Full arch lintels from Keystone Lintels have ensured structural integrity and sensitive repurposing of Ballina’s 18th century military barracks into a digital hub and innovation centre.
The €5.5m Ballina Innovation Quarter project has seen the town’s 18th-century military barracks restored and converted into 20 business units whilst providing the capacity to create up to 210 jobs. With the 17,200 sq ft building a protected structure dating back to circa 1740, this required the Mayo County Council architectural team to integrate modern construction systems whilst preserving the integrity of the original design and maintaining conservation principles.
Consisting of three two-storey structures with an internal courtyard, the derelict former military barracks were in various states of repair and required complete restoration. This included the exterior fabric comprising a mix of rubble stone and brickwork. As part of the restoration of the front elevations of Buildings A and B, two heavy duty full arch lintels were specified with a 2400mm span and incorporating both a 215mm inner and outer leaf.
To meet their requirements, Keystone’s technical team worked closely with main contractor LPB Building Services and developed a one-piece lintel design solution by taking into consideration loading conditions and the required rendered detailing above window openings for each application. Fabricated off-site with exemplary craftmanship, Keystone’s dedicated technical team ensured each bespoke lintel was manufactured to the size, shape and aesthetic requirements within the project build schedule.
Commenting, Michael Prendergast, Site Manager at LPB Building Services said: “This was the first time we had worked with Keystone Lintels and we found their customer and technical support to be exemplary. The team assisted with the drawings and were extremely timely with fabrication of the full arch lintel and delivery to site, ensuring our build schedule remained on track for completion.”
Keystone is the largest supplier of steel lintels in the UK and Ireland and carries more stock than any of its rivals. For bespoke applications, architects, housebuilders and contractors can specify brick feature requirements by utilising Keystone’s free Brick Slip Feature Lintel design service.
With the renovation of these 18th century barracks now complete, Keystone’s full arch lintels are an intrinsic design feature in this historical landmark which is set to become a thriving digital media hub in the west of Ireland.