We are thrilled to be a finalist in multiple categories for the Irish Construction Excellence Awards 2019. 

The winners will be revealed at the Gala Awards event in the Round Room at the Mansion House on March 29th. Being shortlisted in such prestigious categories reflects the great teamwork within our own Project Teams and the strong collaborative relationships with our Clients and Design Teams so let’s hope we go on to win on the night. Read more about our six shortlisted projects.

Kevin Street Garda Headquarters, Dublin

Category: Public or Heritage Building
Client: OPW
Lead Architect: OPW, Ciaran O’Connor
Contract Value: €28.3 million

Kevin Street Garda Station, Dublin is the Divisional Headquarters for the south inner city and was designed by the OPW as a civic quality building responding to the specific site context and its historic surroundings. The new building extends to 6,840m² of office space with a 5,400m² double basement and is an impressively engineered concrete framed structure, which cantilevers over Bride Street and has a 6-storey steel frame glazed internal atrium. The finished building occupies the full footprint of the site on a busy city centre junction. Benefiting hugely from a close collaboration with Contractor and Client the final result provides a great example of cutting-edge architecture, engineering design and construction excellence which is a great addition to the south inner city. The contrast couldn’t be greater between the old station and the new Garda facility, truly a building for the 21st century.

Thomas Burgh House

Category: Commercial Under €10m
Client:  St Luke’s Partnership
Lead Architect: DTA Architects with Carrig Conservation
Contract Value: €3.25 million

In November 2017, JJ Rhatigan completed a €3.25 million 13-month restoration and repurposing of a 17th century Huguenot Church, St Luke’s, on Newmarket Square, Dublin 8. The building has been transformed into a three-storey modern state of the art office, with two floors suspended from the roof. The most exciting and unique feature of this project was the suspended structure, where the first and second floors were fully suspended from the roof truss structure. This was achieved by using an elaborate Macalloy type hanging system.

An important element of the brief on this project was that the Development had to be completed in accordance with St. Luke’s Conservation Plan prepared for Dublin City Council by Shaffrey Associates Architects. According to the document “The Conservation Plan is a process that seeks to guide the future development of a place through an understanding of its significance”. JJ Rhatigan’s dedicated specialist project team certainly did understand the significance of the task at hand and rose to the challenge of delivering on the key objectives underpinning the Conservation Plan. The new development more than accommodates each of these objectives exceeding the expectations of both St Lukes’ Partnership and Dublin City Council.

Callis Yard Woolwich

Category: International
Client: Urbanwise
Lead Architect: KDS Associates
Contract Value: £35 million

JJ Rhatigan is proud to have successfully delivered Callis Yard, Woolwich for its client, Urbanwise and ‘Optivo’ Housing Association. The project benefited hugely from close collaboration with the client and the final result provides a great example of contemporary architecture and construction excellence. When JJR were awarded the Callis Yard contract in 2016, the Woolwich area was at the front end of a full regeneration with a new Crossline and a plan redefining its future and embracing its past. JJR feel that it played an important role in this great, future-changing plan because Callis Yard is a location for those that embrace variety, a new community that combines engaging heritage buildings with distinctive contemporary architecture. The bright and light residential apartments and the heritage listed stables conversion creates a vibrant, new and contemporary community in the capital close to the Thames. Many apartments have spectacular views across London and the mixed-tenure provides a unique, quality affordable housing offering.

Clifden Community School, Galway

Category: Education
Client: Department of Education and Science
Lead Architect: deBlacam & Meaghers
Contract Value: €7.9 million

JJ Rhatigan, one of Ireland’s leading construction companies, is proud to have successfully delivered Clifden Community School for its client, the Department of Education and Science. Located in a spectacular semi-rural setting, Clifden Community School caters for 425 pupils and 38 staff. It was built in front of the existing live school which first opened its doors in 1979. As the site was located near an area of special conservation, JJ Rhatigan had to ensure that no contamination or pollution with the flora and fauna happened. A Preliminary construction management plan was therefore set out.

The most distinguishing feature of the project was the amphitheatre. The amphitheatre is a stepped grassy mound that was conceived as an outdoor teaching space. It takes advantage of the scenic views and opens up to the visitors approaching from Roundstone and Clifden. This new building provides a very comfortable student experience for all pupils and staff in the building and will be enjoyed by generations of students to come.

Waterford Primary Care Centre

Category: Healthcare
Client: Heath Service Executive (HSE)
Lead Architect: Avanti Architects
Contract Value: €14.5 million

The Primary Care Centre bundle is a high-profile project for our client the Heath Service Executive (HSE) with sites spread across Ireland. 14 primary care centres (PCCs) were delivered as part of this Project nationwide, of which Waterford PCC is one of the largest. This project bundle was delivered for the HSE in association with the National Development Finance Agency (NDFA) as a Public Private Partnership (PPP). Such PPP enables the use of third-party capital to provide the funding for the development, an innovative method of delivering high quality primary care services under the one roof to these communities.
One of the main challenges and also a distinguishing success on the project was JJ Rhatigan management of the design process and the construction stages of both a Public Private Partnerships (PPP) and a Design & Build Contract.

The Waterford Primary Care Centre Project consisted of the construction of a part 2 storey / part 3 storey healthcare facility (4700m2) situated on the grounds of the existing St Otteran’s Hospital, a live healthcare campus, in Waterford City. The development included a Grade A specification fit-out to facilitate a Physio Department, Dental Department, GP Department including X-ray facilities, Occupational therapy, Speech & Language, Mental health Department and early intervention.

Goldcrest Village Student Accommodation

Category: Commercial Over €10m
Client: National University of Ireland Galway
Lead Architect: Coady Partnership Architects
Contract Value: €26.2 million

JJ Rhatigan successfully delivered Goldcrest Village Student Accommodation for its client, the National University of Ireland, Galway. One of the largest Capital Projects delivered on the NUIG campus and indeed recently in Galway City, Goldcrest Village, comprises of 429 en-suite bedrooms set in a mixture of seventy-six 4/5/6-bedroom apartment units across four separate linear blocks. JJ Rhatigan put forward a proposal to redesign the main structural frame for all four blocks changing from a traditional concrete block, steel and concrete frame to a complete precast concrete solution. This change, along with en-suite bathroom pods enabled us to provide improved programme certainty to the Client and a more efficient build overall.

A variety of digital tools and technologies were used on the project, including ‘Autodesk BIM 360’ suite, Biometric Security Turnstile System and Robotic Total Stations. The project benefited hugely from close contractor collaboration with the University and was completed for the start of the 2018 academic year which was critical to ensure the provision of much needed housing for the University’s student body.