Vision Contracting Ltd was delighted to be a winner in the ‘Tourism & Hospitality Project of the Year’ category at the recent Irish Construction Industry (ICI) Awards for its successful delivery of Meakstown Community Centre in Dublin.
No stranger to winning prestigious accolades and approaching 15 years in business, Vision Contracting is a leading builder in a number of niche market segments which continues to go from strength to strength. As well as winning the ‘Tourism & Hospitality Project of the Year’ Award, Vision Contracting was also nominated in the and ‘Green Project of the Year’ category as well for the Meakstown project. Launched in 2014, the Irish Construction Industry (ICI) Awards recognise, encourage and celebrate original and innovative contractors, businesses, teams, consultants and projects that demonstrate excellence in the built environment.
Meakstown Community Centre is a state-of-the-art, circular community facility with a green roof in Finglas, Dublin 11, designed to serve as a central hub for local residents. Located next to Meakstown’s public park and playgrounds, the Centre features a spacious indoor sports hall, a dance studio, multi-functioned spaces, a unique ‘Changing Places’ facility for people with disabilities and an external riverwalk landscaped garden.
The complex geometric structure of the Centre, particularly its intricate circular design, presented significant construction challenges. Bringing such a vision to life demanded a blend of specialised expertise, meticulous planning and innovative construction solutions. A key aspect of this is the reliance on precision off-site fabrication where diverse elements (precast concrete, tubular steel and solar-clad glazing) were manufactured at several off-site facilities, with zero in-situ tolerance when they were brought to site and fitted together perfectly, minimising errors and the need for on-site adjustments, which was crucial for achieving the exact circular geometry intended.
Valued at €8 million and spanning 1,300 sq. m., the project was completed in 75 weeks on time and within budget. The project team consisted of main contractor Vision Contracting, client Fingal County Council Community Department, architect / assigned certifier Henchion & Reuter Architects (Martin Henchion), quantity surveyor Walsh Associates, structural engineer Roughan & O’Donovan, M&E engineer Matt O’Mahony & Associates (MOMA), planning consultant The Planning Partnership and fire consultant / access consultant Eamon O’Boyle & Associates.
Key suppliers and subcontractors included KH Engineering (structural steel), BCL Ltd (green roof installation), Moy Materials (green roof build-up insulation, drainage layers, membranes, substrate, sedum), Craft Stone Ltd (specialist precast concrete cladding) and Kokoon Glazing (triple-glazed windows).
“We were thrilled to be shortlisted in two categories for Meakstown Community Centre,” Vision Contracting contracts manager John Healy enthuses.
“It’s a very unique building in the corner of the park which blends in seamlessly with its surroundings thanks to the amazing work of the architects and design team. It needed a lot of attention to detail by our site team because of the challenge posed by the building’s geometry. But we were delighted with the finished product and to be able to hand it over to Fingal County Council as a multi-purpose centre that will be a fantastic asset to the community for many years to come.
“On the day of the official opening, which was performed by the Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh, you could tell what it meant to the local residents. It is really important to them and has already become a hub of the community.”
John continues: “We enjoyed an excellent relationship with all of the stakeholders, not least Fingal County Council who were so impressed that they asked us to repeat the same design and construction in Baldoyle. That project is nearing completion. We’ve also refurbished existing and older community centres for them and it’s great to be able to maintain that relationship with such a valued client. A special thanks to Fingal County Council’s Daire Bracken for his important role throughout the Meakstown project and to Damien McGourty, the Clerk of Works.
“It’s very rewarding when you see how much people benefit from these centres. It makes all the hard work worthwhile. Meakstown is very well designed, it’s a new modern, high-tech, energy-efficient building which needed everyone’s attention to detail and buy-in for a successful outcome.
“From a construction point of view, it was a real team effort by all Vision staff, from our site team to all our back-up team working collaboratively to produce something special. I would like to give a special mention to our Building Services, Health & Safety, Quality & BCAR admin, QS & Estimating, Purchasing and Programming & Planning departments for all of their hard work. These are the people who made it happen behind-the-scenes.
“The design team, headed by Martin Henchion with Kevin Moran, and including Paul O’Brien of Matt O’Mahony Associates, Kieran O’Riordan, Andrew Thomson and Nicholas McCann of ROD Engineers and Stephen Lee of EOBA, were a pleasure to work with. They led and helped us navigate through the difficult challenges of such a landmark design.
“And not forgetting Vision director Aidan O’Connell, who ensured everything was in order.”
Speaking at the official opening of the Meakstown Community Centre last November, The Mayor of Fingal, Cllr Brian McDonagh, stated: “This newly-developed state-of-the-art facility is an excellent addition to Fingal’s wide range of community facilities. The community centre, public park, playgrounds, and the Bloom community garden will be a big asset to the people of Meakstown and beyond.
“It will be a place for young and old to engage in community activities which will help empower the development of the Meakstown area into the future. I would like to acknowledge the planning, foresight and hard work from community volunteers and council officials and that has enabled this facility to come to fruition.”
Meakstown resident and director Yvonne Gregg added: “For years, our community dreamed of a hub like this. Vision Contracting turned that dream into an extraordinary reality. Their engagement throughout the build, led by project manager John Healy, was exceptional, and their commitment to site security and tidiness in our public park was evident.
“The centre itself is a stunning, environmentally-friendly, state-of-the-art facility – a truly fabulous build. Seeing it packed with events, from Zumba to men’s yoga, is incredibly heartwarming. We’re grateful to Vision Contracting for this remarkable achievement in Meakstown.”
Established in 2011, Vision Contracting has grown to employ 160 people at up to 50 sites nationally and at its offices in Cork, Dublin and Limerick. The four original directors were Niall O’Meara (managing director), Mick Allen (construction director), Aidan Drummond (surveying director) and Colm Fehily (commercial director). They have since been joined by Aidan O’Connell (construction director for Dublin and Leinster region) and Dermot Daly (quantity surveyor director).
As a close-knit team, they have been directly involved in the delivery of a diverse range of construction projects throughout Ireland and the UK, ranging in values from €500,000 to €100 million.
Vision Contracting has earned an enviable reputation for delivering on complex projects through innovation, flexibility and the early-adoption of new methods and technology. The core approach – for every team-member and department – is hands-on and customer focused. The company takes communicating with clients very seriously and offers them the accessibility and support of a local company with national experience.
It is owner-driven. And as a relatively young company in a highly-competitive sector where track-records and reputation really count, is committed to building enduring customer relationships.
With a strong record of working in the pharmaceutical, public, commercial and retail sectors, Vision Contracting has delivered numerous projects successfully and sets itself apart from its peers by prioritising customer focus, a commitment to solutions-based working and by its collaborative and partnering approach.
As well as this absolute dedication to customer service, value-for-money and operational excellence, Vision Contracting is particularly proud of its employees and staff, whose dedication and unrelenting commitment has been instrumental in the growth and success of the business. The award-winning contractor’s unique approach allows it to develop perfectly-crafted construction solutions that deliver the best outcomes and help create superior overall value.
Vision Contracting Ltd
Dublin Office
Unit A8,
Block A,
Centre Point Business Park,
Oak Drive,
Dublin 12,
D12 V342.
Telephone +353 (0)1 401 9757
Email: [email protected]
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, Winter 2025, Vol 11 No 14
