Alucraft innovative through sustainable building features

In a first for Ireland’s commercial real estate sector, Coopers Cross in the north docklands of Dublin is to make use of aluminium fins to reduce the need for heating and air conditioning in its office buildings.

The six-acre campus in the capital’s docklands is being jointly developed by Kennedy Wilson and Cain International, which have partnered with Alucraft to vertically mount 2,000 low-carbon fins on the facade of the office blocks within the scheme.

As well as adding an architectural element to the exterior of the buildings, the fins regulate solar gain and reduce the need for artificial cooling and heating, leading to lower operational carbon, which, the developers say, will result in energy savings for future occupiers at Coopers Cross.

The fins have been produced by Alucraft using low-carbon raw aluminium manufactured by Norwegian company Hydro. The aluminium is produced using electricity from renewable energy sources.

The sustainable manufacturing process reduces the embodied carbon generated by more than 75 per cent of standard equivalent products and will decrease the carbon footprint within Coopers Cross by an estimated 1.9 million kilograms of CO₂, which is equivalent to 2,365 flights from Dublin to New York, according to the developer.

Peter McKenna, head of development (Europe) at Kennedy Wilson said:

The architectural fins underscore our environmental commitment and will reduce the embodied carbon at Coopers Cross, setting a new standard for innovation in design and construction in Ireland

The Coopers Cross development, which has received a platinum Smart Score certification (the global standard for smart buildings), is targeting the highest sustainability credentials, including LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), WELL and BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology).

The scheme, which is to the rear of the existing Dublin Landings development on Mayor Street Upper, comprises an entire block within the Docklands Strategic Development Zone (SDZ). Upon completion it will comprise some 394,000sq ft of offices and retail space along with 471 residential units.

Pictured at Coopers Cross are: David Harrington, Contracts Manager at Alucraft; Grace Counihan, Associate at Henry J Lyons Architects; Shane Hall, Technical Director at Alucraft; Pat Tierney, Regional Director at Sisk; Peter McKenna, Head of Development at Kennedy Wilson, and Sean Stagg, Project Director at Sisk.

This article has also been published in The Irish Times here.

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