PROJECT
THE EWART BUILDING, BELFAST
AEM LTD HAS BROUGHT THE EWART BUILDING TO LIGHT IN A DEVELOPMENT THAT COMBINED THE BEST OF THE NEW AND THE OLD IN THE HEART OF BELFAST’S BUSINESS DISTRICT… THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
A ntrim Electrical & Mechanical Engineers Ltd was chosen by design and build contractor McAleer & Rushe to supply and manage the electrical and mechanical installation at The Ewart Building. The project is a great example of bringing the old charm of Belfast and new technologies together, as it provided a comprehensive refurbishment and extension of a 150-year-old former warehouse that had been derelict for decades and a new 17-storey Grade A office building in the heart of the city’s business district. AEM is no stranger to shining a light on historical landmarks. The company’s
portfolio includes the Parliament Building in Stormont, the HMRC Erskine House and Queens University, both in Belfast. “As with any project in listed buildings, there were special requirements from the conservation architects at the Historic Environment Division,” commented AEM Contract Manager Steven Magill. “We had to modify our installation to comply with them and avoid destroying the fabric on the exterior of the building, as well as the historical features in its interior.” To follow these requirements, AEM concealed the installation in bulkheads and implemented the exterior lights from the inside out, to make them as invisible as possible.
Due to the restraints of the historical building, all new materials and equipment were brought over via the new office tower, which is connected to the warehouse in the first and second floors. “It was quite an arduous process, as well as working in very small, tight spaces,” Steven explained. In with the new In comparison to the warehouse building, the work in the new office tower was more straightforward. The building has been equipped with the latest green tech, such as solar panels on the roof and a combined heat and power (CHP) unit in the basement,
“The project is a great example of bringing the old charm of Belfast and new technologies together.”
42 | IRELAND’S ELECTRICAL MAGAZINE
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