SUSTAINABLE

ARCHITECTURE
Edited by David Turrent
 CONTENTS
Acknowledgements 5
Foreword
Jonathon Porritt 7

Publishing Partners 8

Preface
Bill Gething 11

Introduction
David Turrent 15
© RIBA Enterprises 2007
Energy Performance and Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Published by RIBA Publishing, 15 Bonhill Street, London EC2P 2EA Bill Bordass 19
Costs and Benefits of Low Carbon and Sustainable Buildings
ISBN 978 1 85946 257 7 Barry Harper 25

Stock Code 61146 Case Studies

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or Chapter 1: Work Spaces 31
transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, Bill Taylor
without prior permission of the copyright owner.
Chapter 2: Education Buildings 53
British Library Cataloguing in Publications Data Heinz Richardson
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Chapter 3: New Housing
David Turrent 79
Publisher: Steven Cross
Chapter 4: Refurbished Buildings
Project Editor: Susan George
Nick Thompson 103
Editor: David Turrent
Designed by aleatoria Chapter 5: Public Buildings
Printed and bound by Cambridge University Press David Lloyd Jones 127
Climate Change Buildings and Sustainable Communities
We make every effort to ensure the accuracy and quality of information when it is published. However,
Paul Evans 151
we can take no responsibility for the subsequent use of this information, nor for any errors or omissions
that it may contain.
Further Reading 157
RIBA Publishing is part of RIBA Enterprises Ltd.
Picture Credits 158
www.ribaenterprises.com
Postscript 160
Front cover: Façade detail of Heelis, National Trust HQ in Swindon
Photographer: Dennis Gilbert
 

‘I have learned that, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

beyond death and taxes,
there is at least one
absolutely indisputable
fact: Not only does
human-caused global I would like to thank all my colleagues on the RIBA Sustainable Futures Committee for their support
and assistance, in particular Bill Gething (Feilden Clegg Bradley), who chairs the Committee, and my

warming exist, but it is also

co-editors: Bill Taylor (Hopkins Architects), Heinz Richardson (Jestico Whiles), Nick Thompson (Cole
Thompson Anders) and David Lloyd Jones (Studio E). Thanks also to Barry Harper (Davis Langdon)
and Paul Evans (Advisory Team for Large Applications, ATLAS) for contributing the sections on Costs

growing more and more

and Benefits, and Climate Change (Chapter 6). Bill Bordass, who initiated the research on operational
performance, deserves special mention as well as Phil Jones, Chris Parkin and Piers Watts-Jones who
did much of the leg work chasing up the data. We were very keen to include factual information about
the performance in use of these case studies and have attempted to present data on carbon dioxide

dangerous, and at a pace

emissions in a consistent manner. Nevertheless, calculation methods can vary from project to project and
so some degree of ‘health warning’ must be attached. I would also like to thank RIBA Publishing for their
patience, in particular Susan George for photographic credits and my copy editor Melanie Thompson.
Finally, thanks to the sponsors without whom the book would not have happened.

that has now made it a David Turrent, ECD Architects, April 2007

planetary emergency.’
Al Gore. An Inconvenient Truth

Fig 1.01 Eden Centre. The Core.

Jonathon Porritt
FOREWORD
I still meet a lot of people who complain about the “fuzziness” of the word “sustainable”. While there
are still definitional issues, and far too many examples of people (particularly in politics!) playing fast and
loose with the concept of sustainability to suit their own, often unsustainable purposes, a book like this
goes a very long way to nailing much of that confusion and uncertainty – not just for architects, but for all
those professions involved in the built environment supply chain.
And it does so in a hugely uplifting way. Even as the news about the state of our environment
– particularly regarding climate change – gets gloomier by the day, the wealth and creativity of potential
solutions to these problems becomes more and more compelling. The 45 case studies featured here
all demonstrate how the challenges of sustainability can act as a stimulus for innovation, in ways which
absolutely do not need to compromise design quality or the visual aesthetic.
That connection (between sustainable design and high quality design) is critical. As Bill Gething’s
Preface demonstrates, some people have known how do to this going back over many years, and
there’s no doubt that best practice environmental and social performance in buildings is now a much
more mainstream concern. But those insights and skills are not yet embedded across all the different
professions involved.
For instance, there are as yet not enough “smart clients” taking advantage of the knowledge and
experience for which this book provides such a powerful showcase. As Barry Harper’s contribution
makes all too clear, information about costs and benefits is still patchy (particularly in terms of
standardised, post-occupancy evaluations), making the business case for sustainable buildings rather
less persuasive than it needs to be. Which means, in turn, that many investors haven’t properly woken
up to the much greater risks associated with unsustainable buildings: why would anyone be procuring
or investing in a building whose value is likely to depreciate at a faster rate than the sustainable building
next door?
But this is now a very fast moving scene. As a snapshot of where sustainable architecture is today, I
found this immensely informative and inspiring. But it’s even more exciting to realise that this is just the
preamble to the era of sustainable architecture that is about to unfold in our midst.
Jonathon Porritt
23 08 07
 
CABE is the government’s advisor on
architecture, urban design and public
space. As a public body, CABE encourages
policymakers to create places that work
for people. CABE helps local planners
apply national design policy and advise
developers and architects, persuading them
to put people’s needs first. CABE shows
public sector clients how to commission
buildings that meet the needs of their users.
And CABE seeks to inspire the public to
demand more from their buildings and
spaces. Advising, influencing and inspiring,
CABE works to create well-designed,
welcoming places.
The Concrete Centre aims to assist all
those who design and construct in concrete
to become more knowledgeable about
the material. This is achieved through
the provision of seminars, short courses,
publications, software and regional teams
providing specific project related advice and
expert assistance on concrete issues and
solutions.
For more information visit
www.concretecentre.com
PUBLISHING PARTNERS
Davis Langdon is a leading international
project and cost consultancy, providing a
range of services to clients contemplating
investment in infrastructure, construction and
property – independently representing client
interests, reducing risk and maximising value.
With over 3820 staff in some 93 offices
worldwide, the firm has received many
industry awards including ‘Top International
Construction Consultant’ for fourteen
successive years and Building magazine’s
‘Construction Consultant/Surveyor of the
Year’ in 2006 and 2007.
Gifford is a leading, UK based, independent
engineering consultancy comprising three
core Centres of Excellence; Buildings, Civil
Engineering, and Environment Development
Planning.
With almost 700 technical and specialist
staff providing design and project
management services across the complete
range of disciplines, Gifford has the talent,
experience, scale and resources to meet
the challenge of any brief with innovative,
commercially aware solutions.

