This project involves the design of a major new manufacturing facility of approximately 18,650m² at the IDA Business & Technology Park, Waterford. The building comprises manufacturing and warehousing space alongside research and development facilities, offices, exhibition areas, and staff welfare amenities.
The proposed facility represents a substantial expansion to the existing park, and the building has been designed as a contemporary addition that integrates fully with its surroundings – functionally and aesthetically. Central to the design strategy is the movement of people, materials, and waste through and around the facility, ensuring that operational efficiency and human experience are considered together from the outset.
Sustainability is embedded throughout the design. The project is pursuing LEED certification from the USGBC, with building performance modelled using proprietary Building Energy Modelling software. In operation, a full BMS system will support facility management and monitor ongoing energy use. External amenities include e-car charging, car-pool spaces, and sheltered bicycle parking, while indoor water use reduction, recyclables storage, construction waste management, and the use of low-emitting materials have all been considered as part of a coherent sustainability strategy.
The public face of the building is marked by a new glazed entrance set within a hard and soft landscaped plaza. A bold oversailing canopy anchors the main entrance to the plaza via a concrete feature column – a design language echoed at the staff entrance at a more modest scale. The plaza is finished in high-quality paving and sandblasted concrete benches, providing gathering points for staff at breaks and shift changes. Hard landscaping gives way to a considered planting scheme that softens the building's edge and supports biodiversity on site.
Office accommodation is positioned along the south and west elevations to take full advantage of site orientation. Large areas of solar-shaded glazing maximise natural light and maintain a strong connection between office users and the external environment.
The exterior design celebrates the industrial character of the building while giving it a distinct identity of its own. Substantial areas of solar-screened glazing animate the south and west elevations, while a series of individual design elements across different planes break down the overall mass and scale – creating a building that reads as coherent and considered rather than simply large.
