Sandyford Central
Sandyford Central is a high-density residential project comprising 564 apartments. These are distributed across six buildings strategically planned along high quality landscaping, creating pedestrian pathways that foster new urban connections.
Sandyford Central, with 366 units per hectare, is Ireland's most densely populated residential development. Situated in the evolving Sandyford Business District, it was once an industrial zone but is now a vibrant hub with 500 companies employing about 20,000 people. With convenient public transport, Sandyford Central promotes modern urban living through its focus on density and height.
The urban masterplan integrates the six building blocks into the urban fabric, addressing the incomplete Rockbrook development by elongating the building form to cover the truncated gables at its northeastern corner. This extension creates a contextual harmony between the existing and the new buildings, and is bookended by the landmark 17-storey tower in a dialogue with the unfinished Sentinel tower located at the far end of the pedestrian Boulevard.
The site layout aligns routes with desire lines to create a permeable interconnected series of pedestrian paths that are easy and logical to navigate around.
A linear water feature reinforces the main pedestrian axis while providing a buffer to the private open space associated with the ground floor homes. Public and communal open spaces are distributed across the scheme to offer distinct character areas and cater for residents of various age groups.
The building mass was informed by daylight studies to increase solar penetration and take advantage of the views whilst maximising the provision of dual aspect apartments. Highly efficient floor plans of up to 12 apartments per core, a compact footprint and the proposed height allowed us to reduce the site coverage to maximise the quantity and quality of communal and public open spaces.
The resident amenities are strategically split in two hubs, positioned at either end of the main pedestrian link to promote activity at ground floor, enhance passive surveillance and foster a sense of community. A “sky room” on level 17 offers spectacular views of the Dublin Bay to the East and South, and the Wicklow mountains to the West.
Sandyford Central is the result of a successful collaboration between Henry J Lyons and our client, design team and contractor to produce an exemplar residential development.
Henry J Lyons used BIM to its full potential throughout the design and delivery phases of Sandyford Central. We developed methodologies and processes to enhance efficiency and minimise errors in scheduling, notation, and assess building performance indicators.
BIM played a crucial role in incorporating a substantial amount of prefabrication such as a fully precast concrete frame, prefabricated balconies, and offsite-produced bathroom pods. This strategy significantly reduced construction timelines and financial impact, ultimately leading to the project's completion four months ahead of schedule.
