Kingspan’s IKON Innovation Centre in Kingscourt, Ireland, has been recognised for its sustainable design and use of next generation building materials.
Completed in 2019, the 1,950 square metre facility was created to act as the global development research, development and test hub for Kingspan products, and also to offer visitors a glimpse into the built environment of tomorrow.
The building has now been certified LEED Gold, meaning that the design and construction demonstrated exceptionally high standards in terms of sustainability, energy use and innovation.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. Developed by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings.
Accreditation is achieved by accumulating credits for various aspects of design, construction and operation. Credits are awarded in eight categories, including energy & atmosphere, materials & resources, water efficiency, and innovation.
IKON contains state-of-the-art innovation, prototyping and testing labs, and is home to a team dedicated to researching and developing advanced material science with the focus on recyclability, thermal efficiency and reducing the embodied carbon in building products throughout their lifecycle.
The building also has a state of the art Digital Twin which was created during the build process and has been expanded to an operating twin that allows for real time data collection which will further the application of the LEED framework.
The IKON Innovation Centre is the only office building in Ireland that is certified LEED Gold.
Mike Stenson, Kingspan’s Global Head of Innovation, said:
“As part of our Planet Passionate programme we’re committed to achieving net-zero carbon manufacturing by 2030 and to developing industry-leading products, solutions and services that set new standards in terms of lower embodied carbon, thermal efficiency and overall product performance.
“Being awarded Gold for our IKON Innovation Centre is an important symbol of our commitment to a better built environment. I am very proud of the team who helped us to achieve this recognition, including the many partners, such as the building general contractor CGDM, Niall Smith Architects and Millimetre Design, who worked with us to find solutions at every step of the journey.”
