Services

  1. Architectural Design
  2. Passive House Design
  3. Planning Advice/Applications and Appeals
  4. Pre-Purchase Survey - Commercial/Residential House Reports
  5. Civil Engineering
  6. Structural Engineering
  7. Residential
  8. Commercial
  9. Health and Safety, PSDP
  10. Supervision of Construction Works
  11. Assigned Certifier for BC(A) R Regulations
  12. Legal Mapping, Litigation and Expert Witness Services
  13. Surveying and Setting Out
  14. Fire Safety Planning
  15. Subsidence and Insurance Claims
  16. Disability Access and Mobility

Architectural Design

With over 50 years’ experience in Architectural design we provide a complete design service from initial concept through to the final design. We provide practical professional advice and support to our clients throughout the design process and can produce 3d imaging if required.

We can provide full Architectural Design Services for the following

  • Domestic houses
  • Housing Estates
  • Extensions and Refurbishments
  • Commercial Developments
  • Mixed Use Developments
  • Project Management and Certification on Completion

3D Design

We offer a full 3D design service to aid in the visualisation of a project. It can be helpful to fully visualise a design at each stage of the process and it is also the best way for our client to convey their ideas to us. These 3D drawings are produced to scale and can be used for shadow and solar gain analysis to improve the efficiency of the design. These drawings can be expanded to include the whole site which will help in the landscape design of the project and will also give our client a more accurate picture of what the finished project will look like.

Passive House Design

We have considerable experience in passive and energy efficient house design and can provide a complete design service together with professional advice and support at all stages.

  • A Passive House can deliver up to approximately a 90% reduction in heating and cooling demand and up to a 75% reduction in overall primary energy demand when compared to standard building stock, and thus will become more mainstream in Ireland as energy costs continue to rise.
  • Green technology is constantly changing, evolving and becoming more cost effective.
  • We have designed energy efficient homes since 2007 and are constantly evolving with this technology to provide our clients with the most suitable and cost effective solution available to them.
  • We recognize that the future of housing lies in a achieving, low carbon, energy efficient and passive homes.
  • We are dedicated to constantly retraining and investing in the most up to date technology to provide a service to our clients which is both informative and technology based.

Planning Advice/Applications and Appeals

With over 50 years’ experience we can advise on all stages of the Planning Application procedure and prepare Planning Applications for a wide variety of project types to include:

  • Domestic houses
  • Housing estates
  • Extensions and Refurbishments
  • Commercial Developments
  • Mixed Use Developments

We are competent in all areas of An Bord Pleanála and Planning Legislation and can offer advice to our clients on any Planning issue.

  • We have considerable experience in preparing and submitting appeals An Bord Pleanála and can advise our clients in relation to any possibly contentious issues.
  • We will at all times endeavour to simplify even the most complicated legal issues to make them comprehendible to our clients and to assist them in providing a clear and uncomplicated route through all legal issues

Pre-Purchase Survey - Commercial/Residential House Reports

Pre-Purchase Survey

These Homebuyers surveys are generally carried out before a final decision is made on whether or not to purchase a property.

  • It alerts homebuyers to any potential hidden defects which may be present
  • It confirms all visible building defects on accessible surfaces.
  • A Pre-purchase survey or Homebuyers survey is advisable on both new build and second hand properties to ensure prospective buyers are provided with a schedule of any potential issues with the property.

House Extensions and Renovations

  • We offer a wide variety of services to include Architectural Design, Structural Design and Planning Permission advice.
  • We can provide design and certification for steel work to form the opening for a conservatory, extension or removal of a load bearing wall.
  • We can complete project management from conception to completion of one off houses

Attic Conversions

  • We specialise in both designing attic conversions and inspecting and specifying repairs to faulty installations
  • We can advise on the safety, environmental and structural design issues facing attic conversions.

Defect Analysis

We can advise you in situations where substandard workmanship or defective materials have been used on a project, for example in the following scenarios:

  • Work is ongoing, but you are not satisfied with it in some respect.
  • Work has stopped and the contractor has left – (for whatever reason) and you need a new contractor to finish the job/ completely re-do the work.
  • You wish to acquire a refund from a trade or company for work done/ half done, etc.
  • You are proceeding with a civil court case against a trade person or company (legal report).

