Posted on 6th January 2023
The Boiler House is one of the only buildings remaining from Dublin’s Ballymun estate built in the 1960s, repurposed in 2017 as a new home for the Rediscovery Centre. Scroll through to discover the material innovations used in our unique centre!
By not demolishing and rebuilding the concrete foundations and steel frame of the building, 55 tonnes of embodied carbon were retained!
We obtained 6 windows, which are now used as internal glass screens between workshop spaces.
Louvres are aluminium slats used in doors or windows, designed to create ventilation and airflow in your home/building. Louvres almost completely eliminate the need for air conditioning and daytime lighting, ultimately reducing your energy costs.
Made out of lime, hemp shiv and water, hempcrete is a natural insulation alternative! With the ability to withstand humid conditions and absorb moisture, hempcrete is a phenomenal resource.
Steel beams and pipes are reused in the centre as raised bed borders in our rooftop garden.
Sheep wool is used as a natural, sustainable, and renewable insulation. It creates a thermal barrier through dispersed air pockets helping retain heat.
Our space incorporates upcycled furniture and paint from the workshops, as well as hospital beds as workbenches, beer crates as stools, table bases salvaged from the old Towers Pub, and tables made from pallets donated by Iarnród Éireann.
We’ve utilised paint collected from civic amenity centres, which are cleaned, remixed, and recoloured to make brand new paint. A great nontoxic, affordable, and high quality alternative.
Explore our Built Environment showcase to learn more.
