Housing at Holywell, Swords, Co Dublin

ROD was engaged by Fingal County Council to provide civil and structural engineering design services for a 57-bed residential development at Holywell Link Road in Swords, Co. Dublin. The design team also included Henchion Reuter Architects; MOMA (M&E); the Planning Partnership (Planning and Environmental Assessment); Walsh Associates (Q&S); and EOBA (Fire Safety).

The scheme comprised 20 one-beds, 29 two-beds and eight three-beds, arranged over three blocks of varying heights, from four to six storeys. Provision was made for 223 bicycle parking spaces and 34 surface vehicle parking spaces. Works included drainage and attenuation, and all associated site and infrastructural works.

The development was granted planning under a Section 179A application to An Bord Pleanála (now An Coimisiún Pleanála) for larger housing schemes. As part of the application for planning permission, ROD prepared a full Stage 3 Flood Risk Assessment, which included the design of compensatory storage.

The development was delivered through a design-and-build (D&B) route, with Vision Contracting Ltd. as the D&B contractor.  During the construction stage, the design team acted as Technical Advisors to Fingal County Council and ensured the contractor’s design met the client’s requirements.

ROD worked closely with the architect to develop a precast concrete solution for the main structure, with high-quality brickwork throughout. Proposed SuDS measures included blue/green roof systems, permeable paving, detention basins and swales in addition to traditional flow control. 

While the contractor largely followed the original design intent, its designers worked closely with ROD on all minor changes, such as using twin-wall sandwich systems to provide the speed and quality of precast concrete while delivering the waterproof reliability of poured in-situ concrete.

The project was completed in in mid-2026.

• Civil engineering design
• Structural engineering design
• Technical Advisor services