When a renowned Irish law firm decides to have new corporate headquarters constructed, the building itself should also be an optical highlight. And when more than 480 people work in this law firm, the atmosphere in the building also has to be right. The architect had a keen eye on these two requirements when he designed the new corporate headquarters for the law firm McCann FitzGerald at Riverside One in Dublin. The solution: Lots of glass on the façade, lots of natural light in the building – whilst nevertheless maintaining pleasant room temperatures. This is possible with intelligent, automated sun protection.

Working in daylight and an optimum indoor climate
The transparency was attained using two essential elements: On the one hand using a central circular atrium as high as the building itself. This protrudes as a glass cylinder above the roof and distributes sunlight over all 7 floors. The second element is the transparent building skin, which ensures natural light enters the offices. 650 venetian blinds made of dark hardwood are positioned between the two glass layers of the façade. These venetian blinds are moved by drives from the German manufacturer elero.

Control in line with the weather conditions
A complex building technology system combining sun protection with air-conditioning, ventilation and heating is controlled by the drives. With the aid of a light sensor on the roof the solar radiation is measured and evaluated separately for each façade. Via the central building control system the corresponding position command is sent to the elero drives from the JA SMI 05 series, ensuring the venetian blind moves into the desired position. The positioning may be performed for the whole building, for one storey or a particular façade. Each individual office may also be controlled via the central system. The staff in the offices can also operate the venetian blinds so as to adjust the position of the blind in accordance with their individual needs.

This ingenious sun protection system makes optimum use of sunlight, minimizing the energy requirements for additional cooling. And not least of all, the exclusive wooden venetian blinds lend dynamism to the façade, which is dominated by glass and metallic elements – a perfect combination of aesthetics and functionality.