This month Bennett Freehill is celebrating six years of growth, innovation and achievement.
Six years ago, Cormac Freehill took a leap of faith during one of the most uncertain periods in recent history. In June 2020, amid COVID-19 restrictions and growing economic uncertainty due to Brexit, he acquired Bennett Robertson Design following the passing of managing partner Gary Bennett in 2019. What followed was the beginning of a new chapter for Bennett Freehill.
Fast forward to today, and Bennett Freehill has grown into a leading Building Services Engineering Design Consultancy delivering ambitious, sustainability-driven projects across the UK and Ireland. Built on technical excellence, collaboration and a strong people-first culture, we are proud to be recognised for our expertise in Passivhaus, BREEAM, NZEB and Net Zero Carbon design.
From a team of just five people in 2020, the business has grown to 16 employees, expanded into Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland with a new office in Cavan, and developed a highly skilled team including five certified Passivhaus Designers.
Over the past six years, our team has delivered some of the region’s most innovative and sustainable projects, including the award-winning SWC Erne Campus – the world’s first educational Passivhaus Premium building and BREEAM Outstanding project – alongside Weavers’ Hall Passivhaus Accommodation in Belfast, the largest certified Passivhaus project on the island of Ireland. Other landmark projects include CAFRE Campus, ATU Galway Future Living Labs and Ulster University CADRIC.
The journey has brought challenges as well as opportunities, but through strong leadership, committed people and a clear long-term vision, we have continued to grow steadily and sustainably.
That growth has also been recognised through multiple industry and workplace awards, including Irish News Workplace & Employment Awards for Best Place to Work, Best Employee Development Programme and Best Wellbeing in the Workplace Strategy. Most recently, we were Highly Commended in the Employer of the Year category at the Belfast Telegraph Business Awards 2026.
As we look to the future, the focus remains on sustainable growth, strengthening expertise in Net Zero Carbon and EnerPHit retrofits, position ourselves as a partner of choice for complex, sustainability-driven projects, and build on the strong foundations established over the past six years.
The first chapter of Bennett Freehill has been about building credibility, culture and capability. The next chapter will be about scaling that success and continuing to deliver sustainable engineering solutions that make a lasting impact.
We would like to thank our dedicated team, clients, design partners, contractors and wider industry collaborators who have supported us throughout this journey. Your trust, collaboration and shared ambition have played a vital role in our growth and success over the past six years.
