An Cosantóir

| 9 www.military.ie THE DEFENCE FORCES MAGAZINE Block H received a commendation from the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland in the 'Best Buildings' awards 2023. The former Married Quarters building now provides accommodation for living-in personnel. The East Terrace building is a two-storey building, which was used in the past for a locker room, offices and storerooms. The building consists of large open plan rooms, which were used for personnel storage lockers. The project has upgraded and refurbished to a high standard with reconfigure room layout to facilitate a barber, tailor, offices and storage room with male/female toilet and showers. The upgrade has also improved the thermal efficiency of the buildings and fire protection. Medical Corps Facility Upgrades The planned closure of St Bricins Hospital (SBH) in 2026 and the subsequent transfer of land to the Land Development Agency (LDA) under Housing for All has resulted in a number of projects to accommodate the services currently provided in SBH. Proposed Military Medical Facility Baldonnel The proposed site for the new MMF is located to the North West of the Aerodrome on a greenfield site. Construction of a new Medical Facility is planned to start on site in Q3 2024. Directorate of Medical Branch and Medical Aid Post The refurbishment of the derelict property adjacent to the Equitation School will provide the Directorate of Medical Branch with new offices and also be the location for the new Medical Aid Post (MAP) in McKee Bks. The building has been sympathetically renovated to blend into the surroundings and has achieved a B1 energy rating with air-to-water heat pump and underfloor heating. Printing Press The Printing Press is currently in the process of moving to their new facility in McKee Bks which has undergone a complete overhaul in the last 12 months. The new facility provides a state of the art printing facility incorporating offices, canteen, machine room and welfare facilities. Engineer Branch continues to lead the DF engagement with Property Management Branch (PMB), Dept of Defence in the IDP. The impact of the recommendations from the Commission on Defence for Defence Forces infrastructure has yet to be fully determined but it is anticipated that there will be a series of proposals to re-purpose existing or construct new facilities. These will be incorporated into the masterplans once the strategic decisions on the future Defence Forces are reached. Climate Action Energy Targets 2030 & 2050 Action to achieve Climate Change target of 51% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 on our 2016-18 baseline will impact on the Subhead A13 budget in the context of increased costs for inclusion of energy efficiency measures in building projects and the need to prioritise new projects specifically aimed at achieving energy targets. The Defence Forces built infrastructure largely consists of buildings constructed of brick masonry, built in the late 19th or early 20th century. These buildings are often of significant historical or cultural worth, with retrofitting works being of a complex nature when carried out. DF barracks are mixed use, (office, residential, education, fitness, training, medical etc.) and with the exception of some small outposts are manned 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. DF personnel are often required to be accommodated on site, during training and on redeployment to a new post. As a result DF buildings and installations have a more complex usage profile compared to other public bodies' workplaces. All infrastructure projects have sustainability and energy efficiency as a core principle. Deep retrofits of building fabric, high energy efficient electrical fittings, heat pumps and mechanical ventilation heat recovery systems are the standard design in our new/refurbished buildings. These practices have contributed greatly to us achieving over 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from our building stock on the 2016-18 baseline figures. We will continue to incorporate high energy performance designs into our infrastructure and we will strive to provide Nearly Zero Emission Buildings (NZEB) or passive buildings going forward. East Terrace Building, McKee Bks, a multi use facility following its refurbishment Proposed Military Medical Facility Baldonnell Directorate of Medical Branch and Medical Aid Post, McKee Bks New Offices for the Defence Forces Printing Press, McKee Bks

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