Built in the early 1960s to provide drinking water and heating to 5,000 homes in Ballymun, The Boiler House was due to be demolished along with the surrounding apartment blocks. And while the apartment blocks are now a distant memory, the Boiler House has been repurposed as a community centre and workspace. With its distinctive red and white striped tower, it is a local landmark and an example of the possibilities of how sustainability and reuse can be applied in construction.
The Boiler House now houses an education centre, office space and eco store. It is also where the Rediscovery Centre and the National Centre for the Circular Economy in Ireland are located. Because of this, ABK architects wanted to ensure that the refurbishment was done as sustainably as possible by using the available structures, along with recyclable and recycled materials. Read on to find which sustainable solutions from Soprema were used in waterproofing and insulating the Boiler House.
Reuse and Recycle
Working on the Boiler House presented us with unexpected challenges. Unlike work on a brand new build where challenges can be predicted and mitigated against, in a refurbishment like this the true condition of the existing structures is hidden until work begins. This requires a more agile approach and the ability to redesign when needed. We weren’t sure what condition the roofing deck we would work with was in, or whether reusing it would be possible. Once the old roof was removed some additional design work was required to ensure that the existing aluminium deck could be used.
In keeping with the principles of a circular economy project, we used recyclable materials. Our TPO membrane was the perfect choice – at the end of its lifetime, it can be used to make many other things such as garden furniture. We put in a standard warm roof on a metal deck, with vapour insulation.
Soprema also supplied the external render system using Pavatex, wood fibre insulation boards made from waste wood shavings which can be recylced at the end of their service life. Making it the perfect choice to use for this project because of its sustainability qualities.
A 3D Textbook on Reuse
Ballymun’s Boiler House has been called a “3D textbook on reuse" by the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform. The businesses within the building are focused on reuse, repurposing and the circular economy. Everything from furniture to fashion, bicycles to household paint is recycled under its roof. The building itself lives up to those principles, it no longer serves its original purpose but has now found a new lease of life at the heart of the Ballymun community.