The Genome Resource Unit located at St. Vincent’s University Hospital, Elm Park,
Dublin 4, is a collaboration between St. Vincent’s University Hospital (SVUH) and
University College Dublin (UCD) and contains a mixture of Administration, Medical
and Research facilities. The building was an existing doctor’s residence and was
chosen primarily due to its location being sited with direct access between the main
hospital corridor and the Educational Resource Centre (ERC) Building.

Following an initial feasibility study to determine if the building would be suitable
for conversion to a Genome Resource Unit, the brief was extended to include a new
link building between the GRU and the ERC buildings, with main access point from
the new link building. Vertical circulation was improved within the existing building
by the refurbishment of an existing stairway and the provision of a new lift providing
hospital trolley access from the main hospital corridor to all floors of the GRU.
The building serves as an interface between patients and research facilities and the
ordering of the spaces within the building follows this progression. Patients and staff
access the building via the new link building with interview rooms and administration
at ground floor, procedure and examination rooms as well as research spaces at
first floor and laboratory, research and seminar spaces at second floor. The technical
spaces within the building required servicing through the existing structure and the
diversity of spaces ranging from medical to administrative required a range of finishes
and specifications to be considered for the completed building.