August | 2011 | Isabel Barros Architects

Archive for August 26, 2011

barros | August 26, 2011

Free Tickets for SelfBuild Extend & Renovate Show 2011

Update 11 Sept. 2013 – If you are looking for Free Tickets for 2013 SelfBuild & Improve Your Home Show please check our ‘Partners Offers’ on the right hand side column.

We have FREE tickets to give away for the Selfbuild Extend & Renovate Show in Dublin 9-11 Sept.

Just let us know you want one!

The SelfBuild Show will feature new products and technologies to enable and promote sustainable building practices throughout Ireland.

You can find out about the latest products and technologies that can help you with your project.

The Show will also include Free Seminars and Live Demonstrations.

Improve Your Home Zone

If you’re thinking about home improvements, from extensions and conversions to simply re-tiling the bathroom, then the Improve Your Home Zone is where to start. The Improve Your Home Zone will provide practical demonstrations on a range of popular topics: Flooring & Tiling, Extensions & Attic Conversions, Painting and Decorating, Insulating Your Home and Saving Energy.

Experts Advice Area

A separate area is provided with specialists in extensions, renovations and conversions as well as landscape architects and interior designers offering free information and advice.

Free Tickets

The Free Tickets value €20 each and admit 2 persons. Children under 16 Free.

Just let us know you want one and we will post it out to you.

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Category: Construction, General | Tags: exhibition, Free, tickets

barros | August 10, 2011

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Wexford County Council Headquarters

The new 11,500 sq.m. Wexford County Council Headquarters have been completed and all departments have been relocated.

The project was won in an international competition organised by the RIAI in 2006 and is the first building to complete since Lee’s practice Nord LLP was renamed Robin Lee Architecture in April 2011.

The building sits on a sloping site on the outer fringes of Wexford town, in South East Ireland, with fine views to the River Slaney Estuary and the Blackstairs Mountains. It brings together the services and departments of Wexford County Council that, until now, have been housed separately within the centre of the town.

Photo by Andrew Lee.

An outer layer of glass wraps around the blocks and acts as the outer skin of a double façade. This provides protection on an exposed site but also regulates the interior temperature through the control of air around the building; cooling the building in the summer and creating an insulating layer during the winter. See more photos here.

Photo by Andrew Lee.

Internally walls and floors are clad in Irish Blue Limestone, a material which is synonymous with the rich history of civic buildings in Ireland, creating a sculpted interior volume with a calm, refined atmosphere.

New Headquarters for Wexford County Council – Ground Floor Plan

The accommodation is laid out as a series of six discrete blocks; each block houses key services and individual departments. The blocks are gathered around a large central space, a ‘civic forum’, which gives access to all of the council facilities.

Materials:
– An outer skin of low iron glass structurally bonded to umber anodized aluminium framing
– Walls are clad internally and externally in 1.8m high slabs of Irish Blue Limestone on stone hanging system
– Public area floors are 1.2m square slabs of Irish Blue Limestone with underfloor heating
– Internal floors are Junkers European Oak
– Punched windows are Ipasol performance glass
– Vents are Silberstar semi-reflective performance glass
– Internal joinery work is European Oak – solid timber and veneered boards
– External terraces are limestone gravel and Irish Blue Limestone walls
– Hard landscaping is bespoke concrete paving with natural aggregates
– External timberwork is Siberian Larch

Sustainable features:
– Double façade for energy efficiency and environmental control
– Floor plates optimised for natural ventilation and natural lighting
– Exposed concrete slabs for thermal mass
– BMS for overall building control and energy efficiency
– Biomass boiler
– Evacuated solar tubes for water heating
– Grey water recycling
– Locally sourced materials including Irish Blue Limestone

Read previous posts here.

See more photos here and here.

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Category: Architecture | Tags: double façade, double skin, Wexford

barros | August 3, 2011

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Isabel’s Picks for August 2011

Isabel’s Picks for August 2011

MEET THE HEAT

A quest to find warm places

1. AIRTIGHT SPRAY FOAM INSULATION

Manufacturer: BASF

Product Name: Walltite

Price Range: n/a

Material: Polyurethane (PUR) foam.

Key Facts: Speedy insulation solution coupled with a thermal conductivity as low as 0.025W/mK. The continuous spray leaves a minimal amount of surface area without insulation resulting in an airtight building envelope of low permeability. The purple foam is fast to apply and quick to cure. By virtually eliminating air leakage, WALLTITE with its closed cell structure helps control the movement of vapour and moisture throughout the building, reducing the risk of condensation and mould.

Applications: WALLTITE is designed for internal roofs, walls and floors, but can also be applied to floors, soffits and, with the minimal change in formulation, can be used for cavity wall insulation and stabilisation, or insulation and weatherproofing of external roofs.

2. 90cm PYROLYTIC SELF CLEAN OVEN

Manufacturer: Fisher & Paykel

Model: OB90S9MEPX1

Price Range: n/a

Key Features: Width 90cm. Automatic cooking. Electronic clock. Pyrolytic self clean cycle. Rotisserie. Powerful grill. Illuminated Halos.

Available in Ireland from: Dominic Smith Electrical

3. CANDLE

Designer: Charlotte Prinsen / Ritzenhoff

Name: La Vela Big Candle

Price Range: €23

Key Features: The core gradually melts, while the mantle remains. As the candle burns down an outer rim of wax remains, which can be kindled back to life using tealights.

Available to Ireland from: Panik-Design

4. HAND DRYER

Manufacturer: Dyson Ltd

Product name: Dyson Airblade™

Price Range: n/a

Key Features: Uses up to 80% less energy than warm air hand dryers. 10 second dry time. Costs less to run. Touch-free infra-red activation.

Available in Ireland from: Dyson

5. SUNLOUNGER

Manufacturer: Alexander Rose

Name: Wave Sunlounger Without Hood

Collection: Ocean

Price Range: €449