A decade of impact at One Albert Quay, Cork: Johnson Controls and the future of sustainable buildings

Over the past decade, One Albert Quay has become a showcase of integrated HVAC, security, fire prevention, and building management technologies

Wed, 11 Feb, 2026 - 11:15

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When most people pass an office, hospital, or data centre, they don’t see the systems pulsing beneath the surface. Johnson Controls does, the company is designing, integrating, and operating technologies that make buildings safer, healthier, and dramatically more efficient. From heating and cooling to fire and security, automation, and AI driven optimisation, Johnson Controls helps organisations turn their buildings from cost centres into strategic assets.

Nowhere is that mission more visible than at One Albert Quay in Cork, which marks its 10-year anniversary in February 2026. As Johnson Controls’ global headquarters, the building is a living blueprint of what’s possible when innovation and sustainability come together.

Over the past decade, One Albert Quay has become a showcase of integrated HVAC, security, fire prevention, and building management technologies, including our OpenBlue platform which connects and optimises these systems in real time. Wrapped within a LEED-aligned design, the building demonstrates how a seamless, data-driven approach can lower energy use, reduce emissions, and elevate comfort. For Ireland, it stands as a local beacon of global innovation: proof that the next generation of smart, sustainable buildings isn’t theoretical—it’s here, on the banks of the Lee.

This anniversary comes at a pivotal moment. Data centres are now essential infrastructure for modern life, powering everything from streaming to fintech to AI. Yet cooling can account for more around 30% of a facility’s total energy, a massive lever for efficiency and decarbonisation. Johnson Controls is helping customers address this challenge through high efficiency and thermal management solutions, advanced controls and service that reduce energy and water consumption, improve uptime lessen the environmental footprint. These advancements support the growing demands of AI workloads while shrinking the environmental impact of digital infrastructure.

Innovation is the engine behind that progress. Today, more than threequarters of Johnson Controls’ new product R&D is purpose-built for the challenges customers face: smart chillers for mission-critical environments, heat pumps that harvest waste heat, and connected platforms that orchestrate complex systems in real time. The OpenBlue suite is at the heart of that transformation. By integrating secured, scalable data with AI, OpenBlue helps predict faults, optimise energy minute by minute, and harmonise operations across entire building portfolios. These capabilities unlock strategic advantages; lower bills, greater uptime, and the ability to direct capital where it matters most.

Crucially, this is sustainability as competitiveness. Advanced technologies help to cut waste, strengthen resilience, and create healthier indoor environments that support productivity and wellbeing. Johnson Controls solutions have already helped customers deliver significant energy and operational savings and millions of tonnes of avoided CO₂. The business case is clear: measurable impact, faster payback, and a strong platform for long-term value creation.

Ireland is an ideal place to lead this transformation. With a thriving technology ecosystem, ambitious climate goals, and a deep commitment to innovation, the country is primed for smart infrastructure that can flex with the grid and support sustainable growth. From its Cork headquarters, Johnson Controls collaborates with customers around the world to modernise existing buildings and design new ones that are grid-aware, AI-enabled, and ready for the future.

“As we celebrate 10 years at One Albert Quay, I’m proud that our Cork headquarters demonstrates the very best of Johnson Controls technology,” says Eamonn Hughes, Vice President and General Manager, Johnson Controls Ireland. “It’s not just a workplace — it’s a showcase of how innovation and sustainability come together to create smarter, healthier environments. And as data centres and AI reshape the world, Johnson Controls is leading the charge to make them more efficient and sustainable.”

Throughout 2026 and beyond, Johnson Controls will continue partnering with hospitals, universities, and data centre operators to deliver real outcomes: lower energy, lower emissions, better reliability, and better spaces for people. Because when innovation meets sustainability, buildings stop being passive backdrops, they become engines of progress for the communities they serve.

Learn more at: https://www.johnsoncontrols.com