Glenstal Abbey School Co. Limerick

Building Owner
Benedictine Order of Monks
Architect
Thompson Architects
Sub-Contractor
L&M Keatings
Glenstal Abbey School. Co. Limerick

Project Background

Glenstal Abbey is a fee-paying, seven-day boarding secondary school for approximately 300 boys. The new building is a 2,541 sq.m., three-storey classroom extension, with a total of 18 classrooms, three science laboratories, administrative offices and general refurbishment to the existing school, which is a protected structure. The new building was constructed using a reinforced concrete and steel frame, and is Ireland’s first Activ’Air® school.

The Challenge

The building was constructed on an extremely congested and severely sloped site. Prior to construction, there was extensive demolition and rerouting of existing live services, which had to be carried out without any interruption or interference with school activities. The works were carried out under a fast track program to accommodate enrolment deadlines with phased possession from the client and phased handover of completed areas to the school. The works were carried out in a historically important environment which was a protected structure in a Special Area of Conservation management. As this is an educational building, builders had to conform to the Department of Education's Technical Guidance Documents.

The Approach

Due to time constraints on the project, bespoke plasterboard and metal stud sections were supplied, helping not only to speed up the installation process, but also ensuring that material waste was minimized. Gyptone Quattro 41 acoustic ceiling plasterboards were installed in all of the classrooms, to provide optimum levels of acoustic performance and meet the Department of Education's Technical Guidance Documents on classroom reverberation. Activ’Air® plasterboard was used as the outer layer for the partitions separating the classrooms which should improve indoor air quality for up to 50 years.
Gyproc Activ'Air® plasterboards and standard Gyproc WallBoards were used to line the metal stud frameworks, with Isover acoustic insulation in the cavity to offer 60 minutes fire resistance and 50RwdB sound reduction between classrooms. Gyproc Hard Coat base coat plaster was applied.

Weight: 
11