[caption id="attachment_37118" align="alignright" width="300"] Fig 1: Building before redevelopment (constructed in 1966), Aer Lingus Head Office building[/caption] Dublin Airport Authority ('daa') has become the first organisation in Ireland to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum sustainability accreditation for the recently completed redevelopment of the former head-office building of Aer Lingus adjacent to Terminal 2. Recently let to ESB International, the renamed ONE Dublin Airport Central building consists of 7500sqm of corporate accommodation over six floors. The prestigious LEED Platinum accreditation was granted by the United States Green Building Council (as the awarding authority) in February 2017. It was in recognition of the implementation of both practical and measurable strategies and solutions intended to deliver the highest levels of sustainability performance across a range of areas. These include: site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and internal environment quality. The redevelopment project marked the commencement of Dublin Airport Central, a commercial office development project. Dublin Airport will continue this year with the development of the next phase consisting of 41,000sqm of Grade A, LEED-accredited accommodation and a generous 1.25 acres of common collaborative parkland. It is hoped that the delivery of Dublin Airport Central as a unique, highly efficient and truly connected business location will create an economic area of strategic national importance leveraging the economic synergies between the airport and the world’s top multi-national corporations.

Smart design details of the redevelopment

[caption id="attachment_37119" align="alignright" width="300"] Fig 2: During construction – over 400 construction jobs were supported during the redevelopment[/caption] The entire thermal envelope of the building was upgraded to a level in excess of building regulation requirements, providing a foundation for the heightened energy performance of the building. The original single-pane glazing was replaced with double and triple glazing throughout. Extensive energy modelling during the concept and detailed design phases ensured that the glazing ratio and specification chosen was optimised for the building location and orientation. This modelling was undertaken to appropriately size heating and cooling equipment, to more efficiently use and minimise energy consumption. An extensive thermographic survey was also carried out to assess the façade installation and identify thermal bridging issues to be addressed. Existing 1970s cast-iron boilers were replaced by two 706kW gas-fired condensing boilers with annual operating efficiencies of up to 109 per cent on original equipment. Vacuum tube solar panels provide a renewable solution for the building’s hot-water requirements, while ultra-low-flow water fixtures have been installed to reduce water and energy usage. A low-energy lighting design was installed, and rainwater harvesting systems are now in place and fully operational. A strict construction waste-management plan was also implemented to prioritise reuse and recycling of material. As a result, some 54% of the existing structural elements were reused and 90% of the on-site generated construction waste was diverted from landfill.

Occupancy objectives

[caption id="attachment_37120" align="alignright" width="300"] Fig 4: Opening the new ESBI Headquarters at ONE Dublin Airport Central in April 2017 (l-r): Kevin Toland, daa CEO; Joyce Farrell, HR, ESB Innovation; Ollie Brogan, ESB International MD; Charlie Flanagan, Minister for Foreign Affairs; Pat O’Doherty, ESB Chief Executive; and Paul Mulvaney, Executive Director, ESB Innovation[/caption] The goal for this project, and indeed all refurbishment projects at Dublin Airport, was to construct an efficient building which delivered comfort and choice to its occupants by:
  • Ensuring the building continues to be managed in an environmentally sustainable manner throughout its occupation;
  • Delivering a fully integrated business management system (BMS) that provides tenants with information enabling informed choices relating to energy and water conservation to be made and to outline the resulting impacts of their efforts;
  • The BMS controls the low-pressure hot water, chilled hot water, pump sets, fire alarm and gas detection, water heaters, air conditioning, electricity and rainwater harvesting. The BMS monitors 58 metres throughout the building via its M-Bus interface and log totalised values for monitoring purposes.
In collaboration with the Dublin Airport mobility management team, a Dublin Airport Central Mobility Management Plan has been developed and agreed with the National Transport Authority, Transport Infrastructure Ireland and Fingal County Council. The primary objectives are to promote the use of public transport, cycling and car-pooling/car sharing and to lower the traditional dependency of commuters on private vehicle use. Preferential parking is available for low-emission vehicles. The achievement of LEED Platinum, as the highest building sustainability accreditation standard, demonstrates Dublin Airport’s commitment to sustainability and contributes positively towards our corporate strategy of delivering our sustainability policy objectives – namely, to incorporate sustainable planning, design, procurement and construction into projects. In 2015, Dublin Airport was the first airport in the world to be awarded the International Standard for Asset Management ISO 55001:2014, allowing the organisation to consistently meet or exceed performance with respect to sustainable asset management and social-responsibility expectations. In 2016, the airport was granted ISO 50001 Certification, an International Energy Management Standard (EMS) that establishes systems and process necessary to improve energy performance. Author: Lorcan Tyrrell, head of commercial property, Dublin Airport Central