York Street Social Housing Dublin : Architecture

York Street Social Housing, Dublin 2009 Seán Harrington Architects York Street, Dublin Client: Dublin City Council Completed Dec 2008 Working closely with Dublin City Council and the local community, Seán Harrington Architects have designed 66 apartments, a community centre and a retail unit in York Street in Dublin city centre, near St. Stephens Green. photos : Philip Lauterbach The new building re-establishes the former street line of both York Street and Mercer Street, re-introduces the pattern of mews dwellings and marks this important city corner with a distinctive and appropriate building. A shallow depth block is used where possible with apartments accessed from single staircase and lift cores. The duplex apartments above the communal facilities to Mercer Street are accessed from an open deck overlooking the communal courtyard to the rear. The mews dwellings to the Southern boundary of the site all have own door access. The architectural expression of the public faces of the building is a reflection of the construction system, the apartment typology, the different uses of communal circulation and private living and the application of rhythmical elements within a coherent composition on the two main facades with an elegant tower element where they meet at the corner. pictures : Sasfie Hope-Ross Based on ecological design principles, the building is designed to benefit from controlled passive solar gain using glazed winter gardens and solar thermal roof panels. It also has an energy-efficient communal heating system, high levels of insulation and sedum green roofs. Rainwater from the roofs is collected and stored to irrigate the garden and allotments, and to use for car washing. Great emphasis is placesd on communal facilities, such as community meeting rooms, a shared garden, a childrens play area, and recycling facilities including a communal waste composter. Most of the apartments are either dual or corner aspect with many having duel aspect living spaces. The apartments in the York Street block benefit from bay windows on the north facade that allow overlooking of the streets below and large sunny balconies to the south facade overlooking the communal courtyard. There are only five single aspect apartments in the whole scheme. Located in the east block each is planned around a sunny balcony overlooking the courtyard. There are a total of 17 three-bed, 29 two-bed and 20 one-bed homes using a large variety of different dwelling types. SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES - Orientation: the building is orientated to maximise solar gain, through glazed winter gardens. -Thermal insulation: high levels of insulation are used throughout the scheme, minimising heat loss,including timber frame dwellings insulated with sheep's wool. -Construction: pre-cast elements used for walls and floors - reduced waste/higher efficiency compared with in situ construction. -Waste management: recycling and composting is encouraged -Residents can separate their kitchen waste into paper, plastics and food in a special 3-chamber cupboard under the kitchen sink. There isa timber Waste Management Hut in the communal garden that houses an organic food composter where residents can bring their kitchen food waste. The composterprocesses cooked and raw food and plant waste, turning it into fully finished compost over a four to six week period.The compost can be used in the courtyard, the roof gardens or on individual balcony planters or pots. -Reclaimed materials: all the timber roofs have been constructed using reclaimed floor joists from the existing buildings on the site. - Energy from solar gain is maximised through orientation and glazed winter garden balconies, energy loss is minimised by smaller openings on north facing elevations. -Each block is supplied with heating and hot water provided by solar panels and a high efficiency districtgas boiler located in the plant room on the roof. Thermostat panels in each unit and thermostatic valves on every radiator allow for individual temperature control and energy billing. -Approx. 80-90% of the roofs are Green Sedum roofs. These are good for water attenuation and re-cycling, insulation and bio-diversity. Rainwater from these roofs is collected into water butts and used for for garden irrigation and car washing. - Natural lime render and mortar is used on the mews dwellings. - Use of high energy materials are minimized. For example Marmoleum Rubber floors are used in lieu of PVC, aluminium gutters and downpipes are used in lieu of pvc etc. - The development achieved an average A2/B1 BER (Building Energy Rating) well in excess of the requirements of the Building Regulations at the time of design. photos : Philip Lauterbach