Case Studies

Center Parcs

TEAM

ORS Multidisciplinary Team

Sector

Related Services

Project Management, Design Certifier, Assigned Certifier Services, PSDP, Resident Engineering, Energy Management, Fire Safety and Disability Access Consultancy

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Overview of service

Center Parcs is the most significant single investment in Irish tourism, and during construction and opening, it employed almost 2,000 people.

With its new road infrastructure, the development sits on over 400 acres of rich forest land in Ballymahon, Co. Longford. The world-class development consists of residential accommodation of 470 individual 2, 3 and 4 bedrooms lodges, 30 apartments in estate-type parks, all carefully designed to facilitate family holidays.

Leisure facilities include The Aqua Spa, the largest spa in Ireland, the 22,00 sq m central dome housing the sub-tropical swimming paradise, and sports facilities. The commercial and retail buildings, varying in size and complexity, include several restaurants, bars, cafes, and gift shops. Since opening, Center Parcs has welcomed over 1 million visitors and has plans for further expansion.

Working on this project is one of ORS’s proudest achievements. The firm was appointed to provide multidisciplinary services from the early design stages through to project completion. As the largest Irish consultancy service provider, ORS was involved in creating this high-level development. It is an excellent example of how the firm delivers complex multidisciplinary solutions by taking an efficient and simple approach for the client. This involves appointing a project coordinator as a single point of contact for the client.

Project challenges

Complex Compliance

There was a challenge in achieving Part L compliance/nZEB in some buildings. This was led by ambitious standards of Part L requirements for the lodge buildings, particularly being required to meet a B1/A3 for domestic accommodation. In addition, across the development, there was extensive use of modern prefabricated, modular, and composite construction elements. This required significant coordination from the project team to ensure appropriate Part L/nZEB compliance and BER certification was produced at completion.

As a solution, the ORS Energy Management Team adopted a holistic approach to the compliance of the entire development. We introduced additional renewables and mechanical systems to enhance the facility’s overall efficiency and offset some of the dwellings. With constant communications with the building control authority, ORS achieved compliance, satisfying the local authority building control department.

As PSDP, the ORS team had significant input into the project’s safety management and coordination. ORS set up and delivered a comprehensive safety file for the entire site, which was accessed remotely and in real-time by all stakeholders and expanded upon for future phases.

Innovative approach and time saving

The ORS Assigned Certifier team developed a unique B(C)AR strategy for the client that resulted in a reduction of 11 months to the completion time of the village centre. The strategy was agreed upon through considered communication with the local Building Control. It allowed the eighteen-metre below-ground structural works to be carried out in advance of the fire safety certificate. This innovative and collaborative approach supported the client in achieving a timely licensing approval for the development. The ORS assigned certifier and fire safety experts worked seamlessly to implement this innovative approach for the client.

Stakeholder engagement

This substantial project involved many stakeholders and was carried out in multiple phases. ORS managed the successful completion of the project through consistent and open communication and engagement. It held regular meetings and updates with the relevant regulatory bodies and the various contractors responsible for each area of work. The team worked closely with the client, designers, and the main contractor on site to ensure full compliance with the Building Control Regulations. ORS coordinated benchmarking of of the project, leading to higher-quality outputs and greater consistency. This allowed for a streamlined approach to the commencement and construction stages of the project.