If you think of a building like a car, the performance comes from the engineering, not the finish.

Walk past Dublin’s newest office towers and the buildings look effortless. Glass facades, wide floorplates, systems that run efficiently, clean lines, it all seems to ‘just work’. But what people don’t see is the operations behind it. 

For architects, consultants, project managers and developers, early decisions around space planning, MEP strategy, plant location and coordination determine how their project will operate for decades. These decisions are critical for high-value assets - a key differentiator in a competitive market, and prevent cost creep, clashes on site and operational headaches. 

Get your engineering planning right from the outset and you’ll deliver a building that performs as intended and a building manager who sleeps easy.

"There's no point designing something that's cheap at tender, but ultimately breaks and you don't know who to ring halfway through the building cycle." – Gary Quinn, Executive Director, Senior Mechanical Engineer

Longevity and reliability are non-negotiable

Think of an office building like a car (we’re picturing either a BMW X7 or an Audi RSQ8 but please feel free to take a moment and visualise for yourself!). The paintwork and alloys catch the eye, but the fuel efficiency, handling and reliability all come from what’s under the bonnet. In building services engineering, that hood is the MEP backbone, plant rooms and operational energy strategy.

The critical decisions happen at the earliest stages:

• Space planning: floorplate layout, core locations and riser positions determine how services fit and flow.
• MEP strategy: centralised, distributed or hybrid systems affect energy, maintenance and lifecycle costs.
• Plant location and access: if equipment isn’t easily accessible, maintenance becomes a constant headache.
• Coordination with structure and architecture: early alignment prevents clashes and redesign on site.

Mechanical and electrical systems cannot be designed in isolation, as Gary explains:

"We can’t apply an approach where the mechanical team does a job and the electrical team does a job. It all has to be in unison. We have to be collective with the M&E to go to the architect and structural team once, if you like, or twice, with combined decisions."

Ductwork often dominates spatial planning because of its size. Containment, trays and other systems must be considered at the same time. Plant needs to work in the real world and be maintainable for years to come. That means:

• Correct access zones for engineers
• Space for routine servicing and replacement of major components
• Respecting manufacturers’ requirements

In practice, this can mean standing firm when architects question the space required for plant. 

"There’s no point designing a plant room if the maintenance team can’t access it or work in it efficiently.  We have to be insistent at this stage of the project to bank that space. Otherwise, it becomes a headache for everyone later." – Gary Quinn

This approach has saved projects from becoming costly retrofits, take for example the 280,000 sq.ft. commercial redevelopment of the Irish Life HQ in Dublin, focusing on upgrading the 1970s campus to meet nZEB standards, A3 BER, and LEED/WELL Platinum certifications.

"That was a building that was designed in 1976. Slab-to-slab heights were lower. Air conditioning wasn’t even really a concept back then. Modern buildings give you a lot more space to work with. Working within older buildings means tighter constraints, so the systems have to be designed carefully to meet today’s standards. With ESG targets pushing more projects towards retaining existing buildings, you’re working within tighter constraints. That’s where careful design becomes critical on refurbishments." – Gary Quinn

Operational energy as the performance driver

Occupiers and developers now ask smarter questions about sustainability. They’re curious about the data; energy forecasts and operational transparency. Gary explains:

"Occupiers and developers are much more aware of ESG targets and decarbonisation now, which is a positive shift. But there’s also a growing awareness that not everything labelled ‘sustainable’ performs that way in practice. The real question is: how does the building actually perform day to day?"

The market keeps changing. Tenants may take a large floorplate today and want to split, sublet or expand tomorrow. Engineering systems need to accommodate that flexibility from the outset.

"Building in flexibility is so important because clients are asking all the time: we want to sublease this because we’re not sure what occupancy is going to look like." – Gary Quinn

Operational Energy Modelling (OEM) bridges the gap between design intent and real-world outcomes 

Unlike traditional assessments, OEM uses real-world data, energy bills, metering and occupancy patterns, to predict performance and give clients a dashboard for their building. 

If we get behind the wheel of our Audi again for a moment:

"Operational energy is like how you drive your car. We can give you a really efficient car, but if you’re taking it to a racetrack or just driving down to your daughter’s GAA match, you’re going to get very different results. OEM gives clients both the keys and the dashboard, insight into how the building is actually performing."

Integrating OEM into design decisions allows teams to: Test design-stage efficiency measures against real-world use and provides a five- to ten-year operational forecast for cost and sustainability.

On one luxury hotel project, OEM helped balance energy efficiency with guest comfort. By identifying system inefficiencies before installation, the project reduced running costs while maintaining premium operational quality.

By the time a project reaches the site, performance outcomes are largely locked in

BIM helps coordinate primary routes, catch clashes and ensure architects, structural engineers and M&E teams are aligned. Lessons from previous projects inform every design decision, reducing risk and cost downstream.

"At the start, space planning, plant location, and service sizing give the building the best chance to perform. If services are being forced into leftover space, the design hasn’t been resolved properly.." – Gary Quinn

Gary also emphasises the impact you can have when you appoint the right consultants at the right time:

"Some specialist inputs can come later, but others are needed much earlier because they influence plant space, supplies, spatial requirements, or key design decisions. If those people are brought in too late, the team is forced into reactive redesign. On one project, the client decided to pursue LEED certification two months before tender. That kind of late decision has a major knock-on effect across the whole design team. The design team has a responsibility to advise clients clearly on who needs to be involved, and when, to avoid rework and unnecessary cost." – Gary Quinn

Confidence from day one

For developers, architects and consultants, successful commercial office projects that shape Dublin, are now defined by fewer surprises, reduced risk, and reliable buildings that actually perform as intended – efficiently, reliably, and with the flexibility modern occupiers demand. Clients want buildings that can adapt to uncertain occupancy needs. A tenant may take 100,000 sq ft today, but they want the option to split space, sublet, or expand tomorrow. 

"If we didn't challenge those metrics, our design, to my point of being able to stand in front of our client and say that that design worked - we wouldn't be able to wholeheartedly stand up in front of our client." – Gary Quinn

If you’re retrofitting an office, designing a new campus, or managing complex systems like clean rooms or data centres, we recommend taking a look at the ‘OEM Cheat Sheet: A Smarter Path to Sustainable Energy Performance’ for extra practical guidance on how operational energy modelling (OEM) can support continuous improvement, far beyond what static energy ratings can offer. Download here.

About the author: 

Gary Quinn (Executive Director, Senior Mechanical Engineer, B.Eng (Hons), MIEI, CIBSE), has almost 20 years’ experience in mechanical engineering, specialising in technical due diligence, landlord negotiation and pre-acquisition analysis. He has designed and managed large-scale Grade A new-build, refurbishment and high-end commercial office fit-outs in Ireland, England, Poland, Italy and the Channel Islands, working to the highest engineering and sustainability standards.