out that it is important to note that the purpose of good planning and design and good quality construction is to provide an environment that enables good health and wellbeing to flourish.

“However, we recognise that this does not

depend solely on the industry. There is an educational dimension in guiding healthy behaviours and practices within households.

For example, householders need to be helped to understand the importance of healthy ventilation for a variety of reasons.”

DEFINITION OF A HEALTHY HOME

Kevin O’Rourke says that an early task of the research group was to define what is a healthy home, test it with the stakeholders, and the following definition emerged: “A healthy home is a user-friendly home, sustainably designed, constructed and maintained to support the complete physical, mental and social well-being of its occupants.

“It is well ventilated, has good indoor environment quality, is free from harmful pollutants, is bright, and facilitates comfortable temperatures. It has good sanitation and provides protection from excessive noise. A healthy home is one which is well connected to the local community, green space and sustainable transport options.”

He adds: “Focusing on what the outcome of the work might look like, public policy in this context is mainly expressed through various parts of the Building Regulations - for example, covering energy efficiency, ventilation, sound, drainage and wastewater, resistance to moisture, radon protection – and the various technical guidance, detailed support documents and other references that accompany those regulations.

“It may therefore make sense for the findings of the research to feed into such pre-existing documents in such a way as to make health and wellbeing integral and explicit provisions within these documents,” Kevin O’Rourke concludes.

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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

Irish Water launches accreditation scheme to support efficient house delivery and construction sector Water Conservation Guide Irish Water has launched two new initiatives to support more efficient and sustainable delivery of water services infrastructure.

I

rish Water has launched a new Experience Based Accreditation Scheme that will be available for experienced contractors in every county in Ireland. The scheme will accredit experienced contractors to deliver new water services infrastructure in public roads for housing developers.

EXPERIENCE BASED ACCREDITATION SCHEME

This is the latest initiative as part of Irish Water’s commitment to support the delivery of housing across Ireland. The scheme supports the efficient delivery of essential water services infrastructure in the public road by experienced contractors while ensuring best practice procedures and standards.

It follows the successful rollout of Irish Water’s Self-Lay in the Public Road programme, whereby developers can deliver water and wastewater infrastructure in public roads to service new housing developments. The new scheme recognises contractors’ adherence to Irish Water’s Standard Details, Codes of Practice and Quality Assurance procedures. These bestpractice procedures and standards have been developed by Irish Water to prevent a reoccurrence of legacy issues that exist across the country.

Welcoming the self-lay programme and the new accreditation scheme, Darragh O’Brien TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, said: “This latest initiative from Irish Water is another fantastic step forward in ensuring housing developments are completed efficiently across the country. I’m delighted to see such support for my department’s Housing for All strategy and to see Experienced Contractors across Ireland support the efficient delivery of homes. Irish Water listened to industry calls and responded quickly. Through the Housing for All strategy, my department aims to see an average of 33,000 homes provided each year to 2030, and to know these homes will be completed as efficiently as possible is a fantastic assurance.”

The scheme, which is also supported by the Construction Industry Federation (CIF), the Irish Homebuilders Association and Commission for Regulation of Utilities, is the latest in a number of initiatives Irish Water has implemented to support the government’s Housing for All strategy.

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At the launch of Irish Water’s Water Conservation Guide, (L to r): Pat Barry, CEO, Irish Green Building Council; Yvonne Harris, Housing Programme Director, Irish Water; Alan Cawley, Senior Sustainability Manager, Sisk; and Jack Brennan, Environmental Officer, Cairn Homes.

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WATER CONSERVATION GUIDE

Irish Water has also launched a new online guide for the construction industry outlining how businesses can better conserve and reuse water and free Water Conservation Clinics to educate the industry on practical measures that can be taken.

Irish Water’s new guide, developed in partnership with the CIF, Sisk, Cairn Homes and the IGBC, details how builders and developers can implement sustainable and circular processes to achieve massive savings in water conservation.

WATER CONSERVATION TIPS FOR CONSTRUCTION SITES • • • • • •

Install rainwater harvesting systems for dust suppression, vehicle cleaning, ponds, or underground tanks Reuse water from groundwater or surface water drainage to dampen roads in hot weather Use innovative technology, eg, percussion taps, twin flush/low water toilets Introduce recirculating systems for cleaning tools and greywater, and use for flushing toilets or irrigating plants Design ground surfaces to slope away from structures and towards garden areas and recharge zones Retain as much vegetation as possible during construction to reduce water

evaporation.

