Irish Courts Bundle 1
The background
In 2012, Ireland’s Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform launched a €2.25 billion Infrastructure Stimulus Package designed to support economic growth. As part of this initiative, the Courts Bundle 1 PPP project was established to transform judicial infrastructure across Ireland, addressing the urgent need to modernise courthouses that were no longer fit for purpose while preserving the historical importance of these buildings within their local communities.
The Courts Bundle 1 PPP project comprised the refurbishment and extension of courthouses in Cork, Mullingar, Waterford, Wexford and Limerick, alongside the development of new courthouse facilities in Drogheda and Letterkenny. The successful delivery of the project required a highly sensitive approach to heritage conservation, with five of the courthouses designated as Protected Structures requiring extensive internal and external preservation works.
Delivered on behalf of the Irish Government between 2017 and 2018, Invesis successfully completed the project under a long-term PPP contract to design, build, finance and maintain the courthouse facilities.
Since becoming operational, the new and enhanced courts have contributed to the efficient delivery of legal services across Ireland, helping to reduce waiting times, improve user experience and lower litigation-related costs. As part of the project, Invesis provides operational services for 31 courtrooms and approximately 36,000m² of accommodation.
Client
NDFA acting as Agent for the Courts Service of Ireland
Capital Value
€150m
Sponsor/Investor
Invesis
Consortium
Courts Bundle Ltd
Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC)
BAM Building Ltd
Operations and Maintenance (O&M)
BAM FM Ireland Ltd
Business value
The Authority developed a Design Intent for each courthouse and secured planning approval prior to tender, establishing a clear vision for the programme while allowing bidders the flexibility to optimise layouts, spatial arrangements and façade designs. This approach enabled designs to evolve in line with the Authority’s sustainability objectives, operational requirements and whole-life cost considerations.
Invesis undertook a detailed assessment of the unique conservation and operational challenges associated with each courthouse, working collaboratively with specialist designers and construction partners to deliver facilities that successfully balance heritage preservation with modern functionality. Through this integrated approach, the project comprehensively conserved the surviving fabric and architectural features of the historic courthouses while enhancing their presentation as modern civic buildings suitable for use in the 21st century.
By partnering with Invesis, the client benefited from high-quality courthouse facilities, each featuring a bespoke architectural solution that respected the historical significance of the original structures while ensuring long-term operational performance and sustainability.
Key features
By using the PPP contract approach and partnering with Invesis, the project…
- Engaged three specialist architectural practices – Wilson Architecture, A&D Wejchert and CCH Architects – to develop bespoke courthouse designs while carefully conserving their historical features
- Made comprehensive use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) to support Design Intent development and enhance the conservation of Protected Structures
- Won the Irish Construction Excellence Award in the Public or Heritage category in 2020
- Cork Courthouse recognised as Public Building Project of the Year at the Irish Building & Design Awards in 2019
