Client: DCC Energy
Architect: Reddy Architecture
M&E Consultant: Metec
Project Type: Tenant Fit Out
Location: Leopardstown, Dublin
Area: TBC
Project Value: Approx. €3.5m - confirm with Adrian
DCC Energy wanted to create a completely upgraded workplace for its Dublin team.
The existing building included areas that were dark, dated and heavily defined by concrete finishes and older building services. The objective was to create a brighter, more comfortable and contemporary working environment that would support staff returning to the office and provide a wider variety of spaces in which to work, meet and collaborate.
Built delivered a comprehensive refurbishment of the existing two-storey headquarters.
The project began with a full demolition and strip-out package, including the removal of existing partitions, glazed screens, ceilings, flooring and wall finishes.
The new fit out included partitions, ceilings, flooring, bespoke joinery, furniture, painting and decoration, kitchens, café spaces, meeting rooms and breakout areas with informal seating.
A new library and dedicated prayer room were also incorporated into the finished workspace.
External works included the refurbishment of the patio area, providing outdoor seating for staff, together with new handrails and associated finishes.
The project also incorporated a major mechanical and electrical upgrade. Existing radiators and older systems were removed and replaced with a modern heating and cooling solution, while a new air-handling unit was installed at roof level.
Structural steel works were required to support elements of the new installation, while the building's fire protection was extensively upgraded through new fire-rated doors and associated works.
DCC Energy's staff temporarily relocated while the refurbishment was carried out.
That created a clear programme constraint: the team had a fixed date by which they needed to return to the building.
As the project approached completion, furniture installation began approximately one week before Practical Completion in order to support that return date.
Built responded by carefully resequencing the final construction and snagging works around the furniture installation programme.
The early arrival of furniture introduced a second workstream into areas where Built was still completing final works.
The project team created defined working and exclusion zones, coordinated the movement of the furniture installers and maintained heavily protected routes through high-traffic areas.
Walkways and completed finishes remained protected while furniture was transported through the building using pallet trucks and other equipment.
Where the movement of furniture resulted in damage to completed finishes, the Built team coordinated the necessary making-good works as part of the final completion process.
This allowed the client's furniture installation and Built's remaining works to progress in parallel without putting the return date at risk.
Quality control was embedded throughout the project rather than being left until the final snagging stage.
Built carried out quality inspections from the beginning of the works through to completion, including formal void-closure procedures before walls, ceilings and other enclosed areas were permanently closed.
Relevant stakeholders and trades were required to sign off their work before an area could be closed, helping to identify issues early and reduce the likelihood of completed works needing to be reopened.
Detailed photographic records were also maintained throughout the project, providing a clear record of the condition and progress of individual areas.
During the final stages, close coordination between Built, DCC Energy, the furniture installation team and the removals contractor allowed the different workstreams to be sequenced around one another and the project to progress towards handover.
The completed refurbishment transformed DCC Energy's existing headquarters into a brighter, more contemporary workplace with a significantly improved range of facilities for staff.
The finished space includes new meeting and breakout areas, kitchens and café spaces, informal work settings, a library, prayer room and upgraded outdoor space, supported by modernised mechanical and electrical systems.
DCC Energy's staff returned to the upgraded building and the client has since continued its relationship with Built, engaging the team to carry out additional works.
