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Behind the scenes at the prestigious ESB project

Behind the scenes at ESB

Brandon Panther, Specification Manager at KCC Group and Eric De Vos, Contracts Director for KCC Group take you behind the scenes of one the biggest projects KCC Group have recently completed – the redevelopment of the ESB headquarters in Central Dublin, Fitzwilliam Street.

Many in the architecture and design world, particularly in Ireland, eagerly followed progress on the restoration and redevelopment of the former ESB buildings on Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin. The extensive project involved the retention and refurbishment of a number of protected Georgian structures and the construction of a new seven-storey office block designed by prestigious Architecture firms Grafton Architects & O’Mahony Pike Architects.

Site works for “Project Fitzwilliam” as it was titled by ESB, began in 2017 following a design competition for the prestigious building. The new 45,000 sqm development was designed to be a near zero energy-rated building and one of the most sustainable and efficient office developments in Dublin city. The project was carefully and respectfully designed in sympathy with the surrounding Georgian streetscape. We worked extremely closely with the design team and ESB to create a bespoke glazing solution for the main facade in tune with the original style and era of the city street and enabling the reinstatement of the traditional Georgian streetscape, creating the longest uninterrupted Georgian Streetscape in Europe.

The specification for the Fitzwilliam Street façade was extremely detailed and the design, development and approval process between the design team and KCC took approximately two years and included numerous collaborative workshops between all key stakeholders. In collaboration with the design team from Grafton Architects, KCC designed and developed a proposal for a completely bespoke, thermally-broken MHB steel window system with our partners in Holland.

Together with the design team from Grafton, PJ Hegarty, the ESB and MHB we designed and developed a window prototype, which was then tested and certified in order for us to implement it into the façade on the Fitzwilliam place elevation of the building.

This was also in conjunction with Buildings Design Associates, who were the main façade consultants on the project.

“Further to the façade element of the project, we worked closely with Walls Construction to provide internal lift lobby fire-rated screens, steel glazed doors with automation across the ground floor into the courtyard areas, bespoke pocket sliding doorsets for employee restrooms, concealed frame riser doorsets and all operating hardware across the whole project. Additionally, we were part of the refurbishment of a neighbouring Georgian building along Merrion Street, which was converted into luxury apartments, providing slim profile glazed steel doorsets, also from MHB.”

Reasons for appointing KCC Group.

“The reason we were appointed was that we were able to meet all the design criteria as set out by Grafton as well as the specification from the ESB.

Grafton had the aesthetic requirement of matching the Georgian streetscape along Fitzwilliam Place, and the ESB had various requirements in terms of thermal properties and acoustics for performance of the façade.

The intention was to create the most energy efficient commercial building in Ireland as a statement from ESB.

We put forward various proposals to them with test reports on the thermal capabilities and acoustic capabilities for example and after a number of trips to and from MHB with the team in ESB and Grafton Architects, we found a solution which ticked all of the boxes in terms of specification and in terms of what they needed.”

Bespoke solutions designed for the ESB.

“There wasn’t a system on the market that could actually meet the stringent requirements of this project and that was why Grafton were happy to work with KCC because we were able to come up with an entirely bespoke solution for what they wanted, unique to this project.

The main facade windows feature a one third, two third split with a step in, so it returns into the building by roughly about 250 millimetres. Every single element was so carefully considered and designed – even the vent system was a completely bespoke design, manufactured specifically for this project. In that flat horizontal return, there’s a vent that’s been built so that you can open manually, and that’s to allow air circulation. But the intention was that you can have that open even in inclement weather. So that you won’t have wind, rain or anything else coming through.”

“Although the building is managed by a building management system, they wanted to allow people to have the facility of being able to open the window next to their desk if they wanted the fresh air coming in.”

U-value performance requirements for the windows.

“In terms of U-value performances, they were looking for a U-value of 1.3. Our solution, because of what the acoustics dictated to us, came out at 1.1 of a U-value on the window, which for a window of that size is very good. So we exceeded their expectations, going beyond what was required in terms of U-value and for the acoustics as well.”

Acoustic performance requirements for the windows.

“We went down to 42 decibels. The initial requirement was 38 decibels. But because of the configuration of the window and the materials we used to make the window,  we had to up our spec and we actually, again, exceeded what the requirement was in terms of acoustics.”

Thermal performance & build-up considerations.

“We also had to consider the impact of thermal build-up if they were to put blinds on these windows, because of the thickness of the glass.

