Client Vision.
AHR Architects carried out extensive international visits to institutions with similar facilities, to analyse how these could be integrated into a single arts faculty building. The resulting design supports the university’s desire for a building with strong civic presence maintaining community access to all public facilities. A thoughtful security strategy ensures people can enter the building and see learning activity around them whilst still retaining separation between students and the public.
Key Challenges.
The design team were based in many international locations and the project wanted to incorporate the ideas of the users contractors and sub contractors. Late design changes can be problem with lengthy lead times..
Overcoming the Challenges.
The methodology for the building by the design team and contractor Sisks was the use of BIM to create 3D models with the aim of improving the end product and efficiency whilst minimising data loss. The stakeholders, wider design team and students could experiment with the 3D environments in Virtual Reality changing material choices, location of objects and different structures all in-situ.This transparency, throughout the entire process, gave the stakeholders a chance to make more informed choices, minimising risk and benefiting all aspects of the project..
Products Supplied.
As well as external gates a number of custom designed internal security gates were in our brief. These were designed using heavy duty interwoven mesh in steel frames supported on posts and top beams these were finished in powder coated RAL 7016 whilst the mesh is in Anodic Gold to match the colour adopted in the overall building palette. The external gates both Swing and Automated Sliding have been left in a Galvanised finish, Maintenance Free but with a very attractive feature of weathering over time. They complement the original stonework of the walls to the road bisecting the Campus.
Positive Outcomes
The TU Grangegorman Campus with it integration of faculties has enhanced the future education outcomes for students by significant rationalisation of properties and the adoption of integrated learning and is an important community focus for the surrounding area.
