SOLICITOR DAVID Coleman bought a 45-acre forest in Co Leitrim to supply fuel for the woodchip-burning boiler in the new eco-friendly headquarters of his Dublin law firm, Lavelle Coleman, because of difficulties ensuring a continuous supply of fuel.
Mr Coleman and his law partner, solicitor Michael Lavelle, paid more than €20 million for International House on Hatch Street in central Dublin and spent a further €19 million renovating the building, transforming it into an energy-efficient property. The practice has now relocated to the building from Fitzwilliam Square.
The boiler is just one of a number of "green" features in the building. Its windows have a light polaroid glaze which filters the sun but does not reduce the natural light in the building. Brise soleil- angled glass panels on the outside of the building - reduce heat and glare from the sun.
The property has no air conditioning. Instead, the temperature is controlled by "chill beams", small pipes of cold water in the ceilings. Rainwater is retained in the basement, filtered and recycled for use in the toilets.
He bought the forest as a renewable source of supply for the building's boiler, which can take up to 20 tonnes of woodchip at a time. "One of the big issues in woodchip is continuity of supply so you don't really have a choice if you are going to take it on commercially," he said.
Lavelle Coleman employs 80 staff and specialises in litigation, personal injury claims and corporate insolvency. Most recently, it has represented institutional child abuse victims and abuse victims of swim coach Derry O'Rourke.
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