On a hot day in Dublin, you could have a build-up of up to 70 degrees through the build-up of the glass. We had to do numerous computer models of the different scenarios of if they were to use a white blind or a black blind or a silver blind. What would the implication be so that you wouldn’t have thermal stress cracks in the glass.”

The need for computer modelling and stress testing.

“The other thing to consider was the fact that the sight lines on MHB are so small. You’re talking 12 millimetres on the bead, on the glass, and then six millimetres for the profile.

Overall, 15 millimetre of a sight line holding a piece of glass that’s almost three metres tall. So we had to do all the stress tests on that as well.

We did numerous computer models, testing, wind resistance, wind loading, crowd loading. We had to literally start from scratch and design it completely bespoke to meet the requirement.”

The design & development phase.

“You’re looking at a year and about four months of design and development; modelling, computer modelling. And then review, which involved going over to the Netherlands on five separate occasions with the clients, with the main contractor and with the consultants.

The ESB had appointed Buro Happold who are London based, façade consultant firm to oversee the process. And they would’ve also been involved with us in the initial design meetings and everything. We spent a lot of time collaboratively designing and developing the solutions.”

Manufacturing & installation process.

“What we did in order to guarantee the integrity of the windows was to have them pre-glazed in Holland. We changed the design so that we had a system whereby we could essentially have this unitized.

We fitted bespoke mounting brackets into the concrete facade to affix the windows into position on the building.

Each window had to be craned in and then bolted to the façade and then completed with waterproofing and insulation around each of the windows. PJ Hegarty were then able to do all of the brick work up to the windows.”

More than half a million bricks in the façade.

“One of the issues on the job was how specific the brick coursing was, and we were literally working to the millimetre in terms of setup.

So we were working onto a raw concrete face, setting up the windows and the brick layers were coming afterwards with bespoke bricks that were made in Germany for the project.

So we couldn’t deviate off the set because the brick coursing wouldn’t have worked – The arches above the windows and other key design features wouldn’t have worked out.

There’s more than half a million bricks in that facade.

Between the brick and the MHB profile itself, we utilised a recessed mastic joint with a contraband layer behind that.

Now complete, that façade is now the longest continuous Georgian façade in Europe.”

The finish on the windows and doors.

“With MHB windows, all profile coating is done in-house at MHB’s production facility which, from a quality point of view helps to guarantee the ISO standard.

They would work on the steel window with a zinc primer – the first two layers are zinc primer, and then powder coated afterwards.

The finish we used on ESB was actually a textured finish, a light metallic, textured finish.

So there’s a slight sparkle in it, and a rough textured finish which was one of the Grafton’s requirements. They didn’t want a smooth gloss finish or a matt finish – they were very specific about wanting a textured finish.

On with the external glazed steel doors that we did on the ground floor and manufactured ourselves from the Janisol system, we actually ordered the exact same powder that was used to spray the MHB windows in order to ensure that we had the same quality and the same colour finish across the entire exterior envelope of the building.”

KCC Group doors manufactured in-house.

“The automated Janisol doors were manufactured in KCC in our production facility.  Originally the intention was to use aluminium doors, but because of the height of the doors, it wasn’t possible to do it in aluminium and certify it. So again, we came up with a bespoke solution.

These doors can be over three metres high in the Janisol system, which is thermally broken in steel, and can still be certified for weatherproofing and from a security point of view.

There’s also three bespoke doors in the façade, which are clad with a bronze sheet. They have arched tops, like the classic Georgian doorways. And these we designed as well, completely from scratch.

For these we used a combination and integration of two different Janisol systems. The arch above the door is a very slimline Janisol profile, and the doors are made out of the Janisol door profiles.”

“Once they were done, a subcontractor called Bushy Park, who are engineering metal specialists, came in and clad the doors for the ral sheet. And the idea is that they will weather with time and they’ll get the pattern.

Working with Grafton on that, the idea was to match the MHB windows as closely as possible, but not an exact copy because it wasn’t MHB. So we had to find a middle line between MHB and Janisol in order to, to have the framing of the window look the same, but essentially the inside of the window slightly different.

Those exterior arch doors also have a five millimetre thick bronze plate. Once again, with computer modelling and with working out the weights and everything like that, we were able to specify exactly what was required in terms of the number of hinges, in terms of the hinge type and for the function of the door and everything was- modelled, engineered, to make sure that we wouldn’t have an issue. And today they’re in and there’s no problem there.”

Residential apartments on Merrion Street.

