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Editor’s Article<br />
Go west…<br />
Tyrone-based Western Building Systems is a family-owned specialist construction business that celebrates its 35th anniversary<br />
in 2018. They have delivered a wide range of significant traditional, offsite and hybrid construction projects throughout the UK<br />
and Ireland within the health, education, industrial, commercial and residential sectors.<br />
Western Building Systems design<br />
and manufacture all of its<br />
buildings’ key components<br />
including windows, internal door sets,<br />
furniture and walls, ensuring both<br />
consistent quality as well a controlled<br />
programme delivery.<br />
The first phase of a major contract at<br />
Firhouse Educate Together National School,<br />
Dublin 24, has recently been completed. The<br />
project forms part of the Department of<br />
Education and Skills’ wider Design and Build<br />
Schools 2016-17 framework. Western<br />
Building Systems was appointed to complete<br />
the build of two new schools at the Firhouse<br />
Campus.<br />
“We are delighted to have<br />
handed over the Letterkenny<br />
Educate Together National<br />
School – the school has been<br />
totally transformed which will<br />
hopefully benefit the<br />
surrounding community for<br />
decades to come”.<br />
The project involved the detailed design,<br />
construction, removal of existing schools,<br />
landscaping and access route improvement<br />
for the site which accommodates two<br />
schools; Firhouse Educate Together National<br />
School and neighbouring Irish speaking<br />
school, Gaelscoil na Giuise.<br />
With a total contract award figure of over<br />
€10m, the project represents considerable<br />
investment in the education needs of the<br />
surrounding South Dublin community at<br />
Firhouse.<br />
Phase One saw the construction of Firhouse<br />
Educate Together National School. Spanning<br />
an impressive 3050m2 the build included<br />
the construction of a state-of-the-art steelframed<br />
building housing 16 classrooms, two<br />
special needs units, support teaching spaces<br />
as well as various other accommodation<br />
spaces.<br />
The second school, Gaelsccoil na Giuise, will<br />
occupy a similar layout of 16 brand new<br />
classrooms, two special needs units, support<br />
teaching spaces and various other versatile<br />
spaces. In total the school will span 3165m2.<br />
With the entire site spanning 1.9 hectares,<br />
external works will see a further two storage<br />
buildings, bin stores, a playing pitch, ball<br />
courts, project gardens, cycle storage,<br />
landscaping, boundary treatment as well as<br />
the construction of a new permanent<br />
vehicular access road.<br />
“We are incredibly proud to hand over the<br />
first phase of Firhouse ETNs with such a<br />
high-quality finish on time and on budget,”<br />
said Eamonn Boyle, Western Building<br />
Systems’ Project Manager. “The next phase<br />
of the project, the transformation of the Irish<br />
speaking school, Gaelscoil na Giuise, looks<br />
set be another fantastic addition for the<br />
surrounding community to enjoy for years<br />
to come.”<br />
Classrooms are airy and bright<br />
Another major new contract at Letterkenny<br />
Educate Together National School at<br />
Ballyraine, Co Donegal, forms part of the<br />
Department of Education and Skills’ wider<br />
Rapid Build Schools Delivery Framework.<br />
4<br />
Winter 2018 <strong>4152</strong>
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