SDS design engineers

29/05/2026

Congratulations to Lidl Ireland on the opening of their fantastic new retail store in Baltinglass, Co. Wicklow.

This store was constructed with sustainability at its core, with high-performing energy-efficient technologies embedded throughout, including almost 1,000m² of solar PV roof panels. Built to Lidl’s established ‘concept’ design, the new store offer customers a premier shopping experience with expanded aisle space, an in-store bakery, and two Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) machines. Externally, there are ample car-parking spaces, bike-parking spaces and it is future proofed for customer electric vehicle (EV) charging points.

Contractor McCallion Group
C&S SDS design engineers
M&E Lawler Consulting Lawler Sustainability
QS CQS Group
Fire Engineering Knapton Consulting Engineers
Glulam Roof Wiehag Timber Construction GmbH
Precast Stresslite Precast
Doors A&B Doors Limited
Automatic Entrance Doors FAAC Entrance Solutions UK
Dock Leveller ASSA ABLOY Group
Windows SC Mariantherm SRL Romania
Roof MultiRoofing Systems Ltd
Landscaping Austen Landscape Architects
Lidl Northern Ireland Lidl GB Customer Service
Wicklow County Council

22/05/2026

A great article The Irish Times outlining that The Building of the Year award was presented to SDS design engineers and their client Lidl Ireland can be read here: https://www.irishtimes.com/advertising-feature/2026/05/18/net-zero-maynooth-supermarket-named-building-of-the-year/.

The judging panel described the collaboration between design and delivery teams as producing a landmark development. “With a strong focus on net zero principles it showcases what is possible when ambition and technical expertise align,” the award citation read.

This is a fantastic achievement for everyone involved, and a proud moment to be pushing sustainable design forward as the store is Ireland’s first Net Zero Energy Supermarket.

Key highlights include:
- 575 kWp rooftop solar PV system – 2.5× the standard store size
- On-site battery storage (215 kWh) powering the store for up to 6 hours
- 40% reduction in energy consumption vs. a standard store
- 25% reduction in embodied carbon through sustainable construction materials
- Green travel options including EV charging, e-bike/scooter and cargo bike spaces
- Biodiversity-focused landscaping, green walls and rainwater harvesting systems
- BREEAM Outstanding certification – the highest sustainability rating in construction

A huge shout out goes to every member of the design team, contractor and sub-contractors who helped make this happen:
McCallion Group@
Lawler Sustainability
Lawler Consulting
CQS Group
Knapton Consulting Engineers
Demesne Mechanical & Electrical Engineering Ltd
Wiehag Timber Construction GmbH
SC Mariantherm SRL Romania
JC Engineering
Graf Ireland Environmental Ltd
Stresslite Precast
MultiRoofing Systems Ltd
A&B Doors Limited
Footfall Ltd
ASSA ABLOY Group
Tim Austen Austen Landscape Architects
BDP
BRE
Irish Green Building Council
Lidl GB Lidl Northern Ireland

Sponsors on the night included:
Swisspearl Group
Stacked

28/04/2026

Some more photos of our great win at the Building & Architect of The Year Awards where we scooped the top prize on the night, Building of the year

24/04/2026

We are delighted to announce that our design and collaboration with Lidl Ireland won the Net Zero Building of The Year at the Building and Architect of the Year Awards 2026 last night in the Crowne Plaza Hotel Santry 🥇🎊🎉......... a great night at which we also won the overall prize on the night for Building of the Year!

24/04/2026

We’re absolutely thrilled to share that we took home the top award last night! 🎉

Our design and collaboration with Lidl Ireland on their Maynooth Retail Store has been recognised as Ireland’s first Net Zero Energy Supermarket — and it was awarded Building of the Year at the Building & Architect of the Year Awards 2026.

A fantastic achievement for everyone involved, and a proud moment to be pushing sustainable design forward. 🌱

We celebrated an incredible night at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry 🥇🎊🎉

16/04/2026

The VSC (Vibro Stone Columns) are underway at the new Lidl Ireland two-storey retail store development off the Avenue Road in Dundalk.