Dilapidation Survey

A Dilapidation Survey is an inspection of an existing structural condition of the surrounding building before the commencement of a demolition, construction or development works to the site.

A dilapidation survey - report takes account of all prominent defects in the form of cracks, settlement, water seepage, corrosion or reinforcement, subsidence and other building defects will be recorded

Civil Engineering

We can provide the following services:

  • Percolation Test services
  • Site Characterisation Reports
  • Inspections and Reports on existing Treatment Systems and Percolation Areas
  • Design and detail of foul and surface water sewers
  • Design and detail of water mains

Structural Engineering

We offer Structural Engineering services for a wide range of projects to include

  • domestic
  • commercial
  • mixed-use and
  • highly complex projects which are at the cutting edge of structural engineering

Our services are far reaching and include design services for new-build works and refurbishment works, design & build Consultancy Services, due diligence checks on third party projects, Insurance claims and Expert Witness Services.

Residential

We provide an individualized service guiding our clients through all aspects of the project from inception to completion.

  • We work with you, making the complex process easy to understand and ensuring that your project runs smoothly. At the outset at consultation we discover what your needs and aspirations are for the property.
  • Based on our wealth of experience in this area we can immediately advise you on the feasibility of the intended design and whether or not same will be acceptable to the Local Authority involved.
  • We can provide visualization aids to help with spatial understanding of a design to include freehand sketching and 3D computer aided drawings.
  • When you are satisfied with the design we will prepare all necessary drawings and specifications for the project.
  • Following the issuing of the project for tender (if necessary) we will advise you on how to proceed and help select a contractor.
  • To help ensure that the project continues running smoothly we will arrange all contracts and supervise the project until completion, carrying out site inspections as appropriate and issuing certification as necessary.

Commercial

We provide a specialised service to advise our clients through all aspects of a commercial project from commencement to conclusion.

  • At initial consultation we ascertain what your requirements are for the building and will immediately advise on the viability of the suggested design at that stage taking into account the requirements and limitations set by the Local Authority involved.
  • We can provide visualization aids to help with spatial understanding of a design to include freehand sketching and 3D computer aided drawings.
  • When you are satisfied with the design we will prepare all necessary drawings and specifications for the project.
  • Following the issuing of the project for tender (if necessary) we will advise you on how to proceed and help select a contractor.
  • To help ensure that the project continues running smoothly we will arrange all contracts and supervise the project until completion, carrying out site inspections as appropriate and issuing certification as necessary.

Health and Safety, PSDP

We promote the principal of prevention and are competent in all areas of Health and Safety Legislation to include the following:

  • Safety Health & Welfare at Work Act 2005 ( No. 10 of 2005;
  • Safety Health & Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 504 of 2006),
  • Safety Health & Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 291 of 2013), and
  • Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No. 80 of 2013).

We hold an up to date Company Health and Safety Statement and can provide Method and Risk assessments for any project. We have our own in house Health and Safety advisor which keeps us abreast of health and safety legislation. We can provide PSDP Services for any type of project and also,

  • Health & Safety Audits & Reports
  • Incident Reports

The PSDP (project supervisor design process) must be an individual or body corporate i.e. a limited company. In general, this will be a firm of Chartered Engineers such as us. The PSDP must be appointed before design work commences. This is to ensure effectiveness in addressing and co-ordinating safety and health matters from the very early stages of a project. The main duty of the project supervisor for the design process is to ensure co-ordination of the work of designers throughout the project. Other duties of the PSDP include:

  • Identify hazards arising from the design or from the technical, organisational, planning or time related aspects of the project;
  • Where possible, eliminate the hazards or reduce the risks;
  • Communicate necessary control measure, design assumptions or remaining risks to the PSCS so they can be dealt with in the safety and health plan;
  • Ensure that the work of designers is coordinated to ensure safety;
  • Organise co-operation between designers;
  • Prepare a written safety and health plan for any project where construction will take more than 500 person days or 30 working days or there is a particular risk and deliver it to the client prior to tender;
  • Prepare a safety file for the completed structure and give it to the client;
  • Notify the Authority and the client of non-compliance with any written directions issued.

Supervision of Construction Works

We have extensive site experience having worked as a Site Managers on many Civil Engineering and Structural Engineering projects. We have also been retained as Project Manager on various residential and commercial developments.

  • Supervision is generally carried out by means of periodic visits during the construction stage. The frequency of the inspections depends on the nature and scale of the project.
  • Construction Supervision is utilized by a client who requires building works to be monitored in stages and to have a Certificate of Compliance provided at the end of the construction work.
  • Frequently, clients will also require Certificates of Payment to be forwarded, usually at three stages, to their Lending Institution where a loan or mortgage is in situ. Supervision is generally carried out by means of periodic visits at stages agreed with the Contractor, to inspect all building work to ensure that it complies with the Building Regulations and any Planning Permission granted.
Common stages of a residential building project when inspections would be undertaken would include:
  1. Foundation level
  2. Completion of sub structure, including rising walls
  3. Completion to roof level
  4. Practical completion of building works

Assigned Certifier for BC(A) R Regulations

The Building Control (Amendment) Regulations 2013 require

  • Submission of compliance drawings and documentation to local building control authorities
  • Setting out and executing an inspection place by the Assigned Certifier
  • Signing of mandatory certificates of compliance by the designer prior to construction and by the Assigned Certifier and the Builder when a building in complete.

Assigned Certifiers are Chartered Engineers such as us and our role in this instance is to inspect building works at key stages during construction. The Assigned Certifier and the Builder will both certify that a finished building complies with the requirements of the Building Regulations.

Our services include;

  • Carrying out Building Regulation design compliance reviews
  • Preparing Inspection Plans and Inspection Notification Frameworks
  • Interfacing with Building Control Authorities through the online Building Control Management System
  • Completing and signing the relevant Statutory Certificates
  • Co-ordinating the required Ancillary Design & Inspection Certificates
  • Oversee the inspection plan during construction
  • Acting as the single point of contact with the Building Control Authority

Legal Mapping, Litigation and Expert Witness Services

Over the years we have been acted as Expert Witness for clients in Legal Cases. These can involve Motor Traffic accidents and Boundary and/or Land disputes. We can prepare Land Transfer Maps and Maps suitable for Land Registry purposes.

Expert Witness & Legal Reports – we can provide Legal Reports to clients intending to bring a dispute to Court or as part of an Insurance claim.

  • We inspect and investigate the problem and advise you of the strengths and weaknesses of the dispute and help you to decide on the best way to proceed
  • The preparation of a professional Report in the early stages of a dispute often leads to a quicker resolution, avoiding the need for Court action.
  • To proceed further with the matter, we can collect evidence, advise your solicitor, prepare a full Expert Witness Report and present this to the Courts should this be required.
  • Fees for such services vary according to the nature of the dispute, and the extent of services required. We can usually agree a fixed fee for the initial advice and report.

Surveying and Setting Out

Experienced in Surveying, Setting Out and Land Registry Mapping since the early 1970’s we offer the following services to our clients:

  • Total Station Surveying which can produce speedy and accurate results
  • Tape Surveying
  • Levelling

Fire Safety Planning

We offers a service in the preparation of Fire Safety Certificates for all types of Residential and Commercial developments to include

  • Apartments
  • Offices
  • Nursing Homes
  • Restaurants
  • Pubs
  • Shops
  • Childcare Facilities
  • Leisure Facilities
  • Schools
  • Shopping Centres

Subsidence and Insurance Claims

We have a wealth of experience in undertaking investigation methods and associated technical engineering reports required for successful insurance claims. We undertake insurance investigation works and prepare reports for both private clients and Insurance Companies.

As Chartered Engineers we can undertake the preparation of Engineers Reports for the following

  • Subsidence claims
  • Water loss claims
  • Fire investigation claims
  • Storm damage claims
  • Oil spillage claims
  • Third party liability loss
  • Traffic accident claims

When the claim is awarded we can then prepare a practical and affordable design solution and associated scope of works which will include construction drawings and specifications. During construction stage we then work in conjunction with other relevant parties such as the Contractor, Specialist Sub-Contractor, Loss Adjustor, Insurance Company and the client and make regular intermittent inspections to assure the required standard of work is achieved.

Disability Access and Mobility

We can offer the following services in this area

  • Design to comply with Part M of the Building Regulations / National Rehabilitation Board recommendations “Building for Everyone – inclusion, access and use and their approaches to the needs of disabled people” / Codes of Practice and British Standard BS 8300 2009
  • Disability Access Certificate Applications
  • Certificate of Compliance with Disability Access Certificates on completion of the works