Coonagh Cross
- Location
- Limerick, Ireland
- Client
- Limerick Institute of Technology
- Expertise
- Architecture
- Building Services Engineering
- Design Management
- Civil & Structural Engineering
- Completion
- 2024
- Cost
- €18M
A new engineering-focused campus for the Limerick Institute of Technology, Coonagh Campus will provide the Institute with much needed space for expansion of their Engineering courses. High quality public realm, car park and 5,700 sq m building for teaching & learning activities, social spaces, staff accommodation and student support facilities.
A brand-new campus for the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), Coonagh Campus, opened for students in April 2024. The Third Level Education facility will provide the University, which is already established at their Moylish Campus, with much needed space for expansion of their Engineering courses.
Set in the context of a wider TUS masterplan developed by BDP, the brief for the first phase of the campus development, was to create a landmark place that would be representative of a new high-quality campus and set the benchmark for future developments.
“The official opening of this new campus is a really important development for higher education in the region.
The refurbishment works have delivered a modern, fit for purpose building for the education and development of the region’s engineering and apprenticeship students, one which will serve staff and students for many decades to come. This state-of-the-art campus represents a key phase of TUS’s development and demonstrates the Government’s commitment to supporting excellence in higher education and to delivering on the ambitions of Project Ireland 2040.”
The new adaptive reuse development is a refurbishment of an existing vacant building designed as a shopping centre, with steel structure and insulated composite cladding panels. The design challenge was how to transform what was in fact a commercial warehouse style building into an interesting new third level education facility.
The contemporary design was achieved with subtle changes to the façade at pedestrian level- additions of large openings to bring light into the deep plan configuration and replacing the cladding . Careful integration of feature LED lighting has also enhanced the new intervention, contributing to its landmark objective.
At Coonagh Cross Campus, BDP has delivered a high-quality public realm and an upgraded carpark, along with the fit-out of a 5,700m² building for teaching and learning activities, social spaces, staff accommodation and student support facilities.
“We have shown that we can bring a vision to fruition with the opening of this building today, and that vision and the impact that we can make is about far more than this building. “It is about people, communities and ultimately creating a virtuous cycle where our graduates have the skills and attributes needed to propel the next phase of the economic development of the region. “At TUS, we work hard to maintain our educational ethos and our laser focus on employability for our graduates, plugged into the needs of industry. We have an ambition to grow, but not to dilute what we do and how we do it, and Coonagh Campus embodies this ambition.”