UNIVERSITY HOUSING STUDY 

Feasibility  Study for the Adaptive Reuse of a 1970s Office Building as University Housing   for the Grangegorman Development Agency.

The  intention is to set a new standard in the sustainable reuse of  existing  buildings.  This is based on the careful  study of the existing conditions in order to make the best possible use of  everything that exists in the building. In this way the alterations required are minimised. The interventions  aim to achieve a comfortable indoor environment for the University Housing  through primarily spatial and architectural means, rather than through the  application of expensive and complex technologies.

The external  gallery provides a set-back of the façade that shades the south-facing  façade and prevents overheating in summer. It also reduces the width of the floor plate and enables cross  ventilation across the plan.  The high  summer sun does not reach the interior but the low winter sun can still enter  deep into the plan.  This negates the  need for mechanical cooling. Thethermal mass of the existing concrete structure is exploited to regulate the  indoor environment.  The exposed concrete  ceilings allow the slabs to store heat during the day and release it at  night.  This is aided by openable windows  in the new inner façade that provide night cooling to the rooms. The proposed clay-block partition walls are  used to provide additional thermal mass as well as to regulate the relative  humidity of the rooms.  The clay can  effectively store and release moisture to provide a natural form of  hygrothermal control.

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