Fig 1.02 Gateway 2, Basingstoke
Fig. 1.03 St George’s School, Wallasey
11
Bill Gething
PREFACE
Who could have predicted, even two years ago, that 2006 would be the year that a PowerPoint
presentation on global warming would win an Oscar; that the Treasury would release a report that
branded climate change as “the greatest market failure the world had ever seen”; that the government
would set out a roadmap for new homes to be zero carbon within 10 years – and that this would be
jointly welcomed by the WWF and leading UK housing developers?
Clearly, these are exciting times when sustainable construction must move from being the specialist
preserve of a relatively limited number of committed disciples firmly into the mainstream to become an
integral component of an architect’s normal range of skills and competences. What better time, then, to
take stock of what has been achieved and to try to learn some lessons from completed buildings?
This book, which grew out of discussions among members of the RIBA Sustainable Futures Committee,
aims to do just that; bringing together a set of case studies of recent buildings (completed after 2000)
that demonstrate a range of aspects of sustainable construction and, importantly, combine this with
architectural excellence.
The idea that buildings can be energy and resource efficient is not new by any means – after all,
many of the fundamental principles are necessarily inherent in traditional vernacular architecture. In
more recent times, however, thanks to cheap energy, building designers became reliant on mechanical
and electrical systems to enable buildings that ignored their natural environment to function – the
ultimate ‘machines for living in’.
What follows is a personal review of some of the key UK building milestones that form the immediate
heritage of these case studies and mark the gradual re-appreciation of the potential for architects and
engineers to collaborate in the creation of buildings that use their form and materials as the principal
means of tempering their internal environment – truly intelligent design.
St George’s County Secondary School in Wallasey, Cheshire (1961), designed by Emslie Morgan,
stands out clearly as the first significant, architect-designed, low-energy building in the UK. In fact, its
design was so much at odds with the standard procedures of the time that it is difficult to see how it
ever obtained approval. It features a 12m high all glass south facing ‘solar wall’ with simple opening
windows and heavyweight concrete floors and roof, all wrapped up in a 125mm layer of sprayed
polyurethane foam – an unheard of level of insulation at the time. In addition to its overt exploitation of
solar radiation, it relied on heat from its occupants and from its lighting system to provide comfortable
winter conditions (so successfully that the back-up heating system installed when it was built was removed
after the worst winter in living memory in 1962–3). What is so impressive about the building is the
holistic approach to environmental design, knitting together the impacts of the occupants, the structure,
the lighting and ventilation systems and the simplicity of the control systems to operate it – lessons we
struggle to re-learn even today.
12
Despite its apparent success, the Wallasey School did not spawn a succession of school buildings
designed on similar principles, let alone other building types. There were isolated pockets of interest such
as the ambitious Autarkic House project at Cambridge University in 1971, which provided much of the
research material for Robert and Brenda Vale’s later book The Autonomous House (1975). However, there
was generally little change to the accepted status quo in which architects designed buildings and then
looked to engineers to make them habitable.
It was not until the 1972–3 oil crisis, precipitated by the Yom Kippur war, that energy was brought to
the top of the agenda, forcing us to recognise that uninterrupted supplies of cheap fossil fuels could not
be relied upon. The crisis led to petrol rationing and the Three Day Week in the UK, but also triggered
longer-term changes which have since become an accepted part of architects’ lives, such as the
significant raising of thermal performance via the Building Regulations.
In the late 1970s innovation in energy-efficient design remained principally focussed on the housing
sector. The Milton Keynes Development Corporation, influenced by research on passive solar design
at the Open University, played a particularly important role, including the development of the Energy
Cost Index (the precursor to SAP,1 the Standard Assessment Procedure, which still underpins compliance
with Building Regulations Approved Document Part L1A (new dwellings) and L1B (existing dwellings).
Projects such as Linford Wood and Pennylands, exploring high standards of thermal insulation and solar
orientation, were extensively monitored and provided valuable data for designers and policymakers – a
practice that has become woefully rare in more recent years.
Milton Keynes’s leadership continued into the 1980s, including setting up the Energyworld Exhibition
(1986) to showcase a wide range of design strategies and experimental forms of low-energy homes.
The exhibition spawned a number of low-energy developments offered on the open market, including
our own scheme at Two Mile Ash, of prefabricated superinsulated timber frame houses with mechanical
ventilation and heat recovery, which achieved a standard for thermal performance that is still comfortably
in excess of today’s Building Regulations – some 20 years later.
In the commercial sector, it was the multi-disciplinary practice of Arup Associates which revolutionised
office design, with their headquarters for the Central Electricity Generating Board in Bristol (1978). It was
planned as a series of streets, pavilions and courtyards, reinventing the office as a social organism and
recognising the value of architectural quality in providing an attractive working environment, maximising
the use of daylight while minimising solar gain. It was arguably the first recent office building to recognise
the usefulness of thermal mass to even out temperatures, using the hollow cores of floor slabs to achieve
this – a forerunner of the TermodeckTM system used in more recent low-energy buildings. They followed
this with Gateway 2 for Wiggins Teape in Basingstoke (1983); a naturally ventilated alternative to the
company’s adjacent deep plan air-conditioned building and featuring an atrium designed to exploit stack-
effect ventilation as well as providing an uplifting and unifying space.
At around the same time the Building Research Establishment built an experimental low-energy office
building on their Watford campus. Used as a test bed for different types of heating and cooling, it
1 The Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP)
rating is the official benchmark for domestic
energy efficiency. It is based on the thermal
performance of a building, its heating
appliances and energy prices for different
fuels. It was introduced as part of the update
of Part L (Conservation of Heat and Power) of
the UK Building Regulations in 1995. It has
been updated in 1998, 2001 and 2005.
Fig 1.04 Two Mile Ash, Milton Keynes
Fig 1.05 Elizabeth Fry Building, UEA Norwich
Fig 1.06 Hockerton Housing, Southwell
Fig 1.07 BedZED, Sutton
13
was extensively monitored and showed energy consumption in use of 135kWh/m2/yr. This set a new
benchmark for low-energy office design, some 50% lower than a comparable air-conditioned building at
the time. This was followed up by our own work on the Energy Efficient Office of the Future project – the
Environment Building of BRE’s campus.
Bennetts Associates’ Powergen building in Coventry (1993) showed how the design of low-energy office
buildings had matured to the extent that the commercial sector would accept this as a reliable alternative
to air-conditioning, bringing together the principles of good daylighting, glare control, natural ventilation
and night cooling in an elegant and economic manner.
In the education sector, the Elizabeth Fry Building (1995) at the University of East Anglia set a similar
benchmark for low-energy performance and is often cited as the most energy-efficient building in the
UK. The key to the success of the design by John Miller and Partners with Fulcrum Consulting was the
construction of a highly insulated, airtight building together with the patented TermodeckTM system for
heating and cooling and, importantly, fine tuning by the team and their committed client during the first
years of occupation. The system circulates heated or cooled air (depending on the season) through
standard hollow core concrete floor planks with a heat exchanger to reclaim heat or coolth from outgoing
air before it is exhausted. Energy consumption is a very creditable 98kWh/m2/yr.
The Holy Grail of the autonomous house moved a step closer with Robert and Brenda Vale’s super-
insulated house in Southwell, Nottingham (1993). The house has no mains services except for
electricity and telephone, a substantial photovoltaic array, rainwater and grey water are collected,
treated and recycled, and the only heat source is a wood burning stove. As well as teaching and
writing they went on to design the Hockerton Housing Project in Nottingham (1997), a self-build,
earth-sheltered south-facing terrace with double height sunspaces where the residents have embraced
sustainable lifestyles, growing their own produce and eschewing the use of cars. The Vales emigrated
to New Zealand shortly after, but their influence is still being felt through the students they influenced,
many of whom are now practising ‘eco’ architects.
BedZED in Sutton by Bill Dunster (2000) in collaboration with the Peabody Trust, BioRegional and Arup
remains perhaps the most identifiable ‘green icon’. In some aspects pushing the boundaries of available
technologies beyond their capability to deliver in practice at the time, it nevertheless demonstrates what
can be achieved by integrated thinking at the level of the community and offers a tantalising glimpse of
a potentially sustainable low-carbon future. It is somewhat disappointing that, some six years on, despite
government rhetoric on ‘sustainable communities’, there is not already a portfolio of larger scale examples
that extend the lessons that BedZED and these first generation examples have taught us.
We are now at a critical threshold where action must replace rhetoric. We hope that the case
studies described in this book will contribute to the process that builds on the experience of the early
pioneers to pave the way for the emergence of a new generation of ‘climate responsive’ buildings,
combining resource efficiency with beauty and creating a sustainable architecture fit for the challenges
of the 21st Century.
 15

David Turrent
INTRODUCTION
Fig 1.08 CO2 scenario 2000-2050 This book is aimed principally at those involved in procuring buildings: clients, developers, agents,
architects, engineers, quantity surveyors and contractors. It describes a collection of buildings that are
considered to be exemplars of sustainable design. They represent a range of design solutions applied
to different building types including: workspace, schools and universities, new housing and public
buildings. The book covers refurbished as well as new buildings and, in addition to describing the design
approaches and sustainable measures adopted, attempts to record feedback on their performance in use.
Many of the projects featured are considered to be ‘cutting edge’ – going well beyond minimum Building
as
ust Regulations requirements and adopting innovative technologies such as solar energy collection, biomass
ain heating, and grey water recycling. How are they working out in practice and can lessons be learnt from
s ab
ission le f
utu
these built prototypes for the future?
em re In the past there has been a perception in some quarters that ‘green’ buildings are worthy but dull. We
O2
dC believe this is a misconception and in the following pages we hope to show that ‘good design’ and
ecte
exp ‘sustainability’ can indeed go hand in hand. A good number of the case studies have won design
awards and illustrate that a design approach focussed on resource efficiency and minimum environmental
impact is not incompatible with visual delight. We believe that sustainable architecture can ‘lift the spirit’
as well as help save the planet.
So, what do we mean by ‘sustainability’ in the context of architecture? In its broadest sense sustainable
design should address the ‘triple bottom line’ of social, economic and environmental issues: social in
the sense of community engagement and inclusiveness; economic in the sense of long-term growth and
prosperity; environmental in the sense of local and global impact. In addition, the sustainability agenda
as far as it affects the built environment generally embraces the following key topics: energy and carbon
dioxide emissions, water conservation, waste recycling, materials sourcing, associated transport and
biodiversity. In this book we focus more on energy efficiency and the need to reduce emissions of
greenhouse gases (principally carbon dioxide – CO2) because this is the area in which architects and
other design professionals can exert most influence to help combat global warming.

ation growth There is no doubt that huge amounts of energy are wasted in buildings. The new Building Regulations
popul Part L (2006) will raise standards marginally, but they will still trail woefully behind Scandinavia and
parts of Canada where high standards of thermal performance have been the norm for the past 20
years. We are now seeing higher standards of thermal insulation being applied in UK buildings as
well as the integration of renewable energy technologies – increasingly required as a condition of
planning permission.
Water is becoming a scarce and expensive resource, especially in the south-east. Designers now have
access to a range of water-conserving measures that can be specified in buildings, including waterless
urinals, spray taps, rainwater harvesting systems and grey water recycling systems. At site level, rainwater

2000 2050
attenuation or infiltration as part of a sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) is now often a statutory
requirement to reduce surface water run-off.
The process of demolition and construction generates large quantities of waste, approximately 19% of
total waste in the UK. Much of this is destined for landfill. Better site management and increased use of
16
off-site manufacturing offer ways of reducing this, and more stringent targets are gradually being adopted
by the industry. Increased recycling of domestic waste poses a challenge for architects to design more
elegant and practical storage solutions, both internally and externally. The specification of materials also
comes under closer scrutiny, in particular the sourcing of timber from accredited sustainable sources and
consideration of the embodied energy of construction materials. Transport is another important topic
– does the development encourage or discourage car use and are adequate cycle storage facilities
being incorporated? And last but not least, does the development provide access to green space and in
what ways does it propose to enhance local biodiversity?
So, bearing in mind the holistic nature of ‘sustainable development’, what were the criteria used for
selecting the case studies?
Sustainability performance can be assessed against a number of industry benchmarks including BREEAM
(Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) and BRE Ecohomes.1 Many of the
case studies will have achieved ‘Very Good’ or ‘Excellent’ ratings. The RIBA Sustainability Checklist, used
to evaluate projects nominated for awards, has also been a useful tool. As a general guide, the selected
case studies demonstrate a rigorous approach to three or more of the following ten criteria:
• site location/access to public transport
• social/community engagement
• energy efficiency (beyond Building Regulations)
• use of renewable energy
• water conservation/recycling
• waste reduction/recycling
• low embodied energy
• landscape and biodiversity
• futureproofing – flexibility and adaptability
• post-completion evaluation.
The final selection of case studies will not satisfy everyone. There will inevitably be important omissions
and some will no doubt have grounds to query the inclusion of specific projects. However, they represent
a snapshot in time and provide a valuable source of information about the performance of energy-
efficient, sustainable buildings in use. Making predictions about the performance of buildings at the
design stage is one thing. Monitoring and reporting on actual energy usage in occupied buildings is
quite another. In the short essays that follow, Bill Bordass will describe the methodology and results
of grant-funded research on the performance of a number of the case studies featured. Barry Harper
then addresses the subject of costs and benefits of low-carbon and sustainable buildings from a cost
consultant’s perspective.
1 EcoHomes is a version of BREEAM for
homes and is administered by the Building
Research Establishment. In April 2007 the
Code for Sustainable Homes replaced
EcoHomes for the assessment of new housing
in England.
17
The 45 case studies that form the main part of the book are organised in five chapters – Work Spaces,
Educational buildings, Housing, Refurbishment projects and Public buildings. Each chapter is edited
by a member of the RIBA Sustainable Futures Committee and includes an introductory overview and a
summary. Each of the chapter editors has also contributed case studies as well as participating in the
selection and reviewing process.
Workspace buildings are reviewed in Chapter 1. These consist mainly of bespoke offices such as
Wessex Water HQ in Bath by Bennetts Associates. It is a fact that many of the principles demonstrated
in these pioneering buildings have been common currency for the past 20 years, yet still appear not to
have found their way into mainstream commercial development. By contrast the education sector has
been more innovative. In Chapter 2, we illustrate an interesting group of educational buildings ranging
from after-school clubs to primary schools, secondary school extensions and new university buildings,
and draw attention to the massive potential offered by the current school building programme. Chapter 3
covers new build housing schemes such as the award-winning Green Building in Manchester and the next
generation of zero-energy buildings by Bill Dunster such as BowZED in East London; while the challenges
of refurbishing older buildings, including Listed Buildings in conservation areas, are addressed in Chapter
4. Chapter 5 includes a number of public buildings such as the Welsh Assembly by Richard Rogers
Partnership, and highlights the tensions that exist between ‘glassy’ high tech architecture and the need for
more thermally efficient built form and fabric. Finally in Chapter 6 Paul Evans considers the challenges
faced by designers in the future as climate change places ever greater demands on building structures,
fabric and services, as well as the need to translate the principles of sustainable design from individual
buildings to a larger community or neighbourhood scale.
The main message of this book is that buildings have a major part to play in both mitigating and
adapting to climate change. This represents a huge technical challenge for everyone involved in the
construction industry. Buildings need to be more robust environmentally, more flexible and much more
efficient if CO2 emissions are to be reduced in line with government targets. For clients and their design
advisors there are six important lessons that emerge from these case studies:
• Set a clear sustainability brief and manage expectations throughout the design and delivery
process and on into the use of the building.
• Focus on getting the basics right-reducing demand should be the first priority before considering
technical options for energy/resource supply.
• Establish ambitious targets from the outset – inevitably there will be some watering down as the
project develops.
• Build in simple facilities in order to monitor the performance of buildings in use.
• Recognise that, for a variety of reasons, operational energy performance is likely to fall short of
design predictions.
• Common problems include: excessive air infiltration, too much glazing, poorly functioning control
systems and avoidable waste.

