Great Expectations
Irish Examiner, Monday December 5th 2005

Prospect Hill on the main Finglas Road, with an overall value of €150 million, is one of the biggest new apartment developments on Dublin’s Northside.

Developers McCabe Builders and architects Anthony Reddy Associates came up with a distinctive and innovative design and build strategy which will see 500 uniquely conceived apartments constructed at Prospect Hill by the end of 2006.

John Crawford of architects Anthony Reddy Associates outlines the basic layout of the project: "There will be 10 blocks set in landscaped grounds. The highest will have eight storeys, and some will face onto the Finglas Road while others will look out onto Tolka Valley Road.”

“The site enjoys a prominent location along Finglas Road, one of the main transport links into Dublin City Centre. The layout takes the form of several gently curving buildings orientated around generously proportioned landscaped courtyards so as to maximise access to natural light.”

Internally Unique
But it is the internal layout of these apartments which makes them unique compared to other apartments in the city, according to John. In an innovative design approach that acknowledges the influence of the famous 20th century designer Le Corbusier, John and project director Ronan Smith adapted the modern duplex apartment in a ‘crossover’ type arrangement allowing living accommodation and sleeping accommodation to face in opposite directions.

“The result is that the majority of apartments within the development are dual aspect enabling them to enjoy light, views and open space.

Floor to ceiling glazed screens with sliding doors and timber louvers spanning the full width of apartments take full advantage of this ideal orientation.”

A landscaped strip several metres wide separates the apartments from the pedestrian footpath along the principal boundary of the development. The easily accessed courtyards are on several levels stepping up to a newly created civic square with access to retail units, doctor’s surgery and crèche.

Landscape architects Brady Shipman Martin have designed the landscaping including a water feature, high specification paving, timber decking and planting. Basement level car parking is provided below the stepped podiums giving access to the principal stair cores of each block.

Considered Response
The development has evolved after considered response to local variations, orientation, movement and site forces and will aspire to create a strong sense of place for residents within this quarter of Dublin.

“The articulation of the perimeter façade has been derived from consideration of the external conditions on Tolka Valley Road and Finglas Road and the resolution of the corner conditions, orientation and outlook. Both roads are busy thoroughfares and the façade has been treated as an architectural screen to the rest of the development.”

In contrast, the internal elevations of the development will open up the generously proportioned landscaped courtyards. This is designed to enliven the courtyard spaces acknowledging the nearby Tolka Valley Park, and help create a community space which bridges the public and private realms of residents.

Entrances to apartments from the Tolka Valley and Finglas Road side are discreetly separated from the public footpath by gentle ramps and steps set within the cartilage of the building.

This affords a dignified approach to the dwelling. Protected from the impact of traffic and weather, and also gives access to the courtyards beyond.

Scheme Statistics
The contract for the combined structural and architectural precast concrete scheme on this development covers a 30,000m² cross wall frame system with a total floor area of around 37,000m², 7,300m² of external party walls and 2,700 linear metres of balconies.

The external cladding includes 4,000m² of terracotta-faced panels featuring a blue/black coloured tile and 1,000m² of reconstructed Portland stone units.

An additional 2,300m² of Hardwall insulated sandwich panel cladding is also being used structurally on the gable ends, again featuring a combination of terracotta-faced and reconstructed stone external finishes with the inner faces acting in the same way as the cross wall panels. The party walls and balconies are both in a reconstructed Portland Stone finish to match cladding.

Contract Manager’s Verdict
As McCabes Builders’ Contracts Manager for the Finglas Development, Chris Timmins was ideally placed to offer a project management verdict on the efficacy of the pre-cast concrete strategy: “The block have both external and internal pre-cast skins giving a faster build and a higher quality finish. Pre-cast also can replicate a huge range of stone types.”

“Dimensionally, pre-cast is more predictable and provides a greater accuracy and reliability for fittings. For example, this allowed early ordering of windows (sourced in Sweden) for the project.” “The pre-cast solution also facilitates faster drying out times as we’re not waiting around for concrete to dry out.”

Faster Build
The project frames are constructed vertically and horizontally to provide the skeletal frame of the block with the internal wall work “chasing” the frames: “An eight storey block can be completed in a sixteen week schedule and the external cladding can be finished in ten.”

It only takes eight men to erect the structures for each clock, although there are obviously still large numbers employed on other trades. ”One of the great joys of this method is that there is no requirement for scaffolding.

In addition by the time the following trades are on-site they have no exposed work at eights. This has a phenomenal impact with regard to on-site safety.”