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. Major refurbishment works required full access to the roof and upper structure, and the project involved designing a large-scale freestanding scaffold system to provide safe access and full weather protection for the duration of the works.
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 using the LAYHER system, with integrated buttressing to ensure stability while maintaining access routes around the building perimeter.
A full system temporary roof was installed as part of the scaffold package, covering the entire building footprint. The temporary roof was designed to span significant distances without internal supports, providing a clear working space below — while accounting for wind loads, drainage, and phased installation.
Full freestanding scaffold and temporary roof design using the LAYHER system, with 2D construction drawings, 3D model and structural calculations covering the complete building perimeter. The design resolved the core constraint — full stability without any ties into the 1842 heritage fabric — through an engineered buttress and bracing arrangement verified against Irish wind loading requirements.