We were appointed as scaffold design consultants for the Garda Headquarters building in Phoenix Park, Dublin. One of Ireland’s most famous public buildings, built in 1842 where major refurbishment works required full access to the roof and upper structure. The project involved designing a large-scale, freestanding scaffold system to provide safe access and full weather protection for the duration of the works. This project highlights the importance of scaffold design in Ireland for heritage preservation.
Our scaffold design solution included a full perimeter freestanding scaffold using the LAYHER system. Due to the sensitive nature of the site and the heritage status of the building, the scaffold could not be tied into the structure. This required a carefully engineered freestanding arrangement with integrated buttressing to ensure stability, all while maintaining access routes around the perimeter of the building. The design was developed with flexibility in mind to allow for phased works and scaffold adaptations as needed.
A full system temporary roof was installed as part of the scaffold package, covering the entire building footprint. The temporary roof design was critical to protect the building from weather during roof replacement and structural repairs. We designed the roof structure to span significant distances without internal supports, providing a clear working space below. Our design also accounted for wind loads, drainage, and phased installation to suit the contractor’s programme.
As a scaffold design consultancy working across Ireland and the UK, we specialise in access and temporary works design for complex, high-profile sites. The Garda HQ project is a strong example of heritage scaffold design in Ireland that balances technical demands, site restrictions, and heritage considerations — all while providing safe, buildable solutions that keep refurbishment projects moving forward.