RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

NEW TECHNOLOGIES / SEMINARS & PRESENTATIONS

The National Building Agency promotes research and development undertaken by in-house multidisciplinary teams and by various staff members involved with research programmes in universities and other agencies.

Over the decades the National Building Agency has taken a pioneering role in the implementation of various housing intitiatives including urban regeneration, affordable housing and traveller accommodation. This along with the totality of the service offered by the Agency has served to deepen the knowledge base of the company.  This knowledge and experience is shared through presentations and seminars delivered by Agency staff, a sample of which is listed below.

Planning & Urban Design

Our Planning and Urban Design Section's research agenda is currently focused on Sustainability Appraisals, including Sustainability Toolkits for use in Local Area Plans, Development Plans and Masterplans.  Another key area is the development of 'sustainable urban design', to ensure issues such as climate change, energy efficiency and biodiversity are at the forefront of the future development of our towns and cities.  

Sustainable Technology

One of our recent projects incorporates an Evapotranspiration Sewage Treatment system. The National Building Agency in collaboration with Trinity College's Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering has proposed a pilot research project for the effluent treatment. The project has also been brought to the attention of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) who are actively encouraging research into the area of alternative effluent treatment system solutions.

Energy Efficiency

The National Building Agency’s Building Services section has been in place since 2005 to promote energy efficient design of the mechanical and electrical services within housing and other large buildings. All of our developments now have sustainable elements within the schemes.
 
One recent project, Tobar Naofa, Tralee has been very successful. This 42 unit residential scheme incorporates the use of a wood chip boiler district heating system. The National Building Agency are now working with Tralee Town Council on a six apartment extension to this scheme in which a range of new technologies are proposed including solar panels providing hot water, air tightness levels of 0.15ac/h, mechanical ventilation heat recovery, underfloor heating, central rainwater harvesting, photovoltaics providing a renewable electricity source, Smart metering and LED lighting.

Presentations & Seminars

The Agency is available to provide training courses, presentations and seminars to third level institutions, local authorities, and regional/national conferences. A list of recent presentations include:

  • Irish Planning Institute, Western Branch, 'Urban Design Issues in Irish Towns', 2009, (2 part presentation available for download - Part 1 - Urban Design Issues in Towns & Villages, Part 2 - Urban Design Issues in Medium Sized Towns.)
  • Tidy Towns National Conference, Westport, 2009 (Topic: ‘Engaging in Urban Design’)
  • The Urban Forum, 2008 – Urban Design in a Changing Environment’ CPD (Topic: 'The Design Charette and Team Working’
  • Public Capital Works Contracts - Design Side Training Seminar, 2009
  • Urban Renaissance Symposium, Brussels, 2006 (Topic: ‘The Remaking of our Towns’)
  • Building on the Past – Designing for the Future, Sept 2006, Co-hosted by the National Museum of Ireland and Mayo County Council (Topic: The future of the Irish Village – Planning, Design Guidance and Townscape Management)
  • The National Housing Conference (RIAI, DoEHLG, and The Housing Unit), Cork City, 2005 (Topic:  Urban Extensions: Masterplanning & Local Area Plans)

The Agency has also given presentations on planning and urban design to the students of both University College Dublin and Dublin Institute of Technology.