Issue 4 of the Housing Insight Series on office-to-residential conversion developments was launched today. The paper, published by the Housing Agency, features case studies from Tuath Housing office retrofit developments.

Using case studies from the awarding-winning office-to-residential developments Parkwest Plaza, Dublin 12 and Springville House, Cork City, the paper highlights how office retrofit conversion projects contribute to the development of sustainable communities and that repurposing vacant buildings can save up to 73% in embodied carbon when compared to a demolition and re-build project. The study further highlights that collaboration is a key component of successful conversion projects.

Housing Insights Issue 4

The two featured Tuath developments are an example of a sustainable housing solution which can help to regenerate areas suffering from vacancy and dereliction. Parkwest Plaza, overall winner for ‘Best Large Housing Development for Families’ and ‘Best Creative Delivery, Supply and Collaboration’ at the ICSH 2023 Awards was the first office retrofit development at Tuath. The conversion of a four-story office block, derelict for over 20 years in to a five-story 86 apartment building was funded through Capital Advanced Leasing Facility (CALF) and Capital Assistance Scheme (CAS) funding with private finance from AIB’s Social Investment Fund.

Parkwest Plaza, Dublin 12

Springville House, National Property Awards ‘Social Housing Development of the Year’ 2024 and winner of ‘Excellence in Housing Innovation’ at the 2024 ICSH Awards is a ‘Rightsize’ development for residents over sixty years of age looking to move from their current property to one more suitable to their needs. A 1970s vacant office block was converted in to a 35-home residential building on behalf of Cork City Council through partial demolition and third floor construction on part of the existing office building and was funded through CALF and Housing Finance Agency (HFA) private finance.

Springville House, Cork City

Through this publication, Tuath and the Housing Agency hope to provide good practice learnings to other social housing providers to be able to replicate with similar innovative projects. These conversion developments and paper further highlight Tath’s strategic focus on sustainability, a core principle of Tuath’s development strategy. In particular, Tuath recognises that the most sustainable and green projects are those that are already built and that sustainability also refers to providing top quality, warm safe and comfortable housing and communities.

Further insight into the Tuath Housing Case Studies can be found here.