The Montevetro building was completed in 2010, standing at a height of 67 metres it is one of the tallest commercial buildings in Dublin. Located in the Grand Canal Basin, it was sold to Google in January 2011 and was subsequently renamed “Google Docks”, becoming the home of Google’s EMEA Headquarters (Europe, Middle East and Asia).
The building provides 19500 sq. m / 210000 sq. ft. of contemporary, high quality, open-plan office space. It is one of Dublin’s tallest buildings and a part of the overall rejuvenation of Dublin’s Docklands Area. The interior was designed for Google to celebrate the city’s culture with everything from music rooms to a kitchen disguised as a traditional Irish pub.
The building was originally intended to be air-conditioned using chilled beams. Chilled beams were popular because they initially were designed to issue much lower carbon emissions than traditional fan coil units. But, Diffusion fan coils have optimised their Specific Fan Power (SFP), reducing the carbon emissions by a figure approaching six times that of a conventional AC fan coil unit.
Fan coils also embody features such as, close control of temperatures in the occupied space and setback of temperature in meeting rooms while unoccupied, resulting in lower running costs. The fact that fan coils, individually, have a higher cooling and heating capacity than chilled beams, make them much more practical and flexible where a change in occupancy, or a revision to the office layout is required.
Google declared a preference for fan coil units and Keane Environmental were asked to supply 500 Diffusion waterside fan coils.
Architects: Camenzind Evolution / HJ Lyons
Engineers: ETHOS Engineering
Suppliers: Keane Environmental Ltd.
M&E Contractors: Winthrop Engineering