Logistics occupiers looking to meet their ESG goals may be interested in the opportunities coming on stream over the next 12 months in phase two at Vantage Business Park in Dublin.
Having secured planning permission for four detached grade-A units ranging in size from 68,000 to 121,000 sq ft, the developer behind the scheme, Newpark Real Estate, is setting a new benchmark for sustainability through the use of mass timber structures in their construction. The development is believed to be first of its kind in the Irish market. Newpark also intends to employ specific targets for biodiversity and water, sustainable transport, wellbeing, low-carbon construction and circulatory and resource use. Each unit will achieve LEED Gold Certification. Units three to five are due to complete in the second quarter of 2024, while unit six is expected to reach practical completion in the third quarter of 2024.
The buildings’ mass timber structure will, the developer says, serve to reduce the upfront embodied carbon emissions of the structural frame by 75 per cent. When measured for all four buildings on site this, they say, is the equivalent of 5,250 one-way flights from London to New York. In addition the timber structure has been designed for deconstruction to allow for materials to be recovered and reused at the end of the buildings’ lifespan.
Phase two will be integrated into the surrounding area with extensive on-site planting and substantial rainwater retention and swales to promote biodiversity and minimise flood risk. Planting will also be placed along the road boundary to minimise noise and pollution, while providing screening from traffic.
The office accommodation will be naturally ventilated and oriented towards planted landscapes. The use of polycarbonate cladding in the warehouse will increase levels of natural light and reduce operational carbon consumption. Walking and cycling tracks will be incorporated into the landscaping to promote staff wellbeing.
Commenting on his company’s ambitions for the scheme, Laurence Flood, director of Newpark Real Estate, said: “This marks a new direction for industrial development in Ireland with an unprecedented scale of mass-timber structure and daylighting, which is being made possible through the combined efforts of our design, investment and local authority partners.”
Brendan Smyth, director at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “Vantage Business Park demonstrates commitment to creating an environmentally friendly business park while meeting the 2030 climate change reduction targets. This will be attractive for occupiers seeking to meet their specific ESG goals. We expect to see significant demand for the scheme as construction progresses over the next 12 months.”
