Customer: Galway County Council

Location: Galway, Ireland

Requirement:
Galway County Council needed to replace the aging lifeguard huts on its inland and coastal beaches. The original huts were timber and had to be dismantled and put into storage every year for the winter. The cost of dismantling and reassembling them annually, combined with general maintenance, meant they were no longer a cost-effective long-term solution. The council needed more robust, weather-resistant new buildings that could remain in-situ all year round. The new buildings also needed to be larger than the existing huts, to house the lifeguard's water-rescue equipment.

Solution:
Steven Lally, Senior Executive Engineer in the Corporate Services department at Galway County Council, says: “An Allspace representative visited our offices and we were very interested to hear about the company's galvanised steel anti-vandal buildings. They seemed the ideal solution for our lifeguard buildings. They were the right size for us and their anti-corrosion properties meant they could be left out in the harsh saline environment all year round.”

Allspace listened to the council's specific requirements and designed a configuration for the new lifeguard buildings that fulfilled all of its needs. The company's standard anti-vandal building model was adapted with extensive windows to provide maximum visibility for the lifeguards.

The galvanised steel buildings are corrosion-resistant, capable of withstanding year-round exposure to coastal weather conditions. They are also extremely robust and secure, which was an important consideration for the council, since the buildings would be located in isolated beach areas. The buildings are low-maintenance too, helping the council to reduce annual upkeep and repair costs.

The council initially purchased two buildings to see how they performed. It was the first time these anti-vandal units had been used for this novel application, and they lived up to all expectations. The council purchased a further four lifeguard buildings from Allspace the following summer.

All of the buildings were delivered by Allspace on the agreed dates, and set up ready for use prior to the busy summer season.

Steven says: “One of our essential requirements was that the buildings provided plenty of window space so that lifeguards on duty could monitor the beach effectively from within the building. Allspace did a good job of adapting their buildings to meet this specification.

“The service provided by Allspace has been very good throughout, and the new buildings are fulfilling all our requirements.”