Think of Dublin airport and you’ll most likely picture the number of passengers who use it each year. Or the number of destinations it serves. In 2019, 32.9 million passengers travelled via Dublin airport to 190 destinations in 42 countries. While for obvious reasons 2020 and 2021 saw a decline in passenger numbers, Dublin Airport remains the fifth largest airport in Europe for flights to North America. What often gets overlooked (no pun intended!) are the people working behind the scenes at Dublin Airport and in the DAA Head Office.
These are the people who ensure that airlines make Dublin Airport their hub rather than choosing another airport. They support international businesses developing operations in Ireland as well as keeping things running smoothly at Dublin Airport.
DAA employs 4,000 people working in airport management and operation, retail management and aviation consultancy services in Ireland and internationally. When they decided to build new head office they wanted to make sure to reach sustainability targets in line with their strategy for the rest of Dublin Airport.
Soprema, along with contractors, Steward, and architects, Henry J Lyons played a key role in reaching the sustainability targets. The 8,000m2 building is LEED Platinum Certified and has an energy rating of A3.
LEED Certification
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building certification awards points for different sustainability factors in construction and over the building’s lifetime. Many of the multinational companies based in Ireland follow the LEED guidelines because they are more familiar with this U.S. based certification than with similar UK and European based sustainable construction models. When there is a focus on sustainability in construction, Bitumen White is often chosen to reduce the heat sink of buildings.
Buildings heat up during the day and cool down overnight. In densely built areas there can be a heat build up which makes it hotter than surrounding areas. Anyone who has been in London or New York at the height of summer will know how that feels! Bitumen White roofing reduces the amount of heat that buildings absorb and release, which makes it suitable for meeting LEED certification and other sustainable construction standards.
How construction at the airport compares with other projects
As with any enveloping contract, where the building is located, and unique aspects of the site are taken into account when planning. Factors like flammability, odours, and fumes of the primers were all considered. For construction on airport sites, and in environments like healthcare buildings, air intake and flammability are part of the decision process when advising our contractors on the most appropriate materials.
The roofing installation itself was straightforward, using a product that our contractors have used on other commercial projects. The Maldron Hotel on Kevin Street has the same material and it is often chosen for data centre projects which have to meet LEED certification.
The old Aer Lingus jingle comes to mind when I think about the DAA office, “look up it’s Aer Lingus.” With so many construction projects around Dublin using our solutions perhaps, it's time we had our own jingle for the 39 million passengers flying over Dublin each year, “look down, it’s Soprema!”