South East based Main Contractor Mythen Construction Ltd was delighted to be associated with the stunning new main building at St David’s Holy Faith Secondary School in Greystones, Co. Wicklow which was among the winners at the recent Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) Architecture Awards in the National Gallery of Ireland.
McCullough Mulvin Architects received the prestigious ‘Public Buildings and Infrastructure’ Award for designing the building which was delivered in collaboration with Mythen Construction Ltd for the Board of Management of St David’s Holy Faith Secondary School. The RIAI Awards celebrate buildings across all areas of our built environment, from small rural communities to our towns and urban centres. This year’s theme centered on sustainability, focusing on the reuse, repair, adaptation and retrofit of existing buildings as key to addressing climate change.
“We are extremely proud to be associated with this award-winning project. We partner with McCullough Mulvin Architects on a regular basis and congratulate them on their win,” noted CIF South- East Chairman & Mythen Construction Ltd Commercial Director Leonard Daly.
“The commencement of the project coincided with the initial stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. The project faced many unforeseen challenges at that period, all of which were successfully overcome. We were one of the first construction companies to implement the CIF’s Return to Work Safety Protocol. We rose to the challenge of working in a live environment, firstly among ourselves and then when the school reopened to its Teachers & students, all while there were strict Covid restrictions in place.
“An elevated level of interaction with both the School Management and Design Teams ensured classes weren’t affected in any way. To facilitate the demolition and replacement of the existing centre building and maintain normal function of the school, it was necessary to install temporary accommodation in the existing staff car park for the duration of the construction.
“The temporary accommodation comprised a block of six classrooms on the existing hard surface ball courts. Temporary Accommodation was impossible to source in the marketplace at the time, primarily due to Covid 19 requirements for such temporary buildings elsewhere, therefore we designed and built the temporary Accommodation structure ourselves to ensure no delayed delivery of the project.
“A temporary stairs was constructed at one of the two adjacent buildings to allow for emergency egress from the first floor. These were only required for operational and safety reasons during the build. Several interfacing phases were required to maintain the live existing school environs.”
The main scope of works involved the demolition of the existing centre building and the construction of a four-storey new block located between the existing two blocks which were both extensively renovated and upgraded to a sustainable energy efficient standard alongside a new state of the Art Multi-purpose sports arena facility. The new buildings alongside the refurbished buildings combined to provide a high energy-efficient project. The project includes exceptional features such as finished polished Concrete floors & Boardmark Walls & feature Foyer benching, glulam timber beams, energy efficient service installations, complete External Self coloured insulated Plastered system wrap to existing buildings and boasts incredible seascape views.
Mythen Construction Ltd has exceptional experience delivering Educational projects, particularly in live environments and are currently engaged in similar major Educational projects in both Waterford , Stillorgan and Harcourt Terrace, Dublin.
“The Department of Education have been a repeat client of ours for decades. We continue to enjoy an excellent
working relationship with them,” Leonard explains.
“Another repeat client is the Department of Defence. We recently completed an extensive Conservation and new build project for them at McKee Barracks in Dublin and are currently commencing work on the new Defence Forces Training Centre in The Curragh.
“We are also busy delivering social and affordable housing for local authorities and approved housing bodies as well as operating within the private housing market. Current works also include completion to the Wexford Women’s Refuge and a deep Fast-track retrofit energy upgrade project in Wicklow for the Department of Education in conjunction with SEAI.
“We have a variety of clients in both the public and private sector and with several new Substantial projects due to commence shortly, look forward to another successful growth period for the company.”
Founded in Longraigue, Foulksmills, Co. Wexford by brothers Billy and Maurice Mythen, Mythen Construction Ltd has operated as a Limited company since 1994 and has grown to become a nationally recognised Main Contractor and certified Heritage Contractor employing in excess of 65 people directly and hundred more through our dedicated supply chain. The company has fostered strong relationships with repeat supply chain partners and has successfully completed hundreds of projects across all ranges of the construction industry, with values ranging from €250,000 to in excess of €50 million.
Mythen Construction Ltd’s history of outstanding workmanship, experience and trustworthy reputation ensures your project is delivered safely, to the highest standards and in accordance with agreed programme and budgets. Among the sectors it operates within are commercial, education, healthcare, retail, hotel & leisure, residential, industrial, pharmaceutical, social infrastructure, Heritage and fitout projects.
As a company that relishes a challenge, Mythen Construction Ltd brings a unique energy and vision to every project it undertakes, always striving to deliver above and beyond customers’ expectations. In all of its undertakings, Mythen Construction Ltd’s principle of value-for-money, quality customer service and on-time completions are applied to ensure a seamless project delivery for clients. The unique requirements of customers are prioritised throughout each project.
Some of the Main contractor’s recently completed high-profile projects include: Restoration & Conservation of New Butler Art Gallery in Kilkenny in partnership with McCullough Mulvin Architects ; Brewhouse Office redevelopment in New Abbey Quarter Kilkenny , St. Patrick’s Special needs School Enniscorthy which was a first of kind Prototype project, Award winning Kellys Hotel Fasttrack Fit- out works , Nolan Transport Global Logistics Park , New ultra-modern Mortuary at University Hospital Waterford and many more specialized projects in tandem with delivery of an array of both Social, affordable and Private Housing schemes within the South-East region.
Mythen Construction Ltd is an ‘A’ rated Safe T Certified company which operates with a total commitment towards Health & Safety. The Wexford firm is also ISO 9001:2015 registered for its Management Systems, is VCR (Voluntary Construction Register) registered and a member of NISO (National Irish Safety Organisation).
All site management are trained and accredited to the highest standards. Health, safety and welfare is also a major consideration in the procurement and appointment of Mythen’s chain suppliers. The company continues to invest in technology to offer customers latest efficiencies throughout all aspects of each project, from inception to final completion.
Passionate about construction, Mythen Construction Ltd would like to take this opportunity to thank its clients, suppliers, architects, design teams and supply chain partners for their continued support as well as its staff for their hard work, dedication and expertise.
Mythen Construction Ltd
Longraigue,
Foulksmills,
Co. Wexford.
Telephone: +353 (0)51 565 615
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.mythenconstruction.ie
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, October 2024, Vol 10 No 10