WATER CONSERVATION CLINICS

Irish Water is calling on sustainability representatives in the industry to enrol in its Water Conservation Clinics, which will run this autumn. The free, in-person clinics will offer training and guidance in terms of how businesses can implement sustainable and circular processes at their sites to conserve water.

Yvonne Harris, Irish Water’s Housing Programme Director, said: “We’re launching our new guide to emphasise the benefits of a circular approach to conserving water in the construction industry. Through our free Water Conservation Clinics, we will educate those in the industry about simple and innovative ways to conserve water on site. Companies across Ireland are already making fantastic strides in water conservation, and we’re calling on industry to get involved and keep the momentum going.”

Those interested in participating in Irish Water’s upcoming Water Conservation Clinics can sign up on Irish Water’s dedicated webpage:www.leanskillnet.com/training/ water-conservation-clinic/ Irish Water’s new guide, Water Stewardship and Sustainability in Construction Sector, can be viewed at www.water.ie/construction

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

Rosemarie Mac Sweeney, #Buildinglife Project Manager, Eamon Ryan, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications; and Pat Barry, CEO, Irish Green Building Council (IGBC), at the launch of the IGBC Roadmap to decarbonise Ireland’s built environment Pic: Marc O’Sullivan.

Buildings need to halve their emissions this decade STEPHEN BARRETT, Whole-Life Carbon Specialist, Irish Green Building Council, looks at how IGBC’s ‘Roadmap to decarbonise Ireland’s built environment’ can help halve the Irish construction industry’s whole-life carbon emissions.

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UCD report commissioned by the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) estimates that the construction and operation of buildings account for 37% of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, the same as agriculture. Just under twothirds (23%) of these emissions come from operating buildings, but more than a third (14%) come from the manufacture and transporting of building materials and construction of buildings – usually referred to as embodied carbon (All the activities of procuring, mining, harvesting raw materials, transforming these materials into construction products, transporting them to site and incorporating them into a building, and subsequently maintaining, replacing and removing and disposing of at the end of their life).

The report shows that these embodied emissions will increase significantly if housing and infrastructure plans for the rest of the decade are carried out in a business-as-usual fashion, effectively cancelling out the emissions savings being made by the ongoing switch to renewable energy.

Dalston Works, by Waugh Thistleton Architects, a 121unit residential development comprising entirely of cross-laminated timber (CLT).

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S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

Part Z Building regulations campaign Thin-shell prototype uses 75% less concrete emissions will be directly driven by building regulations. For the first time, the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) will include requirements for whole-life carbon (WLC) assessment, aligned with the Level(s) framework. Similar requirements already exist in France, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, and the UK. The industry-led Part-Z campaign to include WLC in building regulations in the UK gives a taste of what the requirements may look like.

TOOLS, DATA AND EDUCATION

The Ecococon carbon-negative walling system.

To address this issue, the IGBC, in close cooperation with key stakeholders, has developed a Roadmap to decarbonise Ireland’s built environment across its whole life cycle. The roadmap aims to lay out the legal, technical, and material changes we need to see this decade to halve the construction sector’s emissions by 2030.

LEGAL AND REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT

In 2021, the EU published the Level(s) framework with the aim of creating a common language for assessing and reporting on the sustainability performance of buildings across their whole life cycle.

Level(s) includes an indicator on whole-life carbon assessment, and it is already being used to assess projects under the EU Taxonomy.

The Taxonomy aims to direct investment toward sustainable projects. In simple terms, the more environmentally-friendly a project is, the easier it is to obtain funding at a lower interest rate.

Many certification schemes in Europe, including Ireland’s national certification for sustainable residential development, the Home Performance Index, are being aligned with Level(s).

As well as the financial markets, public procurement should contribute to a reduction in embodied carbon emissions. Level(s) is referenced in the EPA Green Public Procurement (GPP) guidance and the recent update to the National Policy on Architecture. As part of the review of the Capital Works Management Framework, the Office of Government Procurement (OGP) is implementing the International Cost Management Standard Framework (ICMS3), which accounts for the interrelationship between construction costs and carbon emissions in reporting templates. Once implemented, it will enable carbon reporting throughout all construction projects’ lifecycles. Within the next five years, reductions in embodied carbon

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Transitioning to a whole-life carbon approach may mean an expansion of the quantity surveyor role to include the carbon as well as the financial cost of materials, or it may lead to a new specialised role in advising on materials impacts and where the greatest savings in emissions can be made. Either way, there will be a need for education to understand the concepts and solutions and tools to help track and reduce impacts.

