Civic Offices for Cork City Council
Cork
Project Details
Client: Cleary Doyle Contracting
Architect: ABK Architects
Value: €30M
Services Provided: C&S Engineering Services
Category: Offices
Project Duration: 2006
Project Description
- Best Public Building at the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) Awards 2008
Very high ground water levels and general site congestion led to the selection of secant piling as the basement retention system. PUNCH designed this to be a cantilevered structure which was utilised to carry vertical loads from the building perimeter. In service, the tightly specified movements acceptable at the top of the wall were achieved. Natural ventilation, optimal use of natural light and state of the art insulation were required in addition to extensive use of off-shutter concrete. Strict site control and regular inspections by the PUNCH Consulting Engineers team resulted in the high class off-shutter finish required by the architects being achieved throughout the building. All concrete was specified with GGBS cement for environmental, aesthetic and chemical resistance reasons.
PUNCH Consulting Engineers were a member of the design team for this contractor led design and build contract. The end users had prepared a comprehensive brief calling for high levels of specification for sustainability.
A large part of the facade includes a hanging louvered glazed screen, permitting the use of opening windows for ventilation in all but the most extreme weather conditions. This landmark project was a great success for PUNCH Consulting Engineers and it was the winner of Best Public Building at the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) Awards 2008.