Delivered Services
Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The structural engineering design solution for each element of the development fully supports the architectural vision for the building. The external and internal layout of the four primary areas, i.e., the two schools, the GP Hall and the Waterford City & County Council facilities, and the interfacing between these areas and their users was a key feature of the design. The structural arrangement was developed to facilitate and compliment the architectural requirements and to allow the efficient distribution of building services. Detailed consideration was given to combining structural frame elements with load bearing masonry to optimise the quality of the finished building. Materials were chosen to be both robust and sustainable in addition to being practical and cost effective to construct. The shared sports hall is divisible for individual school use and available for use by the community outside school hours. The L-shaped building composition is designed to provide an urban ‘street frontage’ with the schools and library accommodation tight to the footpath while wrapping around a series of recreation, play
PROJECT COMPLEXITIES
This project is a new departure in the delivery of primary schools in association with Local Authority sponsored community facilities. A significant element of design was associated with the incorporation of the requirements of Waterford City & County Council, in parallel with the Department of Education and Skills Brief. Unforeseen ground conditions were encountered during the construction of the substructure. This issue was dealt with promptly and the requisite expertise was brought to bear to ensure that the potential for large claims and significant impact on programme did not materialise.