ENERGY PERFORMANCE
Fig 1.09 Wessex Water Headquarters
1 H J Schellnhuber (ed), Avoiding dangerous
climate change, Cambridge University
Press; 2006. ISBN: 13 978-0-521-86471-
8. Downloadable from www.defra.gov.
uk/environment/climt
2 See, for example, J Leggett, Half gone,
London: Portobello Books; 2005.
3 DTI, The Energy White Paper, Our energy
future – creating a low-carbon economy,
Department of Trade & Industry; February
2003. Downloadable from www.dti.gov.
uk/files/file10719.pdf
19
Bill Bordass
Scientists are now widely agreed that greenhouse gases from human activity are not just causing
measurable effects, but could even tip the planet into a period of rapid and destructive climate change
this century.1 The main culprit is carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from burning fossil fuels. In order to
provide the sound platform upon which the wider aspects of sustainability can rest, CO2 concentrations
in the atmosphere need to be stabilised. The current concentration is just over 380 parts per million by
volume (ppmv), about 100ppmv above pre-industrial levels and rising by 1.5ppmv or more per year.
Taking other sources into account, the total anthropogenic effect is estimated to be equivalent to some
430ppmv of CO2. In the past, 550ppmv has been widely cited as the safe maximum level, but lower
limits, e.g. 450ppmv, are now being advocated.
The energy used by buildings in operation accounts for 47% of the UK’s CO2 emissions. Construction,
maintenance and building materials’ production accounts for 10% or more; and much of the UK’s
transport-related emissions (25% of CO2) is for moving people and goods between buildings. Building
energy performance is therefore critical to bringing emissions under control.
Even without the climate change imperative we would still need to make more efficient use of energy.
The UK is becoming a net importer of gas and oil and is therefore exposed to increasing costs and
unreliability of supply. Some experts also expect that global oil production will soon start to decline.2 The
2003 Energy White Paper3 Towards a low-carbon economy stressed the importance of diversity and
decentralisation of energy supply: “In reducing CO2 emissions our priority is to strengthen the contribution
of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources…”
The UK government is already committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050 in comparison
with 1990 levels. Recent understanding of climate change suggests that we may need to go further and
faster, with 80% or even 90% cuts in developed countries. And most of the buildings that will make up
the UK stock in 2050 are already here. Designers and builders will therefore need to make new buildings
use as little energy and carbon as possible, while existing buildings will need a lot of re-tuning.
Unfortunately there is not nearly enough information on how recently completed low-energy buildings
in the UK are actually performing in use. In 2004, The Edge (a multi-disciplinary ginger group set up
to debate topical issues in the built environment) agreed on the need for a Voluntary Energy and CO2
Declaration (VECD) procedure. The Pilkington Energy Efficiency Trust (PEET) kindly provided funding to
help to develop and test the opportunities and difficulties of doing this while collecting data on some
of the non-residential buildings being considered for this publication. Twelve of these are featured in
the following chapters:
• Chapter 1 – Arup Campus, Solihull, Foundation Building, Eden Project, Wessex Water HQ, Bath.
• Chapter 2 – Centre for Mathematics, Cambridge University, Kingsmead School, Cheshire,
Michael Young Building, Open University, ZICER Building, University of East Anglia.
• Chapter 4 – Beaufort Court, Kings Langley, Kynance Café, Cornwall, Cambridgeshire Women’s
Institute, West End House, London.
• Chapter 5 – Jubilee Library, Brighton.
20
Data collection took place between Summer 2005 and Spring 2006 using a four-page questionnaire
on the building, its occupancy levels and hours of use, its annual energy consumption by fuel (from bills
and/or site records) and the amount of on-site production of renewable energy. Design data was also
sought and buildings with potentially good data were visited. Energy in kWh for each fuel was then
converted to annual kg of CO2 emissions using published standard conversion factors.
Some of the buildings had been monitored and five of these provided much useful detail. However,
the quality of data readily accessible from others was often disappointing. Eventually only half the
buildings contacted provided sufficient data for analysis. Some buildings were relatively new and had
not developed a clear pattern of energy use. Several others, which were on larger sites, did not even
have their own meters. (This is a problem that should diminish because the 2006 Building Regulations
Approved Document L2 for England and Wales now requires metering and often sub-metering. However,
vigilance will be needed to ensure that this metering is effective.) Where sub-meters had been fitted we
often found problems with commissioning, calibration and record keeping. The new Regulations also
require building log books.4 These will be a good source of design data and energy predictions, and 4 CIBSE, Technical Memorandum 31, Building
can also hold records of in-use performance. log book toolkit, London: Chartered Institution
of Building Services Engineers; 2006. This
The European Union’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive5 will make energy data much more provides a specification and template for a
log book.
accessible. Building Energy Certificates, based on theoretical calculations (asset ratings), will be required 5 Directive 2002/91/EC of the European
at the time of construction, sale or rental. Some public buildings of over 1000m2 in area will also have Parliament and of the Council of 16
to display energy certificates based on actual energy use (operational ratings); a requirement that December 2002 on the energy performance
of buildings, Official Journal of the European
the government hopes to extend to many more non-domestic buildings, both public and private. The Communities, L1/65-71 (4 January
information collected was therefore also used to test an approach to operational ratings being developed 2003). Downloadable from http://eur-
in an EU research project.6 lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.
do?uri=CELEX:32002L0091:EN:NOT
Published typical (median) levels of annual heating fuel use for the public, office and educational 6 See www.eplabel.org
7 Existing benchmarks are summarised
buildings reviewed are about 150–200 kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m2) of treated (heated,
in: CIBSE Guide F, Energy Efficiency in
ventilated and lit) floor area.7 The buildings studied tended to use between 60 and 120kWh/m2, which Buildings, Chapter 20, London: Chartered
although some 25% lower than the published good practice levels (between 80 and 150kWh/m2 Institution of Building Services Engineers;
2004.
depending on building type), was disappointing in relation to many design expectations. Important
reasons for the differences are high air infiltration, poor control (with more attention to detail required in
design, installation, commissioning, fine-tuning, documentation, training and usability), and avoidable
waste – particularly where the control and operation of systems is not well matched to the needs of
end users. Only one building – the Jubilee Library in Brighton – use the carbon equivalent of less than
50kWh/m2 per year of gas for heating and hot water.
Although there is potential to reduce heating energy use much further, electricity use is now becoming
a big problem. Nearly all the buildings used much more electricity than predicted; and sometimes even
than published ‘typical’ levels. For example, at Wessex Water only one third of the electricity actually
used was directly comparable with the design predictions. The rest was due to things not counted
(e.g. the kitchen, external lighting, and the server room), or occupant requirements (e.g. night use of
the control room and office equipment on standby that had been expected to be off). Nearly all the
21
offices and public buildings had similar experiences. Only at the small, simple and relatively lightly used
Cambridgeshire Women’s Institute was annual electricity consumption both low and not far from the
design estimate.
Why the growth in electricity use?
• More electrical equipment was installed than the designers anticipated.
• The buildings tended to be used for longer hours than the designers had anticipated, and often
by more people too.
• More mechanical ventilation and cooling had often been provided – even in buildings that were
not air-conditioned, to deal with increased equipment and occupancy densities, and in response
to recent hot summers.
Inadequate energy management regimes were practised, e.g. equipment operating for longer hours than
anticipated, often unnecessarily.
A major influence has been growth in ICT – information and communications technology – not only in
the rooms (for example in schools, which are becoming more like offices in their use and patterns of
electricity consumption); but behind the scenes (in particular server rooms and their associated air-
conditioning). Other electrical equipment – vending machines, water coolers, security and access control
systems, and so on – relentlessly take their toll, particularly if they remain on (as they often do) when
the building is empty. Even relatively small standby loads can then mount up to relatively large annual
consumption. To get buildings that are genuinely low-carbon, we need to look well beyond the normal
concerns of architects and engineers.
Over two-thirds of the buildings investigated used automatic lighting control systems to avoid waste
and to maximise the use of natural light. However, lighting energy use was often many times the design
estimates, for reasons including:
• Energy use by automatic control systems, both for their electronics and for some dimming systems
which never turn the lights right out.
• Poor usability, with insufficient provision for manual control, in particular where occupancy
sensors bring the lights on whether people feel they need them or not. Some meeting rooms,
where blackout is often needed, did not even have any local on/off switches. Manual ON,
manual and automatic OFF is a good rule.
• Ineffective daylight-linked control, for example through poor calibration and commissioning,
sensor placement, or poor grouping of light circuits in relation to space use and daylight
availability.
• Unusable daylight owing to lack of screen visibility, for example where electronic whiteboards
had been installed in school classrooms.
22
• Using artificial light in glare situations (where blinds often come down and then stay down) or
to reduce contrasts from poorly designed daylight. Designers should take account not only of
daylight factors on the working plane, but of what the space will look like under daylight only.
• All common and circulation areas lit whenever the building was open, and sometimes continuously.
• Often more electricity could be saved much more cost-effectively by reducing installed loads
and designing, commissioning and managing control systems to work effectively, than could be
generated, say, by photovoltaic systems.
The most widely used sources of integrated renewable energy in the buildings studied were:
• Photovoltaics (PV). Most installations were small and made minor contributions. The only large
installation reviewed was at the ZICER building, which provided 9% of the building’s electricity
requirements. The glass conservatory used to display it was less successful. Occupying about
10% of the total floor area, its annual sub-metered heating energy use was almost as much as
for the whole of the rest of the building (which was well-insulated and thermally massive) and
it was not very electrically efficient. Consequently this space more than used up all the benefits
of the PV in reducing CO2 emissions. The fundamental importance of reducing demand in low-
energy buildings cannot be overstressed: for example at the Cambridgeshire Women’s Institute
a small PV installation forming the roof of the entrance porch was able to reduce the electricity
purchased by nearly 20%.
• Solar thermal. Several buildings had small solar hot water systems, which worked well but
made minor only contributions to reducing heating fuel consumption. The exception was
at Beaufort Court, which incorporates a large underground seasonal heat store and is
comprehensively monitored.8
• Biomass. This seems most effective in the small-scale wood pellet boiler used at BowZED or
where it was integrated into the agricultural economy of the National Trust for Scotland site
at Glencoe. Wood chip burners had also been used on relatively small commercial and
educational sites. The results were less satisfactory for two main reasons: greater attention
needed to operate and maintain the equipment; and poor control of the links to gas and oil
fired back-up heating systems which therefore ended up carrying more of the load, but less
economically than if they had been the sole heat source.
The biggest source of renewable electricity was at Beaufort Court where, in the course of a year, an
on-site wind turbine provided almost exactly the same amount of electricity that the building used, albeit
with different demand profiles. About one-quarter of the building’s heating requirements were also site
generated, from solar and biomass.
In summary, there are six basic steps to reducing energy use and CO2 emissions from buildings:
• Get the loads down, for example by good strategic design, thermal insulation, natural light and
ventilation.
8 Monitoring data can be seen at
www.beaufortcourt.com
9 Carbon Trust, Energy and carbon
conversions, Leaflet CTL 004, London:
Carbon Trust; March 2006. Downloadable
from www.carbontrust.co.uk/energy
23
• Service them efficiently, with plant and equipment that uses the least energy, and including the
equipment added by the occupier.
• Make effective use of renewable and low-carbon energy supplies.
• Control them properly both in the engineering sense and with good user interfaces, so that
energy is used only when and where it is really needed.
• Build and commission them effectively, and follow through into use to help ensure that the design
intent is realised.
• Use and manage them well, to minimise waste.
In each step, a golden rule is to keep things simple and to do them well; complicated solutions tend to
introduce problems, which lead to inefficiency in use. So first try to design things out, make the energy-
consuming things you still need as efficient as possible and put time into getting user-friendly control
systems that really work properly and avoid wastage. It is much more sustainable (and usually much more
cost-effective) to get rid of unnecessary energy demands than to provide energy supplies – renewable or
not – to meet them.
Fortunately for designers and their clients, effects multiply, so you can contemplate reducing CO2
emissions by 80% or more by using techniques, technologies and practices which are already available,
if not yet widespread or always cost-effective. For example, if you can halve the loads and make the
building services systems and electrical equipment twice as efficient, you have already cut demand to
one-quarter. Then, if you can also halve the CO2 emitted per unit of energy supplied (e.g. by improving
supply efficiency and making more use of renewable energy), the overall carbon dioxide emissions to
do the same job would be cut to one-eighth. Already people are aiming to do better, increasingly with
zero-carbon aspirations for some end-uses, if not for the whole building. The arrival of building energy
certification should provide major incentives for such improvements, making both design intent and actual
performance clearly visible and so encouraging people to do the things that really work.
A NOTE ON UK CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSION FACTORS
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a by-product of burning fuels principally coal, oil and gas. CO2 emissions from buildings are now usually
expressed in terms of kilogrammes of carbon dioxide (kgCO2), the convention we use in this book. CAUTION: Sometimes emissions
are reported as the mass of the carbon atoms in the CO2. To convert carbon figures to CO2, multiply by 3.67.
The Carbon Trust’s published fuel conversion factors for energy delivered to a building from UK fuel supplies9 are as follows:
Natural gas – 0.19kgCO2 per kWh
Heating oil – 0.25kgCO2 per kWh
Coal – 0.3kgCO2 per kWh
Grid electricity – 0.43kgCO2 per kWh
At the time of writing, the UK government is reviewing the factors to be used with the EU Directive, in particular for grid electricity, for
which the actual value was about 0.55kgCO2 per kWh in 2004–06 owing to changes in the generation mix.

