Comeragh College, Carrick-on-Suir, Tipperary - BAM Schools Bundle 4 PPP

The design of the school marked Ireland’s first use of BIM which included full facilities management, on Public Project - and was additionally part of Schools Bundle 4, which won an award in the ‘Operations and Asset Management Category’ category, for the Irish BIM Innovation Awards 2016.

The new 500-pupil school evolved and progressed through a considered Design Development – each item of which made the Design Team question and evaluate the stage it was at, and ask ‘is there another / better way of achieving this?’. This was particularly enabled by the use of BIM technology from the outset. This allowed the Team to focus on a design for which Education informed every part - while exploring with BIM offered a very clear understanding of functionality, sustainability and structural implications. Finishes were also chosen with the best possible knowledge of their Whole-Life Cost; and the design sought to maximise natural daylight and designed to maximise natural ventilation.

Importantly, the design is highly accessible for all users and fully Part M 2010 compliant; while the Design Team adopted building services strategies that allow flexible use and zoning. Thought was placed into the creation of a space with ease of passive supervision, helping reduce anti-social behaviour and bullying; and which offer staff a variety of ways of organising and encouraging learning, through a variety of spaces that are multi-use and ‘fit for purpose’ including storage.

Furthermore, the buildings location on the site generally addressed primary issues such as car parking and prioritising pedestrians, drop-off facilities etc., and the general enhancement of the same.

The video below displays a pre-construction Building Information Modelling (BIM) 3D fly-through, side-by-side with post-construction drone footage of the school - showcasing BIM technology, and the process's capabilities, and advantages, towards visualising projects, before they progress to construction: