York Street Multi Unit Development

Existing 5 storey 1970’s Dublin City Council   housing apartment complex. Brief was to deep energy retrofit to nZeb standard of energy efficiency.

Ian Black Architects design response was to create a more energy efficient & sustainable apartment complex, that had larger apartments (range 60-100sq.m) combined with larger private open space and storage for each apartment.

Mix of  1 bed, 2 bed, 2 bed  duplex, and 3 & 4 bed Penthouse duplexes.

Controlled access from street into a communal lobby with concierge located in new corner building at junction between each block – Each apartment has front door access from external covered walkways at each level served by lift access. Each block was bookended with new circulation towers containing escape stairs, lifts, refuse chutes, plant rooms, storage & bike parking.

Communal facilities included , café, crèche , neighbourhood retail unit , launderette & surgery , communal  residents garden ,children’s play area ,off street residents parking  , bicycle parking , on site recycling plant combined with Biomass boiler for heating .All roof spaces were  covered with PV panels combined with battery storage.

Balcony & walkway access deck structures are independent of the existing concrete framed building to reduce heat loss via linear thermal bridging. The new steel frame structure gives the existing buildings a new contemporary façade in addition to acting as ‘brises soleil’ for solar shading, combined with timber privacy screening.

Universal design & sustainable lifetime living principles were addressed – i.e., residents could live in different apartments in the complex during their lifetime, depending on health & mobility, family circumstances etc.

The project increased the energy performance requirement from existing average BER D2, to a 45kWh/m2a or Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) A2 rating.