Barry Harper
COSTS AND BENEFITS
Fig 1.10 Davies Alpine House, Kew
25
The costs and benefits of low-carbon and sustainable buildings have generated considerable debate
across all disciplines working in the built environment. Although low-carbon requirements are currently
prominent, sustainability choices have often revolved around individual client values, aspirations and
preferences rather than carbon measures and/or economic cost/benefit analysis alone. The case studies
that form the body of this book illustrate how these client drivers can differ across building types and how
making appropriate choices is a key element of sustainable architecture.
Consultants and contractors need to adapt their skills in order to respond positively to these project
drivers. For instance, cost consultants need to develop a greater understanding of the inter-related nature
of sustainability solutions and options, while managing the key carbon drivers such as building services
and structure. The competent practitioner will also need to develop better assessment techniques such as
‘whole life analysis’ in order to better inform clients’ ‘sustainability choices’.
Designing energy-efficient low-carbon buildings in compliance with the latest regulatory standards
should not represent a major technical or cost hurdle. A number of developments, particularly housing
developments in Chapter 3, have successfully achieved carbon reductions significantly in excess of
regulatory requirements. In some cases, such as the BedZED development, additional investment required
to achieve benchmark performance was funded through significant increases in sale values. Premium
costs attributable to achieving revised Building Regulations Part L (2006) compliance for air-conditioned
London offices range from a small saving to around a 5% cost premium. Actual premiums depend on
the extent of glazing and the specification of the building envelope solution. Delivering low-carbon
sustainable buildings that are inspirational, functional and durable and achieve a real step change in
building performance often, however, presents a new set of challenges.
Some general cost guidelines for use when facing these new challenges include the following:
• Actions aimed at minimising environmental impacts such as improving insulation levels,
selecting materials with lower levels of environmental impact, introducing water usage and
waste management, and biodiversity measures generally incur insignificant cost premiums
and in many cases are cost neutral. Many of these actions are recognised by the BRE
Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). For example, premium costs for office buildings
reaching the BREEAM Excellent award range between being cost neutral and a 7% premium.
The higher premiums between 3.5% and 7% are reached mostly for air-conditioned buildings
in specific locations.
• Supplementary action – aimed at optimising occupier comfort by the use of special measures to
reduce solar gain and glare, supplement natural ventilation, increase natural lighting, etc. – may
increase cost premiums above the 7% benchmark (particularly when the cost comparison does
not benefit from offsetting savings in air-conditioning costs).
26 27

Table 1 Cost effectiveness of renewable energy technologies

Renewable technology Candidate buildings
Tower-mounted wind generators
Industrial,
distribution centres
Building-mounted
Most types of building
micro-wind
Photovoltaic roof or panels Most types of building
Photovoltaic rain screen Prestige offices
or glass or retail
Residential and commercial,
Solar water heating
hotels and leisure
Ground-source heat pump Most types of building
Borehole cooling Offices, hotels, leisure
Biomass boilers Most types of building
Biomass CHP Industrial, hotel, leisure,
hospital
Prerequisites
Average site wind speed
minimum 7m/s
Average site wind speed
minimum 3.5m/s
Roughly south facing, un-shaded
Roughly south facing, un-shaded
Roughly south facing, un-shaded.
Requirement for hot water
Feasible ground conditions
Feasible ground conditions
Space and convenient
source of fuel
Space and convenient
source of fuel
Potential barriers
Environmental impact. Roof space
for large turbines
Environmental impact. Roof space
for large turbines
Available roof space
None
None
Site space for pipes
Site space for pipes
Environmental impact and space
Environmental impact
and space
for energy efficiency. Economies in operation and maintenance are also available. Case study examples
Annual saving per that demonstrate these benefits include BowZED, ZICER Building and Kingsmead Primary School.
£100,000 of investment Recent changes in legislation, with new measures such as Building Performance Certificates and the
kWh kgCO2 introduction of a zero rate stamp duty for zero-carbon homes, is beginning to change the business case
for low-carbon buildings. However, in the absence of further effective fiscal measures, the core benefits of
100,000 43,000* reduced energy bills and increased occupier productivity are likely to remain the most significant factors in
the business case.
40,000 17,200*
Salary costs of the people occupying buildings are generally thought to be the largest single component
12,500 5,375* of occupiers’ total lifetime expenditure related to a built asset. Research in the UK and US increasingly
points towards there being real savings available through productivity gains, better health and
9,000 3,800* reduced absenteeism rates (see Chapter 1, Wessex Water Operations Centre). Lifetime savings have
the potential of being many times the initial additional investment required to deliver a sustainable
50,000 9,500+ building. These benefits are particularly pertinent in education buildings, where benefits include raising
learning performance and educational achievement. Case study examples where human benefits have
40,000 7,600+ been evident include Kingsmead Primary School, Evelina Children’s Hospital, Arup Campus and the
Environment Agency HQ building.
12,000 5,160*
In commercial sectors developers are showing increasing interest in sustainable buildings for their product
100,000 19,000+
differentiation and potential for securing good quality tenants. In addition to these project benefits,
developers and occupiers can target organisational benefits such as an improved corporate social
(P) 28,000 (P) 12,000* responsibility (CSR) profile. Also, there is enhancement of business reputation by association with projects
(H) 63,000 (H) 12,000+ having a strong and recognisable sustainability profile.