The IGBC offers the free-to-use Carbon Designer for Ireland tool, an early concept stage tool for estimating the carbon impacts of sketched-out plans before much detail is known. The IGBC runs regular courses on whole-life carbon assessment of buildings and how to use more sophisticated software available at OneClickLCA (www.OneClickLCA.com), the European market leader.

Other tools, such as Eccolab (www.Eccolab.co), combine energy, carbon, cost, and material modelling in one software; while materials2050 (www.2050-materials.com) offers a simple visual guide to the carbon impacts of specific building materials.

All of these tools rely on the data included in Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). These are produced by specialists who assess the production process of any product, taking into account raw material and energy inputs and quantifying the emissions from manufacturing processes. They are third-party verified to ensure accuracy and consistency. Manufacturers in Ireland can contact the EPD Ireland programme, operated by the IGBC, to guide them through the process and advise on financial assistance available from Enterprise Ireland.

The demand for EPDs is growing, and there are multiple research teams investigating how best to integrate the data into BIM models for instant LCA results. Primarily driven by investors, environmental performance is playing an increasing role in the decision-making process in the same way that costs, availability, and ease of use have up until now. As environmental considerations become a key decision factor, through increasing client demand and legislation, competition to reduce impacts in production processes will grow.

WHAT MIGHT THIS MEAN FOR BUILDING MATERIALS?

To reduce whole-life carbon emissions, we need to optimise the quantity of materials used and reduce the carbon intensity of these materials. This requires WLC assessment, education and innovation.

Carbon emissions from the production of materials are often tied

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

Murray Grove, a CLT building by Waugh Thistleton Architects.

The Enterprise Centre at the University of East Anglia, one of the UK’s most ‘sustainable’ buildings, made extensive use of the tools available at www.eccolab.co. to the energy input of the process. Generally, the more energy needed in the production process, and the dirtier the energy supply, the higher the carbon cost of production, so the first step should always be to reduce demand. Cement for concrete is one big exception.

Only some of the carbon emissions in cement are a result of energy input. Up to 60% can come from calcination – the chemical reaction that transforms limestone into clinker, the essential binding agent in most cements. This is why cement is such a difficult material to decarbonise – renewable energy will not address the whole problem.

In recent years, efforts have been made to replace as much cement as possible with GGBS or PFA, but these have their limits. Both are by-products of other carbon-intensive industrial processes that need to be reduced.

A promising recent development is the use of graphene.

ABOUT #BUILDINGLIFE The Roadmap to decarbonise Ireland’s built environment will be launched on 07 October.

It has been developed as part of the #BuildingLife campaign. The campaign aims to achieve the mix of private sector action and public policy necessary to tackle the whole-life environmental impact of

buildings.

The #BuildingLife campaign is funded by the IKEA and Laudes Foundations.

For further information on the roadmap, the carbon modelling report commissioned to UCD, the Carbon Designer Tool or the EPD Ireland programme, visit www.igbc.ie/lca/

A team from the University of Manchester and engineering company Nationwide Engineering have successfully produced and installed graphene-based concretes that they claim reduce volume requirements by 30%, reduce the cement content by 50% and remove the need for steel reinforcements – another critical contributor to embodied carbon in reinforced concrete, lowering both carbon emissions and costs.

The University of Colorado has developed a method to produce limestone from algae to be used in carbon-neutral cement as the carbon involved was absorbed from the atmosphere as the algae grew, rather than being quarried and burned.

It is estimated that the use of timber construction frames and wood-based panels in Ireland avoids around 2.23MtCO2e (Megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) of emissions per year in manufacturing conventional materials – or 4% of overall territorial emissions. A further 3MtCO2e is stored in long-life Irish-made products. Increasing the use of bio-based materials in an agricultural country like Ireland would have a corresponding positive impact on emissions.

Within the European Union, there are already exemplar businesses.

