The offices of ESB, Ireland's national electricity supplier, are an outstanding example of sustainable design. The seven-storey low-energy building, designed by Grafton Architects and 0'Mahony Pike Architects, is located in the historic city centre of Dublin. The challenge was the façade construction for the new building, which was erected in the middle of a city block with listed buildings from the 18th century. The brownish-pink brick façade blends harmoniously with the existing brickwork of the street and helps to restore the longest uninterrupted brick façade in the city.
AECOM's interior concept is a flagship project for the future design of holistically sustainable offices. Recognised as the Irish Building Project of the Year 2022, the building has also received BREEAM Excellent certification. The windows have a sophisticated thermally broken steel system. Heating and cooling is provided by ground and air source heat pumps in combination with natural ventilation, with zero local CO2 emissions, in line with ESB's net zero targets.
BDP Lighting was involved in the conception and detailed design of the façade and interior. The main objective was to create a welcoming, healthy and energy-efficient environment that supports ESB's identity. To achieve this, a neutral lighting solution was used to emphasise the architectural features, with a bespoke solution for ESB.
In the ESB headquarters, the decorative HEXO luminaires create a special atmosphere for the communal work areas, individual work groups and break rooms. They are clearly distinguishable from the office and meeting rooms. HEX-O combines state-of-the-art LED lighting technology with shapely design.
The different variants of the profile luminaires create differently lit spaces that offer a choice of working environments to suit the individual needs of employees. From the quiet, subdued atmosphere of the pods/office cubicles to the energising atmosphere in the meeting rooms.
BDP has defined the offices as a research project that completely redefines traditional office concepts and develops innovative techniques that improve energy efficiency, space comfort and quality. The research work has provided significant insights for the design of future office buildings. The ESB Headquartes is a unique building that will serve as an example of sustainable office design for many years to come.
I draw my inspiration from a diverse background in product and graphic design, packaging and branding. At BDP I manage teams on several London office fit-outs for clients including Google, BNY Mellon and Blackstone plus other projects across UK retail, leisure and landscape. Balancing a strong sense of design with sound technical knowledge, I further develop the team’s design process, drawing on lessons learned from previous projects and driving forward the quality and integrity of the BDP lighting offering.
Lighting Design: BDP
Architect: AECOM
Photographer: Donal Murphy Photography