• Certain actions, including the introduction of on-site renewables such as photovoltaic and
ground-water borehole cooling systems are relatively costly and often have long payback
periods. Table 1 sets out approximate annual savings in kWh and kgCO2 per £100,000
investment across most of the common forms of renewable energy technology.
Despite not always being able to justify the use of these renewable technologies using conventional
investment criteria, they are becoming increasingly common as a result of the need to satisfy planning
requirements (e.g. in London, the Mayor’s targets for renewable technology installations).
The most effective investments for reducing CO2 from buildings include air leakage testing and reductions
in artificial lighting loads. These initiatives can achieve a reduction of between 1 and 2kgCO2
per £ investment, the latter having the greatest impact on total CO2 reduction. Other initiatives such as
boiler efficiency, solar control glazing and external shading, although potentially high savers of CO2,
are at least 50% less effective per £ investment. (As previously explained, actual investment paybacks
can depend on the level of glazing included in the building envelope. Also as you combine a number
of initiatives their effectiveness often reduces.)
There are opportunities for securing increased value from low-carbon and sustainable buildings. Research
increasingly identifies that the value of energy savings alone can fund increased investment requirements
[N.B All above on Qtr l 2006 costs]
* compared with electricity,
+ compared with gas
(P) Power
(H) Heating
The potential to reduce abortive costs associated with non-compliance with new development control
requirements, delays caused by the impact of environmental legislation and disruptive stakeholder activity
apply across most building sectors. There are a number of case studies that illustrate these benefits
but perhaps worthy of note is the Jubilee Library in Chapter 5 where its PFI procurement route required
management around several layers of approvals and bureaucracy compared with normal practice.
Costs and benefits of sustainable architecture are often considered in isolation. However, the integration
of sustainability enhancements on projects, particularly commercial projects, is generally determined by
the relationship between perceived project benefits and cost; plus programme and performance impacts.
‘Quick win’ opportunities for integration of enhancements that provide a relatively high level of benefits at
low cost include:
• building orientation (making the best use of natural light and the management of solar gain)
• building form (plan depth and building section to enable effective natural ventilation)
• building specifications (such as integration of solar shading into the building aesthetic
or increasing the use of recycled materials).
28 29

Other options are less clear cut, providing potentially lower benefits at higher cost, and may require
greater advocacy from the team to convince investors of the benefits. These include rainwater harvesting,
photovoltaic (PV) panels and ground or water borehole cooling systems. Ironically, some of these options,
such as PV panels, are widely recognised as embodying many sustainability virtues and as a result have
a very direct value as symbols of sustainability. They may, as a result, therefore be of considerable value
to the client. Wessex Water, National Trust HQ, Environment Agency HQ and the Foundation Building ­at
Eden all have a number of enhancements in this category. Many school buildings also justify integration
of these enhancements for their ‘educational value’.
When increased benefits are available at higher cost, this can lead to a category of enhancements that
requires detailed justification; a number of these mitigate savings achieved through removing the need
for air-conditioning systems. Options in this category include mixed mode ventilation, chilled beams,
automatically activated night time cooling, mechanical window actuators and motorised solar shading.
However, many of the workspace case study buildings have been successful at integrating these types of

CASE STUDIES
sustainability enhancements.
The following points are useful when considering costs and benefits of sustainable architecture and
aiming to support the design process required to deliver effective low-carbon sustainable buildings:
• Actions taken to achieve sustainable architecture must be preceded by consideration of the
client’s objectives, sustainability ambitions and limits of affordability thus helping to prioritise
levels of sustainability and inform the decision-making process and choices to be made.
• Achieving low-carbon buildings cannot be used as the sole objective for sustainable architecture.
Balancing this with delivering acceptable levels of user comfort often requires additional
enhancements which increases costs and the complexity of decisions required in order to
achieve the client’s overall project objectives.
• Effective analysis of cost/benefit and communication of the outputs with clients/occupiers are
crucial to the delivery of sustainable architecture; also, the wider objective of facilitating change
across the property market as a whole.
• All project participants need to develop new skills in order to contribute to a wider analysis
of sustainability options. This analysis needs to consider all facets of the development process
before making the choices required for sustainable architecture.
30 31

Bill Taylor
1 WORK SPACES
Fig 2.01 Inland Revenue, Nottingham
THE ARUP CAMPUS, Solihull
TECHNIUM OpTIC, St Asaph
WESSEX WATER OPERATIONS CENTRE, Bath
CEME, Rainham
EDEN FOUNDATION BUILDING, St Austell
HEELIS, THE NATIONAL TRUST HQ, Swindon
SOUTH CAMBS DISTRICT OFFICES, Cambridge
ENVIRONMENT AGENCY, Wallingford
32 33

INTRODUCTION
First some figures from the Department of Trade and Industry.1 In 2005 construction output in the UK on 1 Department for Trade and Industry/ environmental credentials, these projects were seen as ‘good architecture’ setting new standards in office
Construction Statistics Office/Department
new buildings in the commercial sector (offices and industrial workplaces) was £20 billion. Annual CO2 for Business Enterprise & Regulatory Reform
accommodation and winning major awards. We have now moved beyond these exemplars to a more
emissions from commercial buildings account for 12% of the UK total. When it comes to using resources www.berr.gov.uk sophisticated generation of projects, often incorporating active systems:
in their making and their operation, offices, factories and shops are clearly hungry and expensive beasts. 2 Sustainable Buildings: Benefits for Occupiers
(BRE) publication IP13/03 Part 1. 2003 by • mixed mode ventilation systems with energy reclaim systems
Much has been written about the benefits to business of procuring more sustainable buildings, but there Alan Yates
3 BREEAM Excellent rated project: Highest • use of on-site renewables such as ground water, solar water heating, photovoltaics (PV)
is little factual evidence to back this up. It is a commonly held belief that sustainability adds capital
rating obtainable from BREEAM (Building wind-assisted ventilation
cost but even here opinions are divided. The Building Research Establishment (BRE) estimates that Research Establishment’s Environmental
over a typical 60-year life, the costs of operating an office building will be approximately five times Assessment Method), the world’s longest • evaporative or mechanical cooling for peak temperature lopping
the initial construction costs, while over the same period the costs for the staff are likely to account for established and most widely used
environmental assessment method for • control systems that respond to seasonal as well as diurnal variations
approximately 200 times the initial outlay.2 buildings. It sets the standard for best
practice in sustainable development • water management strategies
To owners and occupiers these represent the major costs of their investment and a growing number of 4 Energy Consumption Guide 19 ( ECON
organisations are recognising the real benefits not only of reducing running costs, but of more efficient 019) was first published by the Building • integration of buildings into a wider biodiverse site environment.
resource utilisation, increased productivity, recruitment, retention of staff and the major public relations Research Establishment (BRE) as part of the
Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme. It Sustainable working environments are, of course, about far more than the performance of the building
benefits that are derived from what we have come to call ‘sustainable’ developments. sets out ‘typical’ and ‘good practice’ energy fabric. How the building is used is of at least equal importance. Changing and new methods of work,
consumption benchmarks for four office
Over the last 20 years or so, architects and engineers have demonstrated that environmentally types; naturally ventilated cellular, naturally the increase in remote outreach networks, the virtual office as well as space utilisation, efficiency of
responsible office buildings can be achieved. Large projects such as Gateway 2 in Basingstoke (Arup ventilated open plan, air conditioned planning, the exploitation of new technologies – all will bring influence to bear on the efficiency of the
Associates) and the Inland Revenue, Nottingham (Michael Hopkins and Partners), which was the UK’s standard and air conditioned prestige. It was ‘building as a machine’, if indeed a building is needed at all.
introduced in 1991 and updated in 1995. In
first BREEAM Excellent rated project,3 showed that long life, flexible, well lit, efficient and cost-effective 2001 it was taken over by the Carbon Trust This chapter, however, focuses on the ‘hardware’ of the working environment – buildings. The case
naturally ventilated offices for the late twentieth century could be achieved. and the reference changed to ECG 019.
5 BCO, Best Practice in the Specification for
studies illustrated in this section come from both public and private sectors. They are exemplars of
These and other similar buildings utilised the inherent characteristics of site, built form and materials to Offices, British Council of Offices: London; a commitment by both a client and team to creating humane, socially inclusive and environmentally
good effect. Relatively simple and straightforward in their construction and operation, they provided a 2005. responsible buildings. They are by definition commercial; built to realistic budgets and timescales, for real
benchmark, a starting point from which we could advance. The basic techniques involved: 6 K Puckett & C Stocks, Jolly Green Giants,
(mostly end user) clients. But how is the mainstream commercial speculative market performing? In the
Building magazine; 21st July 2006.
British Council for Offices (BCO) Best Practice in the Specification of Offices,5 ‘sustainability’ is a constant
• sensible orientation of the buildings which responded to the specifics of the site
thread connecting all aspects of the office developers’ design world. The BCO document is a reasonable
• opening windows and local controls with supplementary displacement ventilation attempt at establishing an industry attitude and although it declines to identify quantitative targets, it does
attempt to set out a balanced approach to the issue.
• floor plate depths of 12–14m
Before writing this section I invited the UK’s major developers to nominate built projects they felt
• façades that controlled solar gain and heat loss through protection
represented exemplars of truly sustainable speculative commercial developments. Sadly, but maybe not
• heavy mass structures exposed internally, which soaked up the heat of the day and were surprisingly, there were few responses and no convincing nominations.
cooled at night
In July 2006 Building magazine6 conducted a survey of 50 large client bodies asking how much of
• high levels of insulation and airtightness their total construction budget was spent on sustainability. Topping the ‘total spent’ column was Land
Securities, the only private developer listed, claiming an expenditure on sustainability of 2%. This
• low pressure drop ventilation systems.
compared with 6% by Asda Stores and 19% by University College, London. Difficult to particularise and
Their performance was studied and disseminated. Although they performed well (e.g. 110kWh/m2 at compare – undoubtedly; a snapshot in time – of course, but still it would seem it is the public sector that
the Inland Revenue compared with ECON194 Best Practice 114kWh/m2), they were limited by lack of is leading the way.
heat reclamation systems and ineffective control systems, particularly for lighting. Notwithstanding their
34 35

THE ARUP CAMPUS

The Arup Campus in Solihull accommodates Address The Arup Campus
Blythe Gate
In 2004, Phase 1 was monitored in occupation. Peak summertime internal
temperatures were 1–2 degrees below that of the external temperature.
600 staff in three deep plan linked pavilions Blythe Valley Park
Solihull
Annual gas consumption for space heating loads was 76kWh/m2 as against
151kWh/m2, the typical rating for a naturally ventilated office in ECON 19.
on the edge of an SSSI. The buildings B90 8AE The annual electrical total, however, was 167kWh/m2, which is above
the 87kWh/m2 typical value in ECON 19. Of this, about 50kWh/m2 was
Construction Cost Phase 1 Construction value: £7.3 million
achieved a BREEAM Very Good rating for Phase 2 Construction value: £6.5 million
attributable to the data processing centre, café, external lighting and miscellaneous
equipment not included in the ECON 19 benchmark. For the rest, the main areas
Phase 1 and a detailed post-occupancy Completion Date Phase 1 February 2001 of poor performance were lighting (44kWh/m2) and small power (47kWh/m2).
Client Prologis (Phase 1); British Land (Phase 2) Savings of 25–30% were identified which included conversion to LCD screens and
survey was completed in 2004. Tenant Arup occupants turning off unnecessary equipment.

