RESIDENTIAL
Ballydehob bank house community centre
Summary
Client: Ballydehob Bank House Community Centre
Site: Cork
Sector: Community
The Challenge
In 2013, The Ballydehob Association Community Council (BACC) purchased the former AIB Bank building which is known as the Bank House. It is located in the centre of the village and their aim was to convert it into a hub that would promote education, cultural and economic welfare for the whole community.
The building is used as the council office, for private and public meetings, public talks, craft activities, social functions, festivals, and holiday activities. It is also home to Ballydehob Arts museum and operates as a tourist office during the summer months.
The challenge was to convert a building that was built in the 1950s into a community facility. There was no insulation in the walls or attics, windows were in poor condition and needed to all be replaced, and the building was very cold. The building needed remodelling and only the ground floor of the building was able to be utilised. A full deep retrofit was required so that it could be used to its full potential and to increase the availability of space for the community to use, ensuring sustainability was at the forefront of the solution.
The Solution
- Cavity Wall Insulation
- Roof Insulation
- Windows and Door Upgrade
- 6.3 kWp Solar PV System
- Air to Air Heat Pumps Installation with wall hung cassette heaters
The Impact
“The project took the building from a cold costly place to a warm self-sufficient, low-cost low carbon success story.” William Swanton Chair of Ballydehob Association Community Council.
These upgrades will ensure the long-term sustainability of the Bank House as a Community facility as well as reducing their energy costs and carbon emissions.
William also loves the Solar PV app on his phone. “I can be at home and see how much electricity is being used, I can see how much was made every day, every month and every year and how much carbon emissions we have saved, it’s amazing!”
Brian Lawlor, Curator of Ballydehob Arts Museum outlined how “the retrofitting makes the museum a much safer space for displaying art than it was previously.” This project received grant funding from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Community Energy Grant and additional funding via the SE Systems Community Fund.
The project took the building from a cold costly place to a warm self-sufficient, low-cost low carbon success story.
William Swanton
Chair of Ballydehob Association Community Council
Video provided courtesy of SEAI
The Partners
Ballydehob Community Association: Client
Main contractor/PSCS/ SEAI Project Co-Ordinator
Community Energy Grant.
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West Cork community project given almost €55k to improve colourful village building
