23-RMJM Architecture, planning and development News 110608

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Go Ahead Given for Major Engineering School in Ireland

Galway City Council has given the go ahead for the National University of Ireland (NUI), Galway’s new ¤60 million (£40.2 million) engineering school – the University’s largest capital development project to date. The building, designed by leading international architectural firm RMJM in partnership with local firm Taylor architects, will unite the University’s five engineering departments, which are currently located at 13 different sites across the campus and beyond. The new development will house undergraduate and postgraduate facilities for over 1,100 students and will include state-of-the-art engineering laboratories, research facilities, workshops, computer suites and lecture rooms.

The 14,200m2 new Engineering Building has been conceived as a pavilion in a park, referencing the University’s original 1845 quadrangle building. The zinc-clad development will respect is riverside setting and a number of measures have been taken to minimise the building’s carbon footprint. These include natural ventilation to much of the accommodation, a bio-diverse green roof over the central courtyard, the harvesting of rainwater for use within the building and a biomass boiler for energy generation.

It is expected that 40% of the School of Engineering will be funded by central government with additional significant funds contributed by private donors and the balance covered from the University’s own resources. The project is scheduled for completion in summer 2010.

RMJM Director in charge of the project, Adrian Boot commented:

“We are delighted to be designing and delivering a state-of-the-art facility for Ireland’s engineers of the future. The wonderful waterfront site on the Campus has been inspiring and we have created a stimulating learning and research environment which will add value to the School of Engineering's vision for the future. The RMJM team has spent a lot of time in Galway over the past years developing the design in detail – particularly the functionally diverse activities within the laboratories."

RMJM teamed up with Taylor Architects – a 30-strong, leading firm of architects and interior designers based in County Mayo - to win the commission in March 2005. The development was given the go-ahead in 2006, following an announcement by the Irish Government of a ¤1 billion investment programme for third-level institutions and is part of the NUI’s Campus of the Future programme.

It is RMJM’s second commission for the University in recent years. In 2004, RMJM and Taylor Architects were appointed to design a new ¤5 million cultural hub for the NUI, Galway, featuring a series of informal social and specialist arts spaces allowing greater flexibility and experimentation between a broad range of film, music, drama and other creative arts activities.

Email: d.hutchison@rmjm.com