Located on the edge of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the Arup
Campus consists of three two-storey office pavilions linked with a central core
block. The gross internal floor area is 9,058m2 (total Phases 1+2). The brief from
Arup, a global engineering company, was to create an office with a sense of
openness, both internally and to the surrounding landscape. The building should
be an integrated sustainable design solution delivered for a budget equivalent to
that for a standard business park office.
The building responds to the site topography with a split section, modulating the
relative height of the three pavilions and providing 24m deep office space. The
pavilions each have a series of central and perimeter voids allowing air circulated
by stack effect to be exhausted via roof-mounted chimneys. The structure is an
Architect Arup Associates On Phase 2 the design of the lighting control has been revised, which is expected
Quantity Surveyor Arup Associates and Faithful and Gould to reduce electrical energy consumption by 30%. In conclusion, the buildings
appear to perform well, they quietly express their environmental credentials and
Structural Engineer Arup Associates a post occupancy survey (Post-occupancy evaluation case study – Advanced
Services Engineer Arup Associates naturally ventilated office, Alex Wilson and Barry Austin: Arup R&D; March 2004)
has confirmed that user satisfaction and productivity are relatively high.
Main Contractor Interserve (Phase 1); Laser Build (Phase 2)
Landscape Architect Roger Griffiths Associates (Phase 1);
Edco Design (Phase 2)

2.04
2.03
expressed steel frame with pre-cast concrete floor planks providing thermal mass.
The building is naturally ventilated with a mix of automatic louvres controlled by the
building management system (BMS) and manually opening windows. Minimum
fresh air in the winter and summer night-time cooling are achieved. Server rooms
and lecture theatres are provided with mechanical ventilation and cooling.
Heating is provided by a conventional low-temperature hot water (LTHW) radiator
system. The façades are of cedar, which, with the roof cowls, provide an aesthetic terrace
response to the rural setting. The substantially glazed façades facing south-east are level 5
protected by external BMS-controlled solar radiation-linked motorised blinds and
2.02

shutters. Manually operated internal blinds are also provided for other façades, office level 4 entrance
and external timber shutters are provided to screen the façade facing the car park. Fig 2.02 Elevational detail showing external timber shutters courtyard
Fig 2.03 Internal view, first floor
Daylight-linked dimmable artificial lighting provides 350 lux maintained luminance Fig 2.04 General external view reception
office level 2

2.05
in the office spaces. Fig 2.05 Site section level 3
internal courtyard
36 37

TECHNIUM OpTIC
The Technium centre carries out research Address Technium OpTIC
Ffordd William Morgan
with low-flow heads, and rainwater harvesting with tank storage of 40,000 litres,
and a reflection pond reservoir at the base of PV wall. The rainwater harvesting
and development in Optronics, including thin St Asaph Business Park
St Asaph
anticipates a saving of 1000m3 of water per annum.
During the design and delivery process, sustainability workshops were held to
film photovoltaics, which are integrated in LL17 0JD
set objectives and derive solutions in most aspects of the project, backed up
Construction Cost £11.1 million
the south-facing sloping wall of the building, Completion Date February 2004
by research into the costs and benefits of the various materials, components
and systems being considered. To facilitate the OpTIC and other developments
providing a peak output of 84kW. Client Department for Enterprise, Innovation and on the St Asaph Business Park, a nature reserve had to be created within the
business park to provide a natural habitat for a number of wildlife species, which
Networks, Welsh Assembly Government
were relocated under an approved Habitat Mitigation Scheme. The project is
Tenant Optopreneurs Ltd testament to an informed client and a committed project team. Its importance
Set in a business park, this building links university centres of excellence with Architect Capita Architecture lies beyond the purely environmental and is a statement of optimism in the future.
entrepreneurial business such as Optronics, which combines the properties of The photovoltaic installation has been monitored as part of the DTI Major PV
Quantity Surveyor Bucknall Austin
optical materials with electronics, and is a key enabling technology of the 21st Demonstration Programme to provide analysis of the running and energy costs.
Century. OpTIC will be one of a number of Technium Centres promoting and Structural Engineer URS Corporation The metered output of the system has averaged 64,250kWh per year, equivalent

2.07
supporting innovative technologies to generate new employment opportunities and Main Contractor Shepherd Construction Ltd to approximately 27 tonnes of CO2.
stimulate the wider local economy. A nature reserve has been created within the Sustainability Advisor URS Corporation
business park to provide a natural habitat for a number of wildlife species, which
were relocated under an approved Habitat Mitigation Scheme.
The main feature of the building is a 1000m2 photovoltaic wall, Europe’s largest
Copper Indium Diselenide (CIS PV) installation, with a peak rating of 84kW,
which screens the highly serviced technical facility – essentially a black box.
The inclined wall also channels rainwater to the harvesting pond at its base for
re-use in the building and external irrigation. An internal ‘street’ acts as a buffer
and circulation spine. This street enjoys a light, airy environment due to its overall
height and its glazed roof, and incorporates breakout spaces providing a place
to relax and network. It also serves as a key component to the natural ventilation
strategy drawing air through the street and back out through the vents located
within the glazed roof over. The Green Guide to Specification (Building Research
Establishment; 2005) was used as a basis for specifying materials. Off-site
fabrication of components was also employed to increase quality and reduce
waste. Further uses of waste and sustainable materials included recycled hardcore,
topsoil re-used on the site, modified terrazzo with glass as aggregate, as well as
feature walls and paving constructed out of recycled waste slate.
Other features include: PV external lighting units, low-energy cooling, natural
ventilation and low-energy displacement ventilation. Insulation values are 15%
2.06

better than 2002 Building Regulations standard and a BMS system optimises
Fig 2.06 Internal street
heating, cooling and ventilation systems. Low-energy lighting includes daylight
Fig 2.07 South façade showing PV wall
and presence sensors. Water conservation measures include: spray taps, showers

2.08
Fig 2.08 General view showing offices and production facility
38 39

WESSEX WATER
OPERATIONS CENTRE
Completed in July 2000, Wessex Water Address Wessex Water Services Ltd
Operations Centre
addresses a wide range of issues including Claverton Down Road
Claverton Down, Bath
energy efficiency, water conservation, BA2 7WW
Construction Cost £22.5 million
integration with landscape and community Completion Date July 2000
involvement. Client Wessex Water
Architect Bennetts Associates

2.10
Quantity Surveyor Davis Langdon
The operations centre was part of Wessex Water’s long-term plan to rationalise Structural Engineer Buro Happold
five separate buildings into a centralised facility for 580 staff on the site of
Services Engineer Buro Happold Rainwater and surface water are collected in holding tanks buried beneath
a demolished isolation hospital, and on the edge of a designated area of
Landscape Architect Bernard Ede/Grant Associates landscaped areas, with grey water used for irrigation and 95% of toilet flushes.
outstanding natural beauty (AONB). The building was required to be an
Porous paviors in the car park allow surface water to percolate off into the natural
exemplar of environmentally sensitive architecture with an estimated annual energy Project Manager Buro Four Project Services
water table instead of local sewers. The landscape strategy reinforced the existing
consumption of 53kWh/m2 of gas and 47kWh/m2 of electricity, about two-thirds Construction Manager MACE flora and fauna and encourages local wildlife.
of the then current best practice value for a naturally ventilated office and far less
than the norm for headquarters buildings. Sustainability
Buro Happold was commissioned by Wessex Water to report on energy
Consultant BRE consumption, water consumption and internal environmental performance. Their
The 10,000m2 building adopts a low profile. Most of the office accommodation is
monitoring commission was initially for three years, commencing in Summer 2001.
in three uniform wings that adopt an E-shape on plan, each wing facing south and
looking over the roof of the one below. In between the offices and the communal Adjusted energy use for Wessex Water HQ’s first three years is summarised below
areas is a top-lit, linear space that becomes narrower as it descends the contours and compared with predicted figures (using ECON 19 conversion factors of 0.19
from the main entrance to the woodland at the foot of the site. This forum-like kgCO2/kWh of gas, 0.52 kg CO2/kWh of mains electricity and based on a
space is the mechanism for binding the disparate parts of the building together treated floor area of 9360m2).
and is the location for impromptu meetings, social gatherings and special events.
A north–south orientation, thermal mass, solar shading, natural cross-ventilation
wherever possible and minimal mechanical ventilation were all employed to
minimise energy consumption and the need for artificial cooling. Night cooling of Total carbon
the offices via BMS-controlled high-level windows reduces energy consumption Electricity Gas dioxide emissions Water

2.11
further. Solar water heating reduces operational energy consumption. Minimising kWh/sq m2/yr kWh/sq m2/yr kgCO2/sq m2/yr l/person/day
the volume of materials reduced energy used for construction. The precast exposed Fig 2.09 The building integrated with the landscape
concrete coffer system provides the required thermal mass to cool the building. Fig 2.10 Site section Scheme design target 47 53 35 45
The design team also specified materials with low CO2 emissions in manufacture. Fig 2.11 Internal view Adjusted consumption year 1 62 73 46 n/a
Locally supplied materials were used to minimise transport emissions. Off-site Adjusted consumption year 2 55 66 41 n/a
prefabrication and quality inspections reduced on-site waste to a minimum. Adjusted consumption year 3 52 45 36 26
Thereafter, it was sorted and 70% was recycled to avoid landfill tax with a net (CO2 saved by using green electricity tariff)
2.09

financial credit of £15,000 to the project. Good Practice 57 80 45 n/a

40 41

CEME
The Centre for Engineering & Manufacturing Address CEME Campus
Marsh Way
the street. The team successfully secured £357,000 funding for this system through
the DTI Major PV Demonstration Programme and the European Commission.
Excellence (CEME) in Rainham, Essex, Rainham
Essex
Natural ventilation to the street and workshop areas, together with daylight
sensitive lighting controls further reduce the energy requirements of the building.
is a centre for education, enterprise and RM13 8EW
Other notable innovations include:
Construction Cost £20 million
manufacture built on a former waste Completion Date December 2003
• Waste minimisation – constructed by the contractor using BRE
SmartWaste procedures. Comprehensive strategy for building in use to
dumping ground donated by Ford. It is Client Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing reduce land fill waste.
Excellence
planned around a 150m south-facing street Architect Sheppard Robson
• Bio-diverse landscape – designed in consultation with the Environment
Agency to improve habitat for water voles, newts and incorporating a
and incorporates a 100kWpeak photovoltaic Project Manager and lake to take surface water run-off from hard landscape areas.