“What they had on Merrion Street was existing Georgian apartments that were to be renovated and sold as luxurious residential properties. These were being designed by conservation experts, Shaffrey Architects.

There are eight apartments in all, and because they exceed three floors, there was a requirement for fire-rated screens.

So again we used MHB for their slim steel profiles and classic aesthetic, and fire-rating capabilities. With the MHB system we can go up to EI60, integrity and insulation 60 minute, in addition to EI 30.

Two apartments would be sharing a common stairwell, and the compartment from the stairwell to the apartment had to be fire-rated.”

“So we created doors and screens that were fire-rated to comply with the fire certs that were required while utilizing the MHB slim profile. But if you looked at it, you wouldn’t know it as fire-rated, it’s still beautifully slim and aesthetically pleasing and they’re all completely bespoke, single glazed units internally.

On the apartments, each individual MHB unit had to be measured and manufactured for the specific opening because of the fact that it was a pre-existing Georgian building and therefore each opening would not necessarily be the same dimensions. This was running at the same time as the façade was being installed because that was part of the overall project.”

Requirements for the Building interior.

“Let’s talk about the interior of the building and what we manufactured and installed in that section of the building.”

“Well, based on the fire strategy of the building, there was a requirement for the lift lobby to be completely fire-rated all the way around, from the stairwell to the office plate or the office floor.

So sitting down once again with Grafton Architects and PJ Hegarty, we came up with a solution of using the curtain walling system, which is essentially a fire-rated steel curtain walling system.

There was a requirement for a 90 minute fire-rating, which is a high specification by normal standards. This meant that we would have to use fairly substantial pieces of glass in order to achieve a 90 minute protection.

That’s sort of dictated to us that we had to use the Viss system. And that was with integrity and insulation.

The doors as well from the lobbies onto the office space were all required to have access control and to be automated also. So that was all integrated into the certification of the screens.

Once again, design process wise, we had to go through all of the certification with MSA, who are the fire consultants and there was a bit of tweaking to be done to it because with the fire control system in the building, there were various pressures involved with the ventilation system.

So we had to make sure that our closers, our automation on the door would comply with that. So on alarm, certain doors would close, certain doors would have to become escape doors. So there was a bit of planning involved in terms of exactly which units had the correct system in place to comply with the fire strategy.

Once again, we utilised the Viss system and all the doors were manufactured here in our production facility.

And all of the automation were fitted by our automatics department. Our contracts department managed the installation and sign off of all screens on site also.

We did the preparation work for the automatics upon installing the doors and then our specialist automation engineers would come in and link up all the automation and access control elements, working closely with other subcontractors on the site like Design Group who were doing all of the wiring.

We also supplied all of the ironmongery into the project.”

Project scheduling solutions.

“It was just a matter of control and precise project management, making sure that whatever we were issuing from a fire-rated point of view was the correct specification, ie. compliant with all of its test data and test certifications.

PJ Hegarty issued us the schedule of ironmongery, and we went through that with a fine tooth comb to make sure that there was nothing overlooked and to make sure that whatever they had requested was actually in compliance with the fire cert. We also provided some final ironmongery on the Georgian apartments as well.”

The biggest challenges on the project.

“The biggest challenge of the ESB project was coordinating the design process between all the different teams, and that’s why that took 14 months!

It was ESB themselves as the client; You also had Buro Happold who were the specifiers on the project. You had PJ Hegarty who had employed BDA as their consultants on the project. And then there was ourselves and MHB. So you had six parties involved essentially.

Each one of those also had branches going off so for example, MHB had Peutz who did the acoustic testing. They do their testing in-house, but that’s certified. They have a third party who comes in to oversee the process.

For the weather-testing and the impact-testing we had consultant engineers working with us and we worked closely with the likes of Yelty to specify fixings.

So there were so many people involved in the process and I would say that would’ve been one of the biggest challenges. Just from a technical point of view, sort of keeping up the momentum in order that you didn’t reach a point where you couldn’t progress further.

Even trying to get all those people to land in Schiphol airport in Amsterdam at the same time, on the same day was a challenge.

You’ve got people coming in from the London, you had architects from Grafton who were looking at bricks in Germany and had to coordinate flights and that was a real headache!

Ultimately it was that moment where that first window went in and you had an entire committee of people standing there watching. That was an interesting moment, but once we had one in, we knew that the other 117 were going to follow and it was going to work.

It was a big project and it was a challenging project, but one thing that we learned from it is that it was the right coordination and with the right people, pretty much anything’s possible!”

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