Ecococon has provided 20,000 sq metres of wall systems for homes, schools and other projects across the continent. Its panels meet Passivehouse standards and are made from 98% carbonpositive biobased materials; timber and straw. This year, Ecococon completed its first project in Ireland at Feakle in Co Clare.

ModCell offers a similar product, but rather than shipping wall systems, a temporary factory is set up close to site locations, reducing waste and increasing efficiency in production and installation.

In London, architects Waugh Thistleton have completed two residential tower blocks in cross-laminated timber (CLT), including the world’s largest, Dalston Works, a 121-unit residential development comprised entirely of CLT. It weighs a fifth of a concrete building of the same size, and deliveries during construction were reduced by 80%.

While it is possible for those who are determined, fire regulations and insurance for new and innovative approaches like these remain a challenge in Ireland, and solutions are needed in these areas to allow them to be competitive.

Innovation in materials is only one part of the jigsaw, and the above prototypes and ideas will take time to proliferate. Leaner design, where more is done with less, is needed now. We must specify only what is required and reshape grids and structures to maximise their strength and performance. A team of UK universities recently revealed a prototype building system that cuts concrete use by up to 75% by rethinking the floor. Building material passports and recertification also have a role to play in supporting greater reuse and hence reducing carbon emissions.

IN CONCLUSION

The overarching idea is to innovate and do more with less, using EPDs and WLC assessment to measure what we cannot avoid because what gets measured gets managed. If we can decarbonise supply chains through EPD competition, then we can encourage innovation and change and begin to address construction’s carbon footprint.

Regulatory and financial barriers need to be addressed to allow innovative products to gain certification and new industries to develop.

The new Construction Technology Centre at NUI Galway offers an arena for industry to engage with research and innovation – it should be fully supported. The IGBC continues to work with members to assess what is needed and support their ideas.

Perhaps more than anything, after all the science and innovation, the most important thing will be awareness-raising and a change of mindset. All of us in the industry - financiers, planners, designers, contractors - need to ask how we can do things differently.

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PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Groundforce partners with KTC Safety to offer excavation safety training in Ireland

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roundforce has announced a training partnership with Kearney Training & Consultancy (KTC Safety), a longestablished, independent training centre, which will see it offer Groundforce’s accredited EUSR (Energy & Utility Skills Training) courses in Ireland.

The Irish centre for Groundforce training will be based at KTC Safety in Ballydavis, Portlaoise, Co Laois. KTC is one of the largest health and safety training organisations in Ireland, with one of the largest dedicated training centres in the country.

A total of eight one and two-day courses for accredited EUSR categories 1 to 5 will be on offer, ranging from locating utility services and implementing safe digging (excavating) practices, to installing, inspecting and removing timber, steel and proprietary shoring systems.

The opening of the new Irish training centre is in response to increasing demand from the industry for excavation safety training.

Groundforce Ireland Director Joseph Lenihan commented: “Groundforce’s new excavation safety and temporary works training courses are a game-changer for the Irish construction industry.

For too many years, the safe installation and removal of safetycritical shoring systems have been a grey area for the industry, with accredited training on the use of these systems not readily available in Ireland. This situation creates significant risk on construction sites, as without appropriate training, full competency is not possible.

“Now, with Irish-based trainers and a newly built training area at KTC’s training centre in Portlaoise, Groundforce can provide accredited training in this safety-critical area.”

David Kearney, Managing Director, KTC, said, “We at KTC Safety Ltd are pleased to go into partnership with Groundforce Training and to introduce a new sector of training and assessment. Our facility in Portlaoise specialises in the operation of heavy plant in the construction industry and other sectors. Therefore, we put a high value on safe, appropriate training and certification, ensuring that workers can be fully competent as they carry out their on-site roles.“ For more information on the new training facility, visit www. vpgroundforce.com/gb/training/courses or phone. 1800 800 668

Hilti launches game-changing Nuron battery platform

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ilti Group has announced the launch of an innovation that will provide the construction industry with a fully-connected tool park experience. Nuron is a new powerful 22V cordless battery platform, and Hilti will launch the platform in Ireland with more than 70 tools from the start of October.

Nuron is not just a new set of tools or batteries; it is the future of Hilti’s cordless offering, with the power to make job sites cordless across both light and heavy applications. Launching with an entire ecosystem of 70 new cordless tools and a reengineered all-on-one 22V battery platform, Hilti is set to change the cordless experience for the construction industry forever.

