RCSI has announced that it has awarded the main construction contract for the extension of the RCSI Education and Research Centre, Smurfit Building at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin to the Stewart Group.

RCSI will invest in the region of €11 million in the development of the construction of the three-story extension. The construction value of the project is €9.5m marking the largest capital investment in the Beaumont Hospital Campus in a considerable period. The project will create approximately 200 jobs over the course of the development. Construction will commence in January 2017 and works are scheduled for 18 months for completion by mid-2018. 

The project will incorporate a new student concourse at ground floor to link the existing building, with the new facility. The new facilities will include a series of large flexible multi-functional tutorial rooms on the ground floor, open plan faculty offices and meeting spaces on the first floor and laboratory and research facilities, including write up space, on the second floor. The building will be linked vertically with a feature stairs under a large atrium.

Professor Cathal Kelly, CEO/Registrar of RCSI, said: “Today’s contract signing for the expansion of the RCSI Education and Research Centre, Smurfit Building paves the way for the next level of RCSI investment in healthcare education and research in Ireland and will extend the existing RCSI facilities at Beaumont Hospital to create world-class modern facilities for our students and staff.” 

The RCSI Education and Research Centre (ERC), Smurfit Building was first opened at Beaumont Hospital in 2000 and is home to the first academic Clinical Research Centre to be established in Ireland. The ERC forms part of RCSI’s Research Institute which is a multi-site research infrastructure encompassing the research activities of RCSI at the St Stephen’s Green campus and the RCSI Education and Research Centre (ERC) at Beaumont Hospital. 

Rachael Stewart, Business Development Director, Stewart Group, observed, “The ERC extension project is an exciting opportunity for Stewart to collaborate on the creation of a future proof, state-of-the-art medical learning facility, which will harvest leading international medical professionals for generations to come. The Stewart brand is synonymous with excellence in our field which is in perfect alignment with RCSI’s unrivalled, international reputation. Stewart employ flexible and dynamic construction professionals who are equipped to rapidly respond to our clients’ needs, which is of particular importance on a live hospital campus.”

Established in 1902, Stewart is one of Ireland’s leading construction companies with offices in Dublin and Galway. The company has expertise in many sectors including commercial, industrial, healthcare, education and pharmaceutical. Project Managers are RCSI, Project Architects McCauley Daye O’Connell, Cost Consultancy Aecom, Service Engineers OCSC and Civil and Structural Engineers CS Consulting Group.