UCC's Environmental Research Institute (ERI) has received an award for architectural excellence from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
The Award is one of thirteen RIBA European Awards announced by the RIBA.
The ERI was established in 2000 to support and further develop multidisciplinary environmental research and education within UCC to the highest international standards and to facilitate collaboration with industry involving both technology transfer and the development of potential spin-off companies.
Funded by the Higher Education Authority - through the Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI Cycle II) - and supported by Sustainable Energy Ireland, the Institute brings together researchers from a variety of departments - including chemists, microbiologists, ecologists, marine scientists and environmental engineers.
The building is especially appropriate for environmental research as it is a 'green' building that has been designed and constructed to the highest standards of sustainable design and energy efficiency.
Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) part-funded many of the sustainable energy features of the building, such as the solar panels, geothermal heat pumps and heat recovery systems. The building itself is part of an exciting 'living experiment' research project - also part-funded by SEI - being conducted by the College's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, that studies not only the way green buildings are designed, but how they perform and the methods used to assess this.
A further two buildings in Cork beat off international competition. Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) and the new Civic Offices for Cork City Council were also honoured along with Cherry Orchard Primary School, Dublin - the fourth of the Irish winners.
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