Hilti has supported construction and engineering activities in Ireland since 1965. Its sales and customer support teams, totalling 130 people, work directly with construction professionals at job sites and from its stores in Ballymount and Docklands in Dublin, as well as Cork, Belfast, and at its HQ in Finglas, Dublin.

To support the launch of the Nuron platform in Ireland, Hilti has invested in a new customer experience centre at its HQ in Finglas. This new centre will allow

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data capabilities, and to experience the full range of Hilti cordless tools – powered by Nuron – in practical use settings.

Damien Schmutz, General Manager of Hilti Ireland, commented: “We are very excited to bring the Nuron platform to our customers in Ireland. From customer feedback on what kind of innovations they would find useful, we know this will make a huge difference to their operations in many ways. We are proud to deliver the most comprehensive solutions to solving some of the bottlenecks at construction sites today, increasing productivity, and introducing state-of-the-art data-driven solutions that will also improve health and safety at the construction.”

Hilti has re-orientated its tool servicing offering in Ireland by establishing a fullservice centre for the first time. Prior to this, Hilti tools were sent to its service centres in either Paris or Glasgow. Once established, the full range of Hilti tools will be serviced in Ireland with a guaranteed three-day turnaround and full availability of replacement tools to ensure the work continues.

construction professionals to learn about the Nuron platform, its performance, safety and

To learn more or register your interest, visit www.hilti.ie

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Ecocem launches superfine - Low carbon, super-high grade GGBS for specialist applications

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cocem, Europe’s leading provider of low carbon solutions for the cement and construction industries, has announced the launch of superfine low-carbon, super-high-grade GGBS for specialist applications onto the European market.

Ecocem Superfine is a finer ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) designed to be used as a specialist additive in binders, industrial mortars, UHPC, and precast concrete. In addition to reducing carbon emissions, the use of Superfine can improve the rheology, strength, and durability of the concrete.

Developed by grinding granulated blastfurnace slag (GBS) to very fine particle size, Superfine can be added to products to significantly improve their strengths in applications such as high-performance and ultra-high-performance concrete.

Furthermore, it can be used to improve the finish of concrete and reduce the amount of pigment required.

Superfine is the latest global innovation coming out of Ecocem’s R&D team following the opening of its world-class innovation

centre in October last year. Superfine GGBS contains no chemical additions of chromium and has a low pH, making it a safe and effective additive for building material

formulations.

Superfine will be launched across Europe, with the product already being trialled extensively in Abu Dhabi and specified in projects across Ireland. The greater sustainability of the additive is driven by reduced material use, local production, and short transport routes, as well as its circular and fully recyclable profile.

Susan McGarry, Managing Director, Ecocem Ireland, comments: “After extensive time in R&D, launching Superfine onto the Irish market is a testament to our global range of innovative and sustainable concrete solutions.

“Innovation is at the core of everything we do at Ecocem. For more than 20 years, Ecocem has led the development of technology that reduces the carbon footprint of the traditional cement manufacturing process by half. Today’s launch marks our continued commitment to the rapid decarbonisation of the global cement industry.”

For more information on Ecocem Superfine, visit www.ecocem.ie

Chadwicks donates €250,000 to TU Dublin to develop Ireland’s First Design + Construct Centre

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hadwicks Group has announced a partnership with TU Dublin to develop Ireland’s first Design + Construct Centre.

As part of the partnership, Chadwicks Group is donating €250,000 to support the construction of the new state-of-the-art centre, which will redefine and revolutionise the teaching and learning of architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) in Ireland.

Once complete, the Design + Construct Centre, which will be located at Broombridge close to the university’s Grangegorman campus, will enable TU Dublin to meet future national AEC education needs while also contributing to global green and digital construction targets.

Commenting on the announcement, Patrick Atkinson, CEO, Chadwicks Group, said: “Chadwicks Group is delighted to announce it is partnering with TU Dublin to develop a new state-of-the-art centre for students in the architecture, engineering and construction field. Training and development are of the utmost importance for our industry at present. This partnership will assist TU Dublin to meet the national demand for skills training, education and craft apprenticeship by focusing on upskilling and reskilling students through flexible, practice-based learning.”

