Minkiö Museum Extension

David Hughes, FRIAI, RIBA

Concept Render: 60-Degree Passivhaus Timber Framework

Institutional Authority & Lead Architect Profile

Delivering high-performance transport infrastructure and heritage asset protection requires rigorous technical and structural expertise. As a Lead Concept Architect and Masterplanner, I specialize in combining rigorous building physics with internationally recognized civic design.

View the 2026 UIC Sustainability Impact Awards Shortlist

David Hughes B.Arch., CPMA, FRIAI, RIBA
Specialist Expertise: Historic Buildings Conservation Architect | RIAI Accredited PSDP | Passivhaus + nZEB Low Energy Design
Chair, UIC SMGG WG1: Passenger Railway Stations
Convener & Board Member: ICOMOS Ireland (Scientific Committee for Energy & Sustainability)
Past Director & Secretary: Passive House Association of Ireland
Contact: +353 87 357 16 09 | LinkedIn Profile

Phase 1: Concept & EU Grant Submission

€60,000

Fixed Concept Fee

This phase secures the comprehensive architectural concept, spatial logic, and core thermodynamic strategy required to unlock the €5.6M EU grant funding application.

OPEX Guarantee: The Passivhaus Mathematics

By applying the stringent Passivhaus standard across the entire 65m x 25m footprint (1,625 m²), the building's space heating requirement is mathematically capped at 15 kWh/m²/year.

This guarantees a maximum total facility heating load of just 24,375 kWh/year. At this extreme level of efficiency, introducing costly internal thermal isolation walls to separate the 10m x 55m maintenance bay from the exhibition areas is economically counterproductive. A unified thermal envelope provides a superior environment for heritage asset preservation while keeping total operational energy strictly capped.

Phase 2: Lead Consultant Execution

8%

Baseline Contract Value

Reflective of Class 4 Civic Structure complexity, mitigating the rigorous demands of hygrothermal modeling, high-performance Passivhaus detailing, and Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage (STES) coordination in the Finnish climate.

Project Methodology

Acting as the strategic maestro, the Lead Concept Architect dictates the high-level Passivhaus vision, structural logic, and STES coordination. Heavy production drafting, structural calculations, and mechanical engineering will be executed by local Finnish sub-consultants to ensure seamless local compliance.

*Note on Scope & Disbursements: This fee is strictly for Architectural Design and Lead Consultant services. It specifically excludes third-party sub-consultant fees (e.g., Structural Engineering, QS, Fire, M&E, Landscape) which are to be appointed directly by the client. Standard out-of-pocket disbursements, including international travel, flights, and accommodation, are excluded from the baseline fee and shall be reimbursed at cost or arranged directly by the client. Appropriate project-specific Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance will be established in accordance with EU/Finnish public procurement requirements upon formal appointment.