Commercial Retail

Briarhill Shopping Centre, Phase 1 Briarhill Business Park, Galway

Briarhill Retail Park, Galway is a mixed use development on a prominent site at Briarhill, Galway. Briarhill shopping center is located adjacent to the proposed N6 motorway intersection with the City and is a landmark iconic building. The mixed use development comprises a total building area of 14,887 sq.m. on a site of 24,657 sq.m.

The project comprises two individual blocks, one containing a large open grid main anchor store comprising two levels of retail and apartments at roof level over a large open space basement car park. Smaller retail units were developed alongside to support the main anchor tenant store.

The anchor tenant retail unit was constructed using a composite steel frame with composite metal deck flooring and insitu concrete topping. The smaller of the two blocks contains purpose built single user retail spaces designed for maximum letting flexibility with office space over the top storey. This building was designed using a steel frame supporting precast concrete hollowcore flooring units.  Car parking is provided using a single story basement carpark which is complimented by an over ground car parking resulting in a total allocation of 554 no. parking spaces.

The superstructure of the main retail anchor tenant block is a 4 storey composite steel framed building using an open 12 x 8m structural grid. This frame solution was selected following an extensive structural options assessment which examined speed of construction, cost, environmental issues, and future adaptability. The frame has been designed to support 22 apartments located on the top floor above the main retail store. The floors comprise composite metal deck with insitu concrete topping.

A grade one basement comprises reinforced concrete ground bearing slab designed to resist hydro static pressure from the ground water, reinforced concrete walls and r.c flat slab form of construction at podium level.

In order to meet a limited programme the project was split into two contracts. An enabling works contract to excavate limestone rock to form the basement area was carried out during the summer of 2006 ahead of the main contract. Some of the excavated material was crushed on site and used in the building works.

The building was delivered on time and below the projected overall budget.