MMD Construction has handed over Block 9 at Haulbowline Naval Base in Cork Harbour, following the conservation and refurbishment of the historic building for the Department of Defence. The protected 1,800 square metre structure, originally built as a Victualling Store, has been converted into modern office accommodation for Naval Service personnel.

MMD Construction, headquartered at Cork Airport Business Park and founded in 2000, employs between 90 and 100 staff and reports turnover of around €20 million. The company holds Registered Heritage Contractor status.

Block 9 forms part of the Royal Alexandra Yard, a victualling yard built for the Royal Navy between 1806 and 1822, and is listed as a regionally protected structure. Haulbowline Naval Base passed to the Irish Free State in 1923 and remains the headquarters of the Irish Naval Service today.

New facilities and building services were introduced while safeguarding the building's historic character. A key element of the project was the restoration of the original pitch-pine roof trusses, with MMD's in-house workshop using sound timber salvaged from Block 9 to craft bespoke inserts, giving the recovered material a new purpose within the building.

The structural driver is repurposing salvaged original fabric rather than sourcing new materials, preserving as much of the protected structure as possible while bringing it up to modern office standards for a live operational base.

Working inside a fully operational naval base required detailed planning and close coordination throughout delivery, with the completed scheme giving the building a renewed purpose and long term future at Haulbowline.

MMD Construction thanked its project team, subcontractors, OBFA Architects and the wider design team for their collaboration, noting that the successful handover reflects the efforts of everyone involved.

For the sector, the Block 9 project shows how salvaged original materials can be repurposed within a protected structure to meet modern operational standards without compromising heritage value.

Source: Construction Ireland / Buildings of Ireland