Educational and learning activities at the Design + Construct Centre will be led by national and international experts. Students will be supported in developing their sustainable entrepreneurial and business skills. The centre will offer a flexible learning environment to reflect the dynamics of modern construction and sustainable practices, including: • Physical and virtual tool and materials libraries • Building performance prototyping and training spaces • Digital technology studios, including Building Information

Pictured at the partnership announcement between Chadwicks and TU Dublin, Chadwicks Group CEO Patrick Atkinson, and Design and Construct Project Lead at TU Dublin, Orna Hanly.

Modelling, Artificial Reality, Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality Off-site manufacturing and digital fabrication facilities.

Orna Hanly, Design + Construct Project Lead at TU Dublin, commented on the new partnership: “TU Dublin is delighted to welcome the Chadwicks Group to a tightly connected network of industry and academic partners, collaborating to hasten the digital transformation of the sector and set new international standards of practice in support of climate action.”

•

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PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Wavin Ireland introduces new safe-driving policy for staff

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avin Ireland has introduced a new policy on safe driving for staff which prohibits the use of hands-free technology while driving.

Michael O’Donohoe, Wavin National Director for Ireland, comments, “At Wavin, safety is fundamental and part of our DNA, and while the use of a hands-free phone while driving is not illegal in Ireland, it is best practice to avoid doing so in terms of safe driving.

“We have adopted the Distracted Driving Policy introduced throughout the Wavin

Group and its parent company Orbia.

We believe that while using hands-free technology is beneficial and productive for our sales and technical staff who regularly travel in the service of our customers, it can only be used safely when a person has stopped driving.”

The policy is now part of the Wavin health and safety policy to reduce the driving risks that its employees face and create by making voice calls while conducting company business.

“It is important that our customers,

suppliers and partners are aware of the company policy so that they understand why calls may not be answered immediately,” continues O’Donohoe. “We are encouraging our stockists to make use of our online merchant shop, which provides an easy and quick way to manage orders for Wavin products without having to call or email.

“The Wavin online shop can be used anytime that suits the merchant, 24/7 from a desktop or mobile. This will greatly enhance their productivity when ordering from us.

“Over the last decade, leading companies have taken decisive steps to eliminate distracted driving risks associated with their businesses. At Wavin, we join that effort,” concludes Michael O’Donohoe.

Wavin Ireland also recently expanded its Wavin Sewer range to include large diameter 400mm and 500mm SN8 smooth wall single socketed pipe and ring seal couplers, manufactured to EN1401. This is in response to customer demand from some contractors who see benefits of using PVC-U pipe as an alternative to concrete pipe.

Procore opens new EMEA hub in Dublin

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rocore has announced the establishment of its new EMEA hub in Dublin.

The hub will support the company’s regional offices to connect everyone in construction on a global platform. It is also set to create hundreds of jobs as part of a significant investment in Dublin.

In a statement, the leading global provider of construction management software said that the move demonstrates Procore’s continued commitment to the region and desire to support its expanding customer base as part of its mission to connect everyone in construction on a global platform.

The EMEA hub, within Dublin’s South Point building on Harmony Row, occupies the third-floor penthouse and spans 15,000 sq feet.

Formulated to help drive Procore’s growth and better support customers in the region, the hub will aim to create hundreds of jobs in Dublin over the next few years, with the company hiring for roles across sales, customer success and customer support, to name a few.

Procore has appointed Ciaran Cushley as Head of the EMEA Hub to lead this new office. With a track record of building and leading high-performing teams in Europe and North America for companies such as DocuSign, Cushley brings over 18 years of experience to the company.

Commenting on his appointment, Ciaran Cushley said, “In this exciting time to join Procore, it is a privilege to lead the new hub, which signifies our ambition for continued growth across EMEA. Not only will the hub cement our presence in the region, but it will enable customers to continue to efficiently connect their people, systems and data on one platform - allowing them to fully reap the

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Ciaran Cushley, Head of the EMEA Hub, Procore. benefits of construction technology.”

Brandon Oliveri-O’Connor, VP of EMEA, Procore, added, “For the past 20 years, Procore has been working to connect everyone in construction on a global platform. Procore’s increasing presence across Europe, the Middle East and Africa speaks to our longterm goal to be the single platform which supports construction professionals across the world.”

Procore will hire for various positions in its new EMEA hub. All current openings can be found at www.procore.com/jobs/openings

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