Architect: van Dijk Architects
Client: Louth County Council
M&E Engineer: Semple & McKillop
Main Contractor: John Sisk & Son
Quantity Surveyor: McGahon Surveyors
Structural & Civil Engineer: Duffy Chartered Engineers
Land Surveyors: McDonald Surveys Ltd
Wind turbine: JA Graham
Insulation: Xtratherm, Bauder, Kingspan, Sheepwool Insulation
Green roof: Bauder
GGBS: Ecocem

Probably one of the best examples of a practical ‘green’ design, the Mid-Louth Civic Services Centre is proof that creativity doesn’t have to be sacrificed for a sustainable ethos

The Mid-Louth Civic Services Centre was designed by van Dijk Architects, a practice based in Dundalk, who painstakingly investigated every single component going into the project in an effort to specify the most sustainable option available.

Everything, from the foundations to the internal finishes and furniture got the green treatment. Any time a sustainable material wasn’t used, the reason came down to impracticality. The brief called for a building to house shared office and workshop facilities for Louth County Council and the OPW and a new District Court for Ardee. Louth County Council made the decision to house the three buildings in one, thereby cutting down on construction, mechanical and electrical services and reduced overall costs.

The brief also called for a “green” building but it’s not just the building’s sustainable elements that have turned the building into a focal point for the small community in Ardee. According to project architect Michael Martin the concept and design all came down to balance – a balance between the key aspects of the brief and building/community/end-user requirements.

Essentially the building is split into two parts, one part being the court and the other the shared offices. Both buildings are linked by a brick volume that houses the ancillary facilities of the two buildings.The hierarchical spaces of the courtroom and offices are expressed as zinc clad volumes connected to the brick spine.

The building needed a design that allowed it to become part of the urban fabric and local community in Ardee; it merges seamlessly into its context with the public park on one side and low rise residential and fire station buildings on the opposite side. It’s also user-friendly and easily accessible.

This article featured in the June edition of Plan Sustainabuild - Click Here For More Information