SHANNON AIRPORT GROUP are aspiring to complete a property award hat-trick.
At the National Property Awards held earlier this year, the Shannon Airport Group scooped the prestigious ‘Placemaking Initiative of the Year’ award.
New commercial property developments, Block R and Block S in the Business Park of the Shannon Campus have since been shortlisted in two upcoming national construction and architecture awards.
Both buildings which are now on the market, have been nominated for awards in the upcoming Irish Construction Excellence Awards and the Building & Architect of the Year Awards.
Block R, which was constructed by OCC Construction, has been shortlisted in the Industrial Excellence category in the Irish Construction Excellence Awards, for its sustainable construction through the LEED and NZEB frameworks. The development, located at the main entrance of the Business Park consists of an NZEB A-Rated and LEED Silver 40,000 sq ft manufacturing facility with a 9.0m clear internal height, serviced by a 6,000 sq ft two-storey office block with circulation and meeting spaces.
Block R has received a further nomination in the Building & Architect of the Year Awards for ‘Commercial Building of the Year’, with this award seeking to acknowledge buildings which demonstrate excellence in design as well as a commitment to sustainability and the local community.
Block S has also been shortlisted for ‘Commercial Building of the Year’ in the Building & Architect of the Year awards. Both Block S and Block R were designed for The Shannon Airport Group by O’Neill O’Malley Architects.
Block S is a 60,000 sq ft high grade and multi-use industrial space, with optional arrangement for up to three separate units of 20,000 sq ft each. The development boasts 126 designated parking spaces, rear and side level loading doors and rooftop solar PV panels, making it the perfect solution for companies looking for manufacturing, logistics, distribution or production space.
Shannon Free Zone is one of the largest multi-sectoral business parks outside of Dublin, is home to 300 companies and employs over 8,500 people at its strategic location next to Shannon International Airport. During the last decade, the Group has completed a range of new or upgraded aviation, office, advanced manufacturing and warehouse facilities, as part of an overall €175 million investment programme across its Shannon Campus (comprising the business park and Shannon Airport).
It is home to significant FDI investment including Intel, Zimmer Biomet and Baker Hughes, and also indigenous companies such as Ei Electronics and Gentian Health. In more recent times, an increasing number of companies in the knowledge sectors, autonomous vehicles and life sciences are choosing to base themselves in Shannon. These include major names such as Jaguar Land Rover, Edwards Life Sciences and the most recently, US gene therapy company MeiraGTx who engage in advance research and development activities.
As part of its efforts to make the Shannon Campus a more sustainable and vibrant place to work, the Group has undertaken significant upgrade and retrofit projects in recent years. Phased upgrades of all street lighting to LED across the Campus is largely complete, while in 2023, 13 public EV Charging stations were installed in the campus, ranging from 22kW to 50kW chargers. In addition, considerable investment has been made at the Business Park to enhance amenities available to tenants, including a running track, a biodiversity garden and a shared bicycle scheme.
Commenting on the awards, Gerry Dillon, Property Director at The Shannon Airport Group, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have Block R and Block S, our new state-of-the-art developments in the Business Park at the Shannon Campus, shortlisted in this year’s Irish Construction Excellence Awards and Building & Architect of the Year Awards, which follows on from our recent Placemaking Initiative of the Year award from the National Property Awards 2024.
“It would be amazing to win the hat-trick of awards and a great recognition of the hard work and dedication of our Property Team, who over the past ten years, have focused on revitalising the Campus, creating modern, energy-efficient spaces, and fostering a thriving community.”
Vanessa McTigue, Head of Business Development & Leasing at The Shannon Airport Group, added, “It is a very exciting time for our team as we celebrate this prestigious recognition of our work to transform our Business Park at the Shannon Campus. These successes reflect the commitment of The Shannon Airport Group towards developing sustainable, innovative, premium property solutions for our clients.”
The winners of the Building & Architect of the Year Awards will be announced on Friday, 12th April, while the winners of the Irish Construction Excellence Awards will be announced on Friday, 24th May.
