– Walls Construction will start building 597 new social homes in September 2022

– Project certified to passive house sustainability standard

The Land Development Agency (LDA) has appointed the contractor for the development of 597 new homes at Shanganagh, Co Dublin, with work on site to commence in September. The project is being delivered in partnership with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council (DLRCC) and will be devoted 100% to affordable and social homes.

Largest public housing scheme

On completion this will be the largest public housing scheme in the State, delivering on the LDA’s mission to unlock state land to deliver large-scale affordable housing projects. It will be a mixed tenure project with the breakdown as follows: 51% cost rental (306 homes), 15% affordable purchase (91 homes) and 34% social housing (200 homes). The first completed homes are expected at the end of 2024.

Walls Construction appointment

Following a competitive tender process Walls Construction was appointed to lead the project and has extensive experience in delivering large-scale residential construction schemes. The development will offer a mix of accommodation suitable for single people, couples, and families with 99 of the new homes to have three bedrooms. Amenities will include extensive communal green space, a playground, a creche, a convenience store and café.

The site occupies approximately nine hectares adjacent to Shanganagh Castle, Shanganagh Park and Castle Farm and will be within 10 minutes’ walk of the proposed new DART station at Woodbrook and Bus Connects route on the nearby Dublin Road (N11).

The development has been specified to the highest international environmental and sustainability standards and will be the largest scheme in the world certified to achieve the ‘passive house’ low energy use standard.

Sustainability features

Sustainability features include very low energy demand, very low car parking provision (0.54 spaces per home), very high bicycle parking provision of over 1,300 spaces, and design features to make working from home easier.

Commenting on the project, Darragh O’Brien TD, Minister for Housing, said: “This is real progress towards providing much-needed social and affordable homes in what is one of the most expensive local authority areas in the country.  The LDA is central to our Housing for All plan and are working closely with our local authorities to deliver social and affordable housing in significant sites across our cities and towns. I look forward to construction beginning in the coming months.”

Councillor Mary Hanafin, An Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, said: “One of my priorities as Cathaoirleach will be the provision of housing and I am looking forward to construction starting on this major project in September. This development of 597 homes at Shanganagh will offer a mix of accommodation for single people, couples and families and will all be affordable and social homes”

John Coleman, Chief Executive of the LDA, said:  “This is a significant milestone in delivering what will be the largest public housing scheme in the state. It is an example of the LDA working in close partnership with a local authority to find new ways to deliver affordable homes on council land, and I want to thank Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council for their support. We are particularly excited about the high environmental standards of the buildings’ specifications. All homes will be delivered to ‘passive house’ standard, making them cheaper to heat for residents and reducing their carbon emissions.

“Shanganagh is one of several major schemes the LDA is progressing in order to deliver on our mission of addressing the housing crisis by accelerating the delivery of affordable housing on State land.”

Eugene O’Shea, Chief Executive of Walls Construction, said: “Walls Construction is delighted to be selected as the construction partner for the LDA’s Shanganagh development.  We look forward to building this major residential project which has been designed to the highest environmental specification, and we are pleased that our experience in delivering large-scale schemes will be used to complete this development of social and affordable homes.”

Other LDA projects

In recent weeks the LDA has submitted four planning applications, which will, if approved, deliver 2,358 homes in schemes that will be 100% affordable and social housing.

The LDA is also making good progress on its Project Tosaigh initiative to deliver 5,000 new homes by unlocking land in private ownership that has full planning permission but where delivery has stalled due to financing and other constraints. Proposals from potential partners are currently under consideration through a formal expressions of interest process, with an announcement of the first schemes expected shortly.

Key sustainable features of the Shanganagh development

• High density and compact site layout with a net development density of 85 units per hectare.
• Very low energy requirement. All apartments have been designed to achieve German passive house standard, which minimises the requirement for and cost of providing and maintaining space heating systems (boilers, radiators, underfloor heating etc). This is achieved by retaining and utilising all internal heat gain such as that created by cooking, showering, dish-washing, respiration etc, optimising solar heat gains, utilising mechanical heat recovery ventilation and most importantly through the air tightness of the building fabric. This also improves environmental comfort through even temperatures, better and faster clothes drying & airing and eliminates the risk of mould and condensation thus providing health benefits.
• Car parking provision of 334 spaces for residents and visitors, in addition to 31 spaces for the creche, café and shop. This equates to a ratio of 0.54 spaces per home.
• Car parking spaces have been made available for car sharing schemes.
• Very high bicycle parking provision of over 1,300 spaces for residents, provided in secure and dedicated buildings, in addition to external visitor bicycle parking.
• 34 charge points for electric cars; with all other resident spaces future-proofed for future connection. This means pipes have been laid underground to every parking space and sufficient space has been provided within buildings to extend the required ESB sub-station equipment in future to accommodate this loading.
• Modes of public transport have been optimised, utilising the proposed DART station, which is within a 1km walk or cycle, and the proposed BusConnects corridor at the front entrance to the site.
• A centralised district hot water heating system utilising renewable energy heat pumps has been designed which provides both economies of scale and reduced operating and maintenance costs.
• High-quality materials that minimise lifecycle replacement such as external brickwork
• Integrated community with central amenity, resident support, and external play facilities accessible by all residents to create a sense of integrated community
• Communal lounge areas, community and function rooms and an external village square, which can be used for social events and will engender community integration
• Business pods and co-working units, which will assist residents who work from home or run small businesses
• Postal storage facilities for residents to secure their belongings in a safe manner
• A creche with capacity for 107 children, playgrounds, a gym, a convenience store (103 sq metres) and a café (125 sqm) are designed within the scheme.