The Cork Street development, located in the centre of Dublin, is the third student accommodation site constructed as part of a collaboration between Hines Ireland and Hines UK.
The new accommodation offers a range of ensuite rooms and numerous facilities, including contemporary study areas, onsite gym facilities, a cinema, communal areas, sociable outdoor space, and a rooftop terrace. Surrounded by local cafes, in a thriving community, the stylish development is an ideal student home. After starting the project in 2019, the team was forced to down tools during the Covid-19 lockdown when only work classed as being essential could continue. The Cork Street development, consisting of two new builds and delivered by Walls Construction and two separate architect firms, was therefore completed shortly after the lockdown in Ireland ended in 2020. The seven-storey buildings were constructed using a steel frame system (SFS) with cement board in-fill panels. This method of construction is becoming increasingly popular as most of the components can be fabricated off-site, helping to speed up the time on site and reducing the overall project timeline - a factor that was particularly critical for this project which faced such an unprecedented delay. The project’s architects, Henry J Lyons Architecture and Interiors, specified Saint- Gobain Weber’s webertherm XM External Wall Insulation (EWI) system to insulate the buildings and also to provide an attractive finish in keeping with the surrounding area. Having used Weber products on similar projects around Dublin, the team from Henry J Lyons were familiar with the webertherm XM system and worked with Weber’s technical team to ensure the final design would deliver the target U-value of 16 W/m2K. To achieve this, the webertherm XM system was built up by attaching 200mm thick webertherm MFD insulation board to the substrate, followed by weberend LAC rapid, a fast-drying adhesive render that helps to reduce setting time between the application of each layer of the EWI system. Weber’s standard meshcloth was applied on top and then another layer of weberend LAC rapid. The use of weberend LAC rapid removed the need to prime the render before finishing the whole building in webersil TF, a textured decorative finish in Chalk. The final U-value was on target at 16 W/m2K. Weber’s system - which has A2 fire classification, making it non-combustible - was used on both buildings in the Cork Street project and was installed by approved applicators Durkan ECOFix. The Weber team supported this project from specification and design through to application, visiting the site to complete weekly reports to ensure the webertherm XM system was being installed in line with best practice methods.