array and a wind turbine. Quantity Surveyor Faithful & Gould • Energy and water efficiency – the largest integrated photovoltaic roof

2.13
Structural Engineer Campbell Reith Hill array by output in UK on completion. Rainwater recycling reduces
Services Engineer Whitbybird consumption of potable water. Low-energy lighting/controls. Natural
ventilation. Low level air displacement with heat recovery.
CEME is the flagship project for the Thames Gateway strategy for the Main Contractor SDC Construction Group
regeneration of the east London corridor and the improvement of opportunities • Re-use of brownfield site with limited commercial value in previous state
Landscape Architect Lovejoy
for local people. Investment in the project came from a public/private partnership (former Ford waste dumping ground), now catalyst for socio-economic
including the Ford Motor Company, the London Development Agency, Barking regeneration of area.
and Havering Colleges, the European Regional Development Fund, the DTI • Minimising traffic/use of car – a green travel plan incorporating cycle
and the Single Regeneration Fund. The brief called for an iconic exemplar of network and 24-month subsidised public transport to discourage habitual
sustainable development. use of private vehicles.
Located adjacent to the A13 trunk road, CEME has been designed as a building Social interaction between the occupants lies at the heart of this scheme, and
integrated into the industrial surroundings of the site. The glazed north elevation the dialogue between internal and external spaces reinforces the environmental
offers passers-by views of the processes and activities within the large workshop message to the users. The 100kWpeak array contributes 15% of the site electricity
areas. A protruding auditorium dominates the business studies workshop offering requirements, approximately 60,000kWh per year (equivalent to 25 tonnes of
a ‘Harvard’ model lecture theatre. A long curved spine also acts as the structural CO2). The incorporation of the PV arrays, while a major funding success, does
and services backbone to the building. To the south of the spine sits the ‘street’, illustrate one of the challenges of renewable energy sources, namely the successful
a 150m-long circulation zone for the students, teachers and drop-in users, with integration of such components into an holistic architectural expression.
information points and IT hot-desking areas, a restaurant and coffee points. The
southern elevations beyond the street open out onto a continuous timber deck, Further information: www.ceme.co.uk
overlooking a landscaped area, lake and outdoor amphitheatre.
Fig 2.12 Solar roofscape
Low-energy design has been incorporated throughout the building. Photovoltaics Fig 2.13 External view at night

2.14
2.12

have been incorporated to provide an integrated roof solution to the canopy and Fig 2.14 Internal street
42 43

EDEN FOUNDATION
BUILDING
The Eden Project is a renowned and popular Address Eden Project
Bodelva
newsprint) filled cavity for floor, wall and roof achieving a U-value of 0.13W/m2K.
The lightweight structural timber frame is sourced from certified renewable sources.
visitor attraction and the new Foundation St Austell
Cornwall
The west façade is timber clad with Canadian Western Red Cedar, selected
because it weathers well, has natural durability and does not need to be treated
Building1 provides a comfortable working PL24 2SG with weather resistant coatings or preservatives. Lightweight perforated aluminium
louvres protect the large timber-framed double-glazed windows on the west
Construction Cost £ 2.5 million
environment over two floors for the project’s Completion Date December 2002
elevation, reducing solar impact on the interior of the building while maintaining
daylight and allowing views across the site. The materials chosen and use of
staff. The building demonstrates respect for Client The Eden Project Ltd prefabrication result in a building that was erected with ease and speed and
Architect Grimshaw avoided the need for large cranes.
its environment and meets high sustainability Quantity Surveyor and The annual heating energy consumption, including domestic hot water, accounts
targets, receiving a BREEAM rating of Project Manager Davis Langdon for some 30kWh/m2, lower than expected. However, at 86kWh/m2, annual
electrical energy consumption was much higher. Server rooms, catering and
Excellent. Structural Engineer
Services Engineer
Anthony Hunt Associates
BDSP
external lighting accounted for approximately 25% of this. The rest of the high
energy use was attributable (again) to problems with the automatic lighting
Construction Manager McAlpine Joint Venture controls and office equipment, which could be turned off more. The Foundation
Building proves that the requirements of economically viable, high-occupancy
The 1800m building, set at the edge of an old quarry, provides a comfortable
2
office buildings need not be at odds with the sustainable ideal and was the first
working environment for the Eden Project administrative team and library facilities
building to have been completed by the architects using their own environmental
for a partner organisation, Cornwall College. The Foundation Building is created
management system – Environmentally Viable Architecture (EVA).
from materials sourced from sustainable suppliers, appropriate for a client with an
inspiring ecological mission. 1 The Foundation Building was completed in 2002. A later fourth phase, The Core was completed

2.16
in 2005.
The Foundation Building is laid out over two floors on a 6m x 14m primary grid.
Large modular bays run the length of the building from north to south. Floors
are arranged around a central open staircase and are largely open plan, with
partitioned offices on the east side of the ground floor and meeting rooms located
to the north end of the first floor. The central roof lantern running the length of the
building provides natural lighting and cross-ventilation. Daylight and air travel
down from first to ground floor through a series of voids. Timber-decked external
terraces at ground and first floor level and a projecting curved balcony extend out
beyond the building envelope. Instead of the traditional flat floor slab, the building

2.17
is raised off the ground, supported on timber columns bolted to concrete pads
that support a suspended timber floor structure. During construction, this minimised
2.15

the volume of soil to be removed from the site and also reduced the amount of
cement needed. The columns are as slender as possible, having the absolute
Fig 2.15 General view of the Foundation building
minimum cross-sections for structural efficiency. The building skin is breathable, Fig 2.16 First floor plan
extremely lightweight and well insulated with a 241mm deep WarmcelTM (recycled Fig 2.17 Section
44 45

HEELIS,
THE NATIONAL TRUST HQ
This new headquarters building for the UK’s Address Heelis
Churchward Park
442mm-thick external wall construction has a U-value of 0.2W/m2K. Care has
been taken to shade all glazing to eliminate solar gains using projecting brick
largest charity provides a highly sustainable Kemble Drive
Swindon
fins, perforated aluminium screens and cantilevered PVs to protect the rooflights.
Internally, timber from National Trust estates has been used in the central atrium
workplace and demonstrates that significant SN2 2NA wall linings, and furniture was manufactured in Berkshire. Wool from Herdwick
Lakeland sheep has been used in carpet tiles developed for the scheme.
Construction Cost £14.5 million
improvements can be achieved over the Completion Date June 2005 The landscape around the building uses native species typical of post-industrial
performance of typical commercial buildings Client The National Trust sites. The courtyards provide private amenity space for staff and are landscaped
to maximise seasonal variety. This new headquarters building provides a distinctive
Architect Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects LLP
built to similar budgets. Winner of the RIBA Quantity Surveyor Davis Langdon
and highly sustainable workplace, and demonstrates that significant improvements
can be achieved over the performance of typical commercial buildings built
Sustainability Award 2006. Structural Engineer Adams Kara Taylor to similar budgets. The deep plan building has been designed to provide an
Services Engineer Max Fordham and Partners LLP excellent working environment and to minimise energy usage. It is estimated that
CO2 emissions will be reduced by 65% compared to best practice benchmarks
Main Contractor Moss Construction

2.19
(ECON 19), to less than 20kgCO2/m2/yr. Eighteen months after completion, post-
The relocation of the central administration functions of the National Trust brought Project Manager Buro Four Project Services occupancy feedback is that the building is meeting its energy and temperature
together 470 staff under one roof for the first time as part of the process of targets and NT staff clearly love their new HQ.
honing the organisation for the new millennium. Sustainability is at the heart of the
National Trust’s mission and the project brief was to develop the most sustainable
building possible within the available budget. Heelis is a two-storey, open plan
building which provides 7110m2 of office space, meeting rooms and workshops
plus a shop and café. The project received a BREEAM Excellent rating.
The deep plan two-storey building comprises a first floor punctured with a series of
voids which connect the two levels and allow daylight to reach the ground floor.
The concept synthesises the line of the adjacent railway sheds with solar geometry Fig 2.18 Internal view showing natural lighting
to generate roof pitches facing due north/south. The roof provides large areas of Fig 2.19 General view of shaded south façade
Fig 2.20 South elevation at night

2.20
carefully shaded north lighting and incorporates ventilation ‘snouts’, which enhance Fig 2.21 Typical section
natural ventilation with air intake via motorised panels in the elevations. Densely
occupied internal spaces are mechanically ventilated with comfort cooling using
‘Earthcare’ propane chillers. Internally an average daylight factor of 5% and a
fully dimmable lighting system reduces the use of artificial lighting. Concrete soffits
at both levels provide extra thermal mass, which, combined with night ventilation,
help to absorb heat during the day and create a comfortable environment without
artificial cooling. A mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery helps to limit
heat loss in winter. A roof-mounted photovoltaic installation funded with a 65%
grant from the DTI is rated at 83kWpeak and is predicted to provide 30% of the
annual electrical consumption. Externally, the elevations combine engineering brick
laid in lime mortar with cast aluminium panels (using 92% recycled aluminium

2.21
2.18

and cast in nearby Melksham) combining low maintenance with recyclability. The
46 47

