Sustainability bar could be raised by Dublin docks scheme

Kennedy Wilson and Cain International  are to develop a 395,000 sq ft (36,700 sq m) office building at Coopers Cross, in Dublin’s North Docks, which the two property investment companies claim will be one of Ireland’s most sustainable commercial developments.

The scheme, which will be developed in a single phase with completion scheduled for 2023, will also provide the largest outdoor public park in the North Docks.

There will be two office blocks of 295,000 sq ft (27,400 sq m) and 100,000 sq ft (9,290 sq m) designed by architects Henry J Lyons. The buildings are to include retail and amenity uses, with up to seven storeys over basement level.

The project is targeting platinum level certifications, including LEED, WiredScore, SmartScore and WELL.

Smart building technology is to be used that will enable tenants to reduce their operational carbon and related costs. The buildings will include more than 700 cycling spaces and will have electric charging points both for e-bikes and cars.

One acre of landscaping and the largest outdoor public park in the North Docks will connect the commercial space with the Coopers Cross residential development, which has 472 new apartment units and amenities for residents. A stepped garden-level street between the two office buildings will create an amphitheatre-type space linking directly into restaurants, leisure amenities, exhibition and internal town hall space.

“The last year has seen an acceleration of trends which were already well underway in office delivery,” said Kennedy Wilson Europe’s head of Ireland Ali Rohan. “Offices are now being designed as amenity-rich, efficient, and flexible places where people look forward to working and socialising with colleagues.”

Author: