Window restoration and ventilation upgrade at St. Mary’s Hospital

Background

St. Mary’s Rehabilitation Hospital, in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, caters for elderly and stroke patients as well as providing day outpatient services. It is part of St. Mary’s campus, which is about 32 acres and is home to many buildings of different sizes and ages.

The hospital building dates to before the French Revolution and the 1798 Rebellion. The façade, including a signature clock, is architecturally impressive. However, the more than 60 uPVC windows were inefficient and draughty and not in keeping with the architectural heritage of the building.

The project

The hospital’s Green Team, led by Hospital Manager Louise Dodrill, inspired this project. In 2024, Louise guided the project from its inception through to completion. The team prioritised the building’s architectural heritage and took great care to protect it while carrying out the upgrades with sensitivity.

The contractors refurbished and replaced windows and doors on the front façade, sealed wall vents, and rerouted mechanical ventilation ductwork.

The team carefully planned the six-month project to ensure the hospital continued operating without disruption, including keeping the main entrance open. They carried out the work in three phases, tackling each of the three floors one at a time.

During construction, the team relocated service users to another building on the site, Chapel View. Staff who normally worked in Chapel View moved to a separate location, and the team prepared the building with remedial work to support its temporary use as a ward with rehabilitation services.

Strong communication and teamwork between contractors, Estates, hospital management, and staff drove the project’s success. Everyone understood the tight timeframe and worked together to stay on schedule and meet all deadlines.

Results

The team spent €800,000 to restore and replace windows, upgrade ventilation, and remove asbestos. They expect to recoup this cost within six years. The new windows reduced heat loss throughout the building, leading to a 9.8% energy saving.

• 9.84% annual energy reduction (from 3,160,357 kWh to 2,877,205 kWh)
• 23.44% annual cost saving (from €158,228.86 to €206,676.30)
• 9.84% annual CO₂ reduction (from 577.75 kg CO₂ to 525.99 kg CO₂)

These results clearly show the importance of retrofitting older buildings and highlight the significant environmental benefits. Teams across other HSE locations could replicate similar window upgrade projects.

As a bonus, the presence of contractors onsite created an opportunity to upgrade flooring throughout the main wards and repair the historic clock on the front of the building, which hadn’t ticked since the 1950s.

Pathfinder programme

This project was supported by SEAI’s pathfinder programme. Through this programme, SEAI partners with public bodies, such as the HSE, to achieve their retrofit goals. We do this by building capacity and knowledge within the sector.