Projects Archive - Page 2 of 5 - Altu Architects Brochure

The brief for Zurich House was to remodel an early 1980’s office building to create a modern efficient office floor plates generating a contemporary corporate headquarters facility. Following a detailed options analysis undertaken by ALTU, the most economically advantageous solution was deemed to consist of the demolition of the existing sub-optimal office space replacing it with a new larger structure which meets the brief requirements of the client and the needs of its Grade A tenants.

The vision for the design, was to provide a high quality architecturally designed office building, that meets modern workplace expectations, while being responsive to its location on Frascati Road. The building has two distinct forms to address the meeting point of two different distinct conditions, which is also echoed in the building’s material selection.

ALTU were engaged by Aviva (formerly Friends First) to undertake a strategic and multi-faceted redevelopment of their Blackrock Estate portfolio, which includes Blackrock Village Centre. The existing Village Centre was in decline suffering from degrading fabric, urban disconnection and a poor pedestrian experience. Through refurbishment and the creation of memorable architectural moment it has been given a new lease of life.

Inspired by the feeling of walking through a forest, a new glazed canopy with dappled natural light flooding through floats above the center, supported by slender structural trees creating a unique and playful experience. Open to air, the pedestrian connection to Blackrock Village is reinforced and strengthened.

The degrading external and internal façades have been upgraded to consolidate the re-generation of Blackrock Village Centre.

The works were carried out whilst the Centre remained open and tenants traded throughout the programme, which represented a unique and challenging constraint successfully managed by ALTU.

The objective of our Client, the Land Development Agency is to develop this vacant urban site to provide much needed Cost Rental and Social Homes to the Local Community.

ALTU Architects approach was to maximise the sustainable density while allowing high levels of daylight to individual apartments and shared amenity spaces.

ALTU’s design solution was to create 3 separate blocks from 3 storey to 8 storey, resulting in 146 Apartments over an undercroft parking level. The 2 larger blocks are designed at 12 to a core.

The development is being delivered to high sustainable energy design standards. The scheme was one of the first in Ireland to achieve Permission through the Section 179A Planning Route classed as exempt development.

ALTU were engaged to carry out a complex structure and fire remediation works of the existing fabric over live retail which included a full building refurbishment of 205 student beds and associated amenity space to bring to a fully compliant state.

This city centre redevelopment of a tired existing 1970s Office building included the retention and temporary support of a large extent of the existing concrete structure.

The redeveloped building has been designed by ALTU to recognise the responsibility between its immediate context and fulfilling its role to adhere to the principles of rhythm, tone, materials, plot width and height predominant on the Quays. A careful balanced approach to transparency and solid-to-void ratio has informed the design development to respect the principles above while optimising daylight and the incredible views available.

The facade has been designed to respect its prominent location and provide a considered well-mannered composition, sympathetic to the existing architectural diversity of the Liffey quays, while clearly a building of its time. The new composition is an elegant contemporary stone framed building with floor to ceiling glazing to the office floors. The stone articulates plot widths and provides strength to the parapet line and legibility to the ground level. Deep reveals to the stone frame provide solidity and integration to the façade.

The stone frame terminates at the fourth-floor parapet level allowing the two-tiered penthouse to be distinct as a lighter, more transparent element.

The Client aspiration for Belvoir was for a high quality, distinctively designed scheme of 55 no. generously sized, new build apartments. An additional 5 no. units were accommodated within the refurbishment of Kilmacud House.

A key feature of the brief was to sensitively address and incorporate Kilmacud House and its curtilage – an existing listed courtyard building and structure which represents a unique feature of this prominent site.

The design response for the proposed development consists of a site arrangement organized in two blocks, ranging in height from three to five storeys.

Together with the sensitive refurbishment and conversion of Kilmacud House, the overall scheme successfully provides the required accommodation of 55 no. BTR Apartments comprising 11 no. one bed, 34 no. two bed and 10 no. three bed units.

The development also includes provision of 82 no. car parking spaces across both basement and surface levels on the site.

The design proposal demonstrate best practice principles of sustainable urban development through the transformation of an existing on-grade District Centre car park into a residential community of high architectural quality in a well-connected & supported urban location. An unused grassland is also transformed a new high quality public park improving local connectivity, public communal amenity, bio- diversity, benefiting from passive surveillance and activity through the proposed residential scheme and improving the overall visual amenity of the area by softening the landscape. The mid rise scheme with a corner tower element establishes a density, scale & height appropriate to a District Centre location responding to the specific context of this site.

ALTU were engaged to design an innovative, urban scheme for Merrion Row – a mixed-use development on a constrained and sensitive site directly adjacent to St. Stephen’s Green.

The proposed development consists of restaurant/retail use at ground floor, with twenty four apartment units accommodated on the upper floors. The proposed scheme when delivered, will integrate appropriately with the nature of the surrounding urban fabric, which is characterised by a range of buildings of varying heights and scale, whilst introducing an element of high-quality modern architecture to this central location.

An innovative design approach was taken to maximise both density and height opportunity on corner site, addressing existing streetscape and roofscape.

Residence for a private client in South Dublin.

The concept design consists in a series of pavilions at the ground floor wrapping the existing house box and opening the plan out to the gardens. Vistas are created through the house to create connections between the different areas and a fully glazed double height space draws the eye up.

The feeling of permeability of the spaces is achieved through the full height glazing pavilions. This system allows natural light to flow deep into space creating different atmospheres based on the time of the day. Since the existing roof structure does not allow for use of the attic, the proposed replacement improves the family space and creates an additional a bedroom with a feature dormer. By using noble materials, the simplicity of the concept expresses a clean relation between form and function.