Hayes Higgins Partnership’s mechanical and electrical engineering excellence was very much to the fore on the award-winning transformation of the iconic Shelbourne Park Greyhound Stadium in Dublin. Building Ireland touched base with Lead Mechanical & Electrical Engineer Peet Pelser to find out more.
Shelbourne Park Greyhound Stadium came up trumps at the 2025 Irish Construction Excellence (ICE) Awards at The Convention Centre Dublin on May 1st, where the stadium’s stunning redevelopment was honoured with two prestigious awards: the Architectural Design Excellence Award and the Project Fit-Out Award for projects up to €5 million.
Shelbourne Park Greyhound Stadium has been the home of greyhound racing in Ireland for almost a century. Located in the heart of Dublin, the stadium has a rich history and is a significant social and cultural asset for racing enthusiasts, locals and tourists. Over 26 weeks, it was transformed into a modern flagship stadium with top-tier facilities.
This award-winning project transformed Shelbourne Park Greyhound Stadium into a versatile, modern venue capable of hosting various events beyond traditional race nights. With parts of the building nearly 100 years old and the last major refurbishment carried out 25 years ago, the timely renovation successfully enhanced both the venue’s appeal and functionality.
Construction was carefully planned around the racing schedule to minimise disruption, with the works completed within a tight seven-month timeframe to ensure key events, including Christmas and the Derby, were maintained. Key objectives included creating a flexible layout, improving accessibility and introducing a modern aesthetic.
The upgraded venue seeks to attract a broader audience, positioning Shelbourne Park as a premier Dublin event destination. Ultimately, the largescale transformation aims to revitalise the venue, making it a vibrant hub for both racing enthusiasts and the wider community
Hayes Higgins Partnership was the Mechanical & Electrical Engineer on the project and their priceless contribution was overseen by chartered engineer Peet Pelser. As Lead Mechanical & Electrical Engineer, South Africa native Peet – who has added six new engineers to his fantastic mechanical and electrical team in the past 18 months – designed a brilliant bespoke HVAC system specifically for this project.
This ingenious HVAC solution was a VRF System with MVHR supplied by Mitsubishi Electric. Shelbourne Park, being an entertainment venue of note, will experience high occupancy volumes and the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) system needed to be able to cater for the associated comfort and ventilation requirements.
The bespoke VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) system incorporates MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery) to satisfy these requirements. A VRF system delivers outstanding seasonal energy efficiency providing simultaneous heating and cooling with the added benefit of heat recovery. It further offers great benefits in terms of ease of installation and maintenance.
Controls can be programmed to a predetermined setpoint (usually 21degC) to ensure optimum occupant comfort at all times. VRF technology utilises the heat pump (vapour compression) cycle, which ensures that a minimum Seasonal Coefficient of Performance (SCoP) of 3 is obtained – this means that for every unit of electrical energy absorbed, three units of heating/cooling energy are produced.
Heat pump technology is the preferred heating solution (in lieu of gas fired boilers) for new developments and refurbishments to achieve the energy efficiency targets imposed by the new Part L building regulations since they do not utilise fossil fuels.
The VRF system has the additional benefit of having a relatively small footprint and is quite flexible in its design configurations, making it the perfect candidate for a refurbishment project such as Shelbourne Park. VRF type systems have been utilised in stadium and entertainment applications worldwide with great results.
“Our client, Greyhound Racing Ireland, is very satisfied with the results achieved by this HVAC solution and they have expressed their interest in incorporating a similar system at Curaheen Greyhound Stadium in Cork,” Peet notes. “Shelbourne Park Stadium is a project that’s very close to my heart because, after I was contacted by Hayes Higgins Partnership and brought to Ireland in 2022, it was the first project I took on from start to finish – from design stage right through to completion.
“For it to go on and receive such high accolades and win so many awards, I’m very, very proud of that. From a personal perspective, it took a bit of adjustment to get used to my new environment, but this project wasn’t a bad start to my career in Ireland! To be involved in such a prestigious project as my first one, I was very lucky.”
This 35,000 sq. ft. refurbishment of Shelbourne Park upgrades and transforms the historic venue into a world-class stadium facility that will provide impressive social and cultural experiences. The high-end fit out includes sports bars, restaurant, café, lounge, museum, new front entrance and external improvements.
“I should point out that I only oversaw the Mechanical and Electrical engineering element; we also have a civil and structural engineering department,” Peet continues. “As a chartered engineer, I delivered the mechanical design, while my colleague Johan, who is also a chartered engineer, also from South Africa, and also with 20+ years’ experience, did the electrical design.
“There are so many people who contributed to the success of the mechanical and electrical element on Shelbourne Park Stadium that it’s difficult to know where to begin. I’d designed a lot of VRF systems previously in South Africa and always used Mitsubishi Electric. I reached out to them again in Ireland and they were very helpful. They gave me a great product, great service and a great aftersales service.
“The mechanical contractors, Pure Engineering, were fantastic. They were very active and collaborative throughout and they deserve a lot of praise, as do the electrical contractor, Locksley Engineering, the main contractor, Grant Fit Out Ltd., and the architect, LAM Architects.
“If you want a project to be a success, as this one was, then there has to be a collaborative approach between the design team, the project team and the main contractor. I have to say that on Shelbourne Park Stadium the collaboration was exceptional and of note.”
Hayes Higgins Partnership is a multidisciplinary consulting engineering practice employing 38 staff in Dublin, Kilkenny and London. Over 44 years in business, they leverage their unique expertise to ensure the consistent delivery of industry-leading consultancy services.
Project Managers, Consulting Civil, Structural, Fire Safety, Transport, Environmental and Building Services Engineers, Hayes Higgins Partnership specialise exclusively in low energy building solutions and infrastructure engineering, providing impartial engineering advice and design solutions that consistently satisfy clients’ business objectives.
Leaning on a wealth of expertise and embracing innovation, they have worked on a diverse range of projects including educational, healthcare, leisure, custodial, public and private housing.
HHP is one of a small number of engineering organisations in Ireland who are recognised providers of Continual Professional Development (CPD) for their engineering staff by Engineers Ireland.
Hayes Higgins Partnership,
The Arches, Gas House Lane, Kilkenny.
Tel: 056 7813164
Mobile: 083 1188450
Fax.: 056 7723223
Website: www.hhp.ie
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/hayes-higgins-partnership
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HayesHiggins
This article was published in Building Ireland Magazine, January 2026, Vol 12 No 1
featured, Hayes Higgins Partnership
