Introduction When designing and constructing multi-storey residential or commercial buildings, ground-floor retail units are sometimes an afterthought. This is predominantly due to uses of the upper floors taking precedence from a design, financial and size point of view e.g. residential and office space. Tenants will typically conduct feasibility reviews of several potential units at
Measured Building Surveys A measured building survey is an accurate representation of a building, detailing architectural elements and structural features. It is an essential part of the design and planning process, especially during a building renovation or restoration. During the design stage for some projects, architects may require more detailed drawings, depending on project needs:
With the pressing need to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy has become an increasingly important topic in recent years Renewable energy is energy that comes from sources or processes that are constantly replenished, such as wind, solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric power. These sources offer a sustainable alternative to finite and
The ‘Safety File’ for construction projects is also called many other things; e.g. handover file, operation & maintenance manuals, health & safety file. These files can also vary widely in terms of the contents. The Safety, Health & Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 set out the requirements for a Safety File to be prepared,
Fire stopping is a critical component of fire safety in any building. It is the process of sealing gaps and penetrations in fire-rated walls, floors and ceilings to prevent the spread of fire and smoke. If fire stops are not installed correctly, both fire and smoke can rapidly dominate a building, structurally damaging it and
Daragh O’Brien, The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage announced on the 18th of January 2023, that the government has approved drafting legislation to support the remediation of apartments and duplexes affected by Fire Safety issues to the overall value of circa €1.5bn – €2.5bn. In light of this, ORS has established a dedicated
The Project Scope The project scope is a core part of project planning, and it is the base to achieve the overall project’s success by determining and documenting a list of specific project goals, deliverables, tasks, costs and deadlines. It explains the boundaries of the project, establishes responsibilities for each team member and sets up
The Property Registration Authority (PRA) issued updated mapping guidelines on July 01st, 2021. The updated guidelines were focused on clearing up any grey areas for multi-storey mapping (MSB mapping). Having clearer guides on the requirements benefits all stakeholders but, with fewer mapping queries, this generally allows for a speedier turnaround for both professionals preparing maps
BIM or Building Information Modelling, is a process for creating and managing information on a construction project across the project’s lifecycle and is central to the digitisation of the construction industry. Government policy has long been one of the leading drivers for BIM implementation in Ireland with stated objectives including the following. Cost certainty at