In October, Tracey Brothers Ltd proved that the company is top of the class when they scooped two of the three awards they were nominated for at the annual CEF Construction Excellence Awards. Contracts Manager Peter Daly told us all about the achievement for the company and recent works by Tracey Brothers Ltd.
Tracey Brothers Ltd is a company with over 60 years of experience in the construction industry and over the decades it has grown to become one of the major building contractors in Ireland.
Established in the 1950s, the Co Fermanagh-based company has always strived for excellence in all aspects of works and specialise in management of highly complex projects providing fully serviced buildings and landscaped sites to exacting standards achieving high levels of customer satisfaction.
Peter Daly was Contracts Manager on both the award winning projects with the Eolas Building at NUI Maynooth taking the GB and ROI Construction Award and Dromore Central Primary School winning the Education Infrastructure Award and he explained that the education sector was an area the company traditionally maintained a presence in along with a number of other market sectors in both the private and public sector.
“Tracey Brothers carry out works in a varied range of construction sectors, including schools, colleges, universities, medical, hi-technology and scientific research and pharmaceutical works as well as currently being involved in the industrial, commercial office and retails sectors including carrying out both construction and fit out works. This broad ranging portfolio has allowed Tracey Brothers to successfully trade through the challenges presented by the Irish construction market over the past eight years,” Peter outlined.
“We are continuing to work in the education sector with a £20 Million project recently commenced for a new school and external facilities at St Patrick’s Academy in Dungannon which will be completed late in 2018, whilst the company also is completing a new swimming pool development for Clongowes Wood College in Co. Kildare.
“These projects are complimenting a number of on-going private sector projects currently being undertaken by Tracey Brothers which is perhaps a reflection of the recent upturn in private sector investment in new developments, something that was very limited in the construction market for a number of years.’’
Commenting on the award winning projects, Managing Director John Tracey said: “We were up against stiff competition and are extremely proud of both awards – especially the coveted GB & Republic of Ireland Construction Award. Our continued success is a testament to our committed and experienced management and workforce.”
The new €20.6million Eolas building at Maynooth University is a state-of-the art research powerhouse that is driving innovative teaching methods, fostering collaboration with industry and deepening a culture of ‘spin-out’ companies.
The iconic Eolas building is clad in bespoke perforated metal filigree cladding. The perforations are based on an abstract Binary pattern and of ‘punch cards’ used in 20th Century data processing, reflecting the research and teachings within. The building has the capacity to accommodate 575 staff with teaching facilities for 350 students in labs and classrooms at any one time.
The University expressed their delight and immense satisfaction with this high quality, complex and highly serviced building with President Philip Nolan stating ‘how happy each and every occupant is with the design and execution’ and paid tribute to Tracey Brothers and the architects and professional team responsible.
Peter outlined how for this GB and ROI award: “We had to put in a video submission for the judges which allowed us to showcase the building and all aspects of its design, construction and functionality as well as including contributions from both the designers and the client at NUI Maynooth which highly praised the approach to and execution of the works by Tracey Brothers and their team. This all contributed to the judge’s final decision.”
Also demonstrating the company’s versatility within the education centre is the work on Dromore Central Primary School. This £8.5million project involved the replacement of the original school with a new 25-classroom school constructed on a brownfield site in a densely populated area with many redevelopment issues.
Peter outlined how: “The judges came on site in Dromore and asked us questions about the challenges of the project and we were able to explain how Tracey Brothers worked with the design team to develop a specialist design to deal with the very challenging ground conditions, using a deep soil mix solution. It worked perfectly and the project was a fantastic success.”
The School is designed to give a strong statement about the vision, connectivity, culture and its end purpose. In addition to the new classrooms, the school includes two special needs rooms as well as grass and hard play outdoor areas.
All have been finished to offer a bright and modern school environment that offers pupils and staff access to the latest technology. Tracey Brothers have delivered a complex highly serviced new school on a landscaped site that bears no resemblance to its challenging origins.
The success of Tracey Brothers has been built on a reputation for quality, right through from design to completion. Their specialist divisions and associates can handle all stages and types of construction projects with the business well-known for its disciplined management team and skilled workforce, with a wide experience in providing traditional construction, as well as Design & Build services who ensure that contracts are completed entirely to the client’s satisfaction on programme and within budget.
It is this collaborative approach with clients and designers and a willingness to share the experience and knowledge gained downed through the years that has seen Tracey Brothers achieve membership of the Chartered Institute of Building and recognition as a Chartered Building Company. The membership is testament to the quality of works, management, personnel and systems and the integrity and ethos that they operate within the industry.
Tracey Brothers
Address: Drumlyon House, Drumlyon,
Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh BT74 5TB
Tel: (028) 6632 3471
Fax: (028) 6632 3843
Email: [email protected]
Taken from Building Ireland Magazine, January 2017, Vol 3 No 1
