DAERA's story
Located at the former Shackleton Barracks in Ballykelly, the state-of-the-art Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) office-space integrates modern, cutting edge technologies and takes an innovative approach to multi-site working across the DAERA network.
DAERA works to support the vision of a 'living, working, active landscape valued by everyone' with a 'balance between a healthy environment, a thriving and sustainable agri-food industry and thriving rural communities'. This building reflects this vision, with large open spaces and glass walls to allow natural light to infiltrate the space and make for an enjoyable working environment.
The move to relocate DAERA to Ballykelly House was a flagship project. Acting as one of three DAERA headquarter buildings, the project was created with the intention of stimulating rural economies.
Ballykelly House was awarded the CEF Construction Excellence 'Commercial Project of the Year 2018' award, with judges commenting on the use of natural light, ventilation and internal space, along with the efficient management of significant changes during the pre-construction stage.
Useful learnings from DAERA
It is important to clearly state the objectives of the building and the project at the outset. For Ballykelly House, this was to provide space for staff to work in a comfortable and productive environment while meeting specific environmental standards, being designed to achieve BREEAM 'Excellent' & setting the new benchmark standard for Universal Accessibility. These objectives provided benefits both during construction and while the building is in use.
To ensure the development meets the needs of the staff using the building, a close working relationship and engagement with architects and end users should be encouraged from the planning stage right through the design and construction phase.
DAERA's metrics
Energy costs of the building.
Number of awards won by the building.
