Dalguise

The Dalguise House Large Residential Development (LRD) scheme is one of the first schemes to be submitted for planning under the new LRD process, and also involved input to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIAR). The 491-unit scheme, centered around the historic Dalguise House (Protected Structure) in Monkstown, Co. Dublin, will predominantly be a Build-to-Rent scheme, with Part V provision to the front of the site. It was an extremely challenging site to achieve compliance with EN 17073 Daylight/Sunlight requirements whilst maintaining existing mature trees throughout the site, and Metec undertook the most challenging roles in this high density development – Daylight/Sunlight Assessment, Wind Microclimate Study, Building Lifecycle Assessment, Energy/Part L compliance, Site Lighting (Bat-sensitive) and Mechanical & Electrical Plant Space provision.

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Challenges

Achieving the Client’s requirement for compliance with EN 17073 calculation criteria for a minimum 96% of all Living/Kitchen/Dining and Bedrooms whilst maintaining all mature trees on this mature site was an incredible challenge for Metec and the Architect. We worked closely with the Architect, suggesting changes to layouts, depths of rooms and aperture sizing where required to achieve this challenging target. The EN 17073 method of assessment takes considerably more modelling than the original BRE 209 method, but Metec completed it within the tight planning timeframe.

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Successes

Metec’s report was peer-reviewed by the authors of EN 17073, who highly complimented our work, even suggesting that we had gone further in our modelling than they had intended when writing the Regulation, by accurately modelling every mature tree on the site. BRE typically ignore tree geometry in modelling, opting instead for an average tree cover, which is less accurate.

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Metec Solutions

Metec accurately modelled every mature tree on the site to give a level of accuracy in modelling than any scheme that had been modelled to date in this country. Due to the extra modelling required under EN 17073, Metec ran simulations concurrently on 5 separate modelling computers 24 hours per day.

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Electrical Services

Full Preliminary Design for General Electrical Services, Lighting, Emergency Lighting, Fire Alarm & Protective Services, Security, CCTV, Access Control, Fibre/Data, External Lighting (Ecologically-sensitive), Solar Photovoltaic, Backup Power and Electric Car Charging.

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Mechanical Services

Full Preliminary Design for Air-Source Heat Pumps (District Heating), Exhaust Air Heat Pumps, Water Services, Sprinkler Services, Ventilation Services, Heating/Cooling, Soils & Wastes and Incoming Utilities.

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