The new Lidl will be a multi-functional, future-ready retail space with:
- Bigger and more flexible retail layout
- Integrated café / coffee shop unit inside the store
- Additional retail unit
- Built-in recycling systems
- Support for electric vehicles and cycling
- Strong alignment with Lidl’s move toward net-zero, energy-efficient supermarkets

External / site features
- 130+ car parking spaces
- Cycle parking (approx. 20 spaces)
- Landscaping and public realm improvements
- Improved pedestrian and ramp access

Contractor McCallion Group
C&S SDS design engineers
M&E Lawler Consulting Lawler Sustainability
QS CQS Group
Fire Engineering Knapton Consulting Engineers
Glulam Roof Wiehag Timber Construction GmbH
Doors A&B Doors Limited
Roof MultiRoofing Systems Ltd
Lidl Northern Ireland Lidl GB
Louth County Council

02/04/2026

The precast columns have been installed at the new Lidl Ireland retail store on the Ballinagh Road in Cavan.

The new larger single storey mono-pitch roofed development consists of 2,560m² of gross floor space which includes a retail sales area of 1,652m², a substation, an off-licence, a bakery, PV roof panels and 120+ parking spaces accommodating EV's, bicycles, disabled and parent and child parking.

Contractor Glebe Builders
C&S SDS design engineers
M&E Lawler Consulting Lawler Sustainability C&D Electrical (NI) Ltd
QS CQS Group
Fire Engineering Knapton Consulting Engineers
Glulam Roof Wiehag Timber Construction GmbH
Windows SC Mariantherm SRL Romania
Precast O'Reilly Precast
Concrete Pour Erne Concrete Pumping Ltd
Groundworks and Slab Pour aidan murray AMN Civils
Lidl Northern Ireland Lidl GB
Cavan County Council

26/03/2026

Always proud to be associated with Castlebar Celtic F.C...... good luck on Sunday, lads and Management

Ahead of this Sunday’s Connacht Cup Final, we would like to extend a sincere thank you to Danny Groake of SDS design engineers for his generous sponsorship of new tops supplied by Kit Stop for our U18 management team and players.
Your support is greatly appreciated as the squad prepares for a big weekend. ⚽💚

16/03/2026

Lá Fhéile Pádraig sona dhaoibh ☘️
Happy St. Patrick's Day ☘️
Feliz Día de San Patricio ☘️
Wishing a very Happy St Patrick's day to all our clients, families, colleagues & friends from our Irish and Spanish offices!

16/03/2026

Great to see the glulam roof beams installed at the development of the brand-new, state-of-the-art Lidl Ireland supermarket on the Killeshin Road, Graiguecullen, Carlow. The new store will be Lidl’s second store in Carlow town and fourth in the county. Serving the local Carlow community since 2006, Lidl currently has stores in Carlow Town, Tullow and Bagenalstown employing more than 85 people across its workforce. The retailer’s Bagenalstown store opened in 2021 and was Ireland’s first A1 energy rated retail store, running entirely on renewable energy and representing excellence in innovative and sustainable construction and providing a template for all newly constructed Lidl stores over the last number of years.

Lidl’s new Graiguecullen store is being constructed with sustainability at its core in line with its award-winning ‘Concept’ store design, prioritising energy efficiency through roof solar PV panels, energy efficient heat pumps and LED lighting, reducing carbon emissions and supporting Lidl’s ambition to achieving net-zero by 2050.

The new Lidl store will provide customers with an unrivalled shopping experience, with self-service checkouts, customer EV charging spaces, two Deposit Return Scheme machines as well as in-store bakery and off license.

Contractor NRS
C&S SDS design engineersSDS design engineers
M&E Lawler Consulting Lawler Sustainability CTS Group ( IRE )
QS CQS Group
Fire Engineering Knapton Consulting Engineers
Glulam Roof Wiehag Timber Construction GmbH
Precast Stresslite Precast
Doors A&B Doors Limited
Windows Lynch Windows Ltd
Roof MultiRoofing Systems Ltd
Lidl Northern Ireland Lidl GB
Carlow County Council

10/03/2026

Not sure what 2 goalkeepers and a linebacker are doing on a rugby pitch but we were delighted to support Loughrea Rugby Club. The Galway team at SDS Design Engineers have a strong pipeline of exciting projects, particularly across our Temporary Works portfolio. It’s great to see the year already shaping up to be a busy one, with a wide range of projects underway and more in the pipeline. That said, we’re always keen to connect and support new projects. If you’re looking for experienced, responsive Temporary Works designers to support upcoming works, we’d love to hear from you. Here’s to another year of delivering safe, efficient, and practical engineering solutions.