Skainos Square
Project Background
The finished buildings use exposed concrete, automated natural ventilation controls, biomas boiler and solar panels to ensure a low carbon footprint sustainable development.
244 Newtownards Road,
Belfast
Ireland
The client prioritised community sustainability and requested that the building performs without the need for air-conditioning, this was achieved with passive BMS controlled ventilation over concrete slabs. The establishment of the first living green wall in Ireland presented technical challenges.
The single most important aspect of the building that we are proud of is the extent of community ownership, this is a direct result of the amount of community engagement throughout the design and build. This ownership is evident in the extent of use already evident in the facilities and, despite being in a particularly challenging location within East Belfast, the building has not been vandalised.
The Challenge
The complexity of the brief, the integration of sustainable energy sources, biomass boiler, solar panels, rainwater harvesting, green wall, integration of living habitat in the form of over 60 bird, bat and insect boxes, the creation of a new civic community and public square in a challenging area of East Belfast.
The Approach
Energy efficiency was enhanced through using admittance of the exposed structural concrete frame with automated day and night time cooling, the level of insulation achieved, biomass metered central heating system, inclusion of solar panels and enabling systems for future photo voltaic installation.