Údarás na Gaeltachta, Ballyconnell Industrial Estate

Built in the late 1970s/early 1980s as an Advance Factory, this unit is one of several similarly designed industrial buildings found throughout the West Donegal Gaeltacht. It featured an open-plan warehouse with small office accommodation and a flat roof, offering little daylight. These buildings served the community well, accommodating manufacturing companies with production space and facilities and bringing much-needed employment into the area, particularly for new and emerging businesses.

However, in the early 2000’s, many of these buildings became vacant, either as the companies occupying them outgrew their size or, in many cases, as manufacturing came under pressure from abroad and closed.

In 2002, the building was occupied by another new enterprise, Kelsius, who again were a start up company, focusing on wireless temperature monitoring and digital compliances. From there, the company went on to design, manufacture, install and support their hardware and software solutions serving customers globally across healthcare, pharmaceutical, food retail and hospitality. With business growth came additional employment and a need for more modern facilities, along with additional office accommodation in their existing building.

Working alongside Axis Construction, Carr & Associates Architects and Structural Engineers, not only have updated offices been added to the building, but the existing building has been transformed from what was once a dark and cold building into a modern workspace. Improvements include a new roof fabric, an air-to-water heating system, and daylight harvesting via ten raised roof lights, which allow significant natural light into the space, with all upgrades finished to a modern specification.

This project required extending and refurbishing an existing two-storey factory, with works delivered in three phases: a new structural bay added to the rear, a full roof refurbishment (insulation, PVC membrane, new gutters and flashing), and a complex side extension featuring a distinctive cranked and curved design. Working closely with Axis Construction and Carr & Associates Architects from the design stage, the team handled detailing, fabrication, supply and installation of steelwork, purlins, side rails and cladding. Close collaboration between design, fabrication and site teams ensured the new structure tied seamlessly into the existing building.

The intensity of the build process required that Kelsius be relocated to temporary premises for the duration of the build, but they are soon to be back in their modern updated accommodation in a building offering an ideal workspace, finished to a build specification that will see the longevity of the building for many decades to come.