Jul 18, 20223 min read

Residential Construction in Dublin: Sustainability, Meeting the Needs of the Industry and More

Recently, Resibuild hosted an event for the residential construction sector at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. The event brought together architects, cost consultants, developers, assigned certifiers and more who talked about the future of the industry and the most exciting innovations in the sector. We hosted two panel discussions during the event, the first on ‘Construction’s Carbon Footprint’ and the second on ‘Bringing Construction Up to Dublin’s Needs’. Here are some of the key takeaways from the panel discussions:

Circular Approach

In order to transition towards net zero, construction companies need to move away from the traditional. Just because those processes have been the norm in the past doesn’t mean they work in the current scenario. The shift needs to happen towards a circular approach in the industry so that materials can be reused where possible in order to reduce waste and make the industry more sustainable.

Designing for Sustainability

Companies getting more circular in their thinking needs to happen right from the design stage. The architect for the building should plan the design based on the leftover materials from previous jobs and any other materials that can be reused. This is essential to bring about the necessary shift in the industry. Reusing should be the first consideration, not an afterthought.

Building for Reuse

Another mindset within the circular approach that architects need to adopt is building for reuse. While designing the building, they must take the future into consideration and think of ways to create structures that are easy to dismantle so that parts can be reused for future construction.

Modern Methods of Construction for Sustainability and Meeting the Needs of the Industry in Dublin

Modern methods of construction (MMC) are an important aspect in this move towards sustainability. As these are manufactured in factory-controlled environments, they tend to be more sustainable. Such methods also make it possible to reduce waste while increasing quality and efficiency in the industry.

Additionally, given the pace of the residential construction industry in Dublin, MMC can be extremely valuable as they can help increase the output and overall quality of construction. Adding these alternative methods of construction to the mix allows a more significant increase in volume and the prices and time on site can be reduced. There is also the potential for MMC to help the industry deal with issues such as inflation, rising labour costs and skill shortages.

Providing the Residential Construction Sector with Stability and Certainty

Two of the biggest needs of the residential construction sector in Dublin are stability and certainty; the past few years have not been able to offer either. One way to offer the industry a bit of stability and certainty so that it can face rising costs and labour shortages is to look at alternative methods of construction. These can, in many respects, provide a more solid base from which the industry can grow.

Sign Up and Watch the Panel Discussions on Demand

If you’re looking to learn more about the residential industry in Dublin and about the move towards net zero, make sure you sign up to watch the panel discussions on demand. The session covers panel discussions on the following topics:

Construction’s Carbon Impact with Ciaran O’Leary, Head of ESG at i3PT; Claire Callan, Smart Places Associate Director at WSP; Roldan Jacoby, Associate Director at Henry J Lyons; and Nick Haughton, Head of Marketing at Sapphire Balconies.
MyDek Presentation
Getting Balconies Right in Dublin with Sapphire Balconies
Bringing Construction Up to Dublin’s Needs with Ken Farnon, Director at Cooley Construction Services; Pat Kirwan, Head of MMC Delivery Constructions at C+W O’Brian; and Pierce Fahy, Associate and Senior Architectural Technologist at O’Mahony Pike Architects.