Marlay Park Sports Centre will provide sports facilities for the people of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown within the perimeter of Marlay Park- a landmark terminating the vista to the hills and an appropriate gateway from the South. The brief includes 11 changing rooms, entrance foyer/cafe and three large adjustable gym/exercise rooms within a rectangular plan and an all-weather pitch with a running track and associated sports facilities outside. The front entrance on the East side is preceded by a paved forecourt with planting.
The project is designed as a part of the park- almost like a formal garden within it; the main building is treated as a pavilion with a masonry ground floor and an upper level glazed on both elevations with views through to the Dublin Mountains. The whole frame is covered by a perforate metal screen forming a continuous skin with the roof; the lines of the building extend into the geometry of the pitches,

forming an extended sheet of active uses on the parkland setting. Issues of sustainability are treated as core to the design. The mechanical and electrical services to the proposed building are designed to optimize energy efficiency and minimize the running costs of the building.

The overall aim is to achieve a minimum 40% reduction in CO2 emissions and to provide a minimum 20% renewable energy.

To meet these demands a series of passive and active measures will be incorporated, including fabric insulation, air tightness, natural ventilation, thermal mass, air to water heat pumps, heat recovery, condensing boilers, Together these measures will reduce the amount of energy required in the operation of the building and ensure the design will achieve a high BREEAM rating