SOUTH CAMBS
DISTRICT OFFICES
This new Town Hall for South
Cambridgeshire, which was built as a joint
venture between public and private sectors,
achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating.
The building provides headquarter facilities for South Cambridgeshire District
Council (SCDC) and comprises council chamber, committee and meeting
rooms and general office accommodation for the various departments of the
council. SCDC was previously located in cramped, outmoded offices in central
Cambridge. The council decided to site their new HQ at the heart of their
constituency and within the newly formed village of Cambourne, a new growth
area to the west of Cambridge City. The brief evolved to create a building
which was inviting and accessible both visually and physically to the public, and
which embraced a more open-plan office culture; a major transformation from a
previously highly cellular culture at the city location. The brief also stipulated that
the design should embrace energy-efficient, low-carbon strategies, and targets for
reductions in running costs and replacement costs.
Initially, the design process commenced with a competitive bid and design
proposal to secure the council at Development Securities’ Cambourne site.
The brief was in its infancy at this stage and Aukett Fitzroy Robinson’s design
recommended three key design strategies:
• low-energy concepts including mixed mode ventilation with heat
reclamation and night-time cooling
Address South Cambridgeshire Hall
Cambourne Business Park
Rainwater is collected and used for WC flushing and there is also solar water
heating. Annual energy targets were 62kWh/m2 of electricity and 65kWh/m2 of
Cambourne
Cambridge
gas. As the building was to be procured via a ‘turn key’ design-and-build contract
between the developer, contractor and council, the design development stages
CB3 6EA involved detailed cost appraisals to evaluate construction costs set against energy
consumption reductions.
Construction Cost £10.5 million
Completion Date April 2004 Post-completion, the building has been monitored to assess thermal performance,
Client South Cambridgeshire District Council which has led to limited fine tuning of the building management system (BMS),
and adjustments to the automated louvre system on the east elevation to optimise
Architect Aukett Fitzroy Robinson
solar control and internal environment. However, no measured data was available
Quantity Surveyor AYH at the time of writing.
Structural Engineer Whitbybird It is rare to find both a speculative office development and a building for a local
Services Engineer Faber Maunsell AECOM authority that takes account of sustainability. However, this project is an exemplar
Main Contractor Alfred McAlpine Special Projects of how, through collaboration, both sectors can realise their mutual goals and as
such it offers a number of lessons for both sectors. The project embraced extensive
Landscape Architect Aukett Fitzroy Robinson
end-user consultation and involvement throughout the design and construction
Developer Development Securities/Wrenbridge Land process and has succeeded in blending commercial and environmental viability
for the mutual benefit of both. Estimated CO2 emissions are 45kgCO2/m2/yr at
ECON 19 values.

2.23
• open-plan culture for the main office environment
• an open visual and physical environment to reflect a more open interface
with the public and the council’s constituents, while still permitting a
naturally ventilated strategy.
Fig 2.22 General view at night
Three storey 15m wide floor plates allow for natural cross-venting by openable

2.24
Fig 2.23 Internal street with ETFE roof
2.22

windows. The central street is covered by ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), Fig 2.24 Typical floor plan
which permits daylight to penetrate the internal zones of the floor plates, and
the street space is used as the exhaust air plenum. Lightweight steel columns and
beams support exposed precast concrete floor and roof slabs and night-time
cooling is achieved.
48 49

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY
Designed to be an example of best practice Address Red Kite House
Howbery Park
• Wind-assisted ventilation to the top floor through extraction fans provides
air movement for the occupants on the top floor and accelerates cooling
in sustainable office development, this Benson Lane
Wallingford
of the structure.
The building is naturally ventilated with low-level manual opening
naturally ventilated, concrete-framed building Oxfordshire
OX10 8BD
•

windows and high-level BMS-controlled clerestory lights.

achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating with Construction Cost £ 4.5 million • Exposed concrete structure internally for thermal mass and night cooling.

predicted carbon emissions 26% below Completion Date February 2005 Environmental features:
Client The Environment Agency 200m2 of photovoltaic cells are predicted to generate 20,000kWh of
ECON 19 guidelines. Architect Scott Brownrigg
•

electricity per year, or about 20% of the building’s estimated requirement.

Quantity Surveyor Davis Langdon
Structural Engineer Waterman Partners
Red Kite House is a new office for the Environment Agency. The 2788m2 building
is curved in plan and forms the gateway into a new business park – a quiet site Services Engineer Hoare Lea
incorporating an historic manor house. The agreed aim was to construct an office Main Contractor Moss Construction • Solar panels on the roof satisfy about 40% of the demand for hot water.
that would not only meet the Environment Agency’s operational needs but would Landscape Architect Whitelaw Turkington
also serve as an example of best practice in sustainable office development.
Project Manager Buro Four Project Services
A key feature and requirement of the brief was to design a building that is •
This will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide discharged to the
atmosphere by about 12 tonnes per year. The cells clad the south-facing
brise soleil, which projects about 3m from the roof at the front of the
building and shades the interior.
They reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a further 1.6 tonnes per year.
The rainwater harvesting system collects rainwater from the roof which is

environmentally friendly, naturally ventilated with an Excellent BREEAM rating. Developer HR Wallingford held in an 8000 litre tank and pumped through filters for toilet flushing. It
The following elements were significant in responding to the constraints and will satisfy about 40% of the total demand for water. Overspill is directed
opportunities of the site: into a reed bed.

2.25
• By orientating the building east–west it is possible to control the solar • Sustainable drainage from the car park allows rainwater to soak into the
gain along the southernmost façade using roof-mounted louvres affording ground, while non-permeable areas will drain to a reed bed. A geotextile
shading and providing a glazing system that allows only 40% clear membrane traps oil and other pollutants and allows microbiological
glass. degradation to minimise risks of groundwater pollution.

• Sunlit spaces are created around the building and access can be gained The design strategy appears to have paid off. Internal temperature in July 2006
to this landscape for occupants of the building at ground level. was 28˚C while the external temperature was 34˚C. Although there is no heat
reclamation system, the use of on-site renewables has resulted in a meaningful
The short sides of the building that attract the early morning and late
2.24

•
reduction in carbon dioxide emissions for this relatively simple building. Estimated
afternoon sun are minimised by the orientation. CO2 emissions are 25.3kg/CO2/m2/yr. A post-occupancy study is being carried
Fig 2.25 Typical section illustrating air flows
The north facing façade is more open to daylight with 60% clear glazing out to optimise the energy consumption of the building and ensure that the targets

2.26
• Fig 2.26 South elevation at night
set within brick panels. Fig 2.27 General view showing solar shading are achieved.
50
SUMMARY
These case studies, most of which have achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating, illustrate how the world
of the workplace can contribute to reducing CO2 emissions while providing a visually stimulating
environment and maintaining satisfactory comfort conditions. However, they also show that actual
performance in use is not always in line with design predictions.
The principal areas of underperformance of the monitored projects relate to electrical energy
consumption, particularly the use and control of artificial lighting and equipment by the occupants of the
buildings. Given the high electrical demands of offices and factories, the use of on-site renewable energy
sources is unlikely to be a key contributor to the occupancy loads, although it can meaningfully contribute
to the building’s base demand, especially when associated with other measures. Further exploitation of
the wind to drive ventilation systems, the sun to naturally light our offices during the day and combined
on-site electricity generation offers more scope.
Improved knowledge of actual (as opposed to predicted) performance is essential. Post-occupancy
surveys of users and their productivity as well as systems must somehow be made to happen.
While energy certification may eventually facilitate this, central and local government, as key
procurers of sustainable projects must surely have a role to play in the funding of this work, which
must then be disseminated.
The importance of an integrated supply chain for energy and buildings is being recognised. Locally
sourced materials not only reduce transportation demands, but should result in more contextual solutions
while at the same time injecting money and employment into local economies. This will inevitably extend
beyond completion of the project into the whole life operation of the building in its use.
1 BCO, Best Practice Guide. Energy
Management in Offices, London: British
Council for Offices.
51
In their Summer 2006 Survey of Property Trends, GVA Grimley reported that some 76% of occupiers
surveyed were prepared to pay ‘marginally more’ for an environmentally friendly building. The reported
trend is that occupants are attaching a greater significance to the environmental credentials of the
properties they use. It is not simply a matter of costs. Occupiers are also recognising other benefits
such as increased staff productivity, satisfaction and improved company image. Even if a premium rent
cannot be charged for this, it is likely that those properties that do not fulfil such occupant expectations,
will, ultimately, be unable to command the same rental values as those that do. Given this, it is
astonishing that the funders, developers and designers of commercial architecture in our country
continue to fail to seize the opportunities to safeguard the longer-term value of their investments and to
steal the edge from their competitors.
As experience demonstrates, there are a number of significant challenges to be surmounted in successful
incorporation of systems and technologies into a holistic architectural solution. However, the body of
exemplary sustainable projects continues to grow, albeit slowly, and this can only be encouraging.
The commercial sector has, at best, been slow to learn the lessons from the public sector and owner-
occupiers and on the whole it has declined to implement them. More imagination is needed for mutually
beneficial developments in order to overcome the short-term objections that invariably are put in the way.
This must remain the urgent challenge for the future. It is never too late but, as Rab Bennetts in the BCO
Guide1 asserted, ‘compulsion through regulation may be the only alternative’.
52
2 EDUCATION
Fig 3.01 Internal view, Westborough
Primary School, Westcliff-on-Sea
53
Heinz Richardson
BUILDINGS
NOTLEY GREEN SCHOOL, Braintree
KINGSMEAD PRIMARY SCHOOL, Northwich
WESTBOROUGH PRIMARY SCHOOL, Westcliff-on-Sea
MILLENNIUM SCHOOL, Greenwich, London
ALEXANDRA PARK SCHOOL, Haringey, London
ZICER BUILDING, University of East Anglia
MICHAEL YOUNG BUILDING, Open University
CENTRE FOR MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES,
University of Cambridge
LANCHESTER LIBRARY, Coventry University
GENESIS, SCAT, Taunton
54
INTRODUCTION
The Education Act of 1944 paved the way for a massive investment in the physical infrastructure of our
education system. Ten years after the passing of that Act the government had built 2500 schools, most of
which are now coming to the end of their useful life. The architecture of most post-war schools embraced
modernist architecture – heralding a new age of steel frames, prefabricated cladding and large expanses
of glass, in contrast to the dark mostly brick built Victorian schools. This architectural experimentation was
epitomised by the competition-winning Hunstanton School by Peter and Alison Smithson completed in
1954 to wide acclaim and much excitement. While the new schools were a marked departure from their
forbidding Victorian predecessors, in environmental terms they were nothing short of a disaster. Excessive
glazing, coupled with non-existent insulation and thin wall construction led to significant overheating in
summer and freezing conditions in winter. They are expensive to run, use vast resources of energy and
make significant contributions to the nation’s CO2 burden.
In recognition of this, and the importance of education for the future of our society, the government is
committed to huge increases in capital investment in schools – some £5.1 billion in 2006. While a
significant portion of this will be spent on catching up on a backlog of repairs or replacements, the
government’s ‘Building Schools for the Future’ programme has the ambitious aim of rebuilding and
renewing all secondary schools over the next 10 to 15 years. At the same time there will also be
substantial new investment in primary school buildings and the further education sector, funded through
The Higher Education Funding Council for England HEFCE, which is also committed to investment
in new buildings and energy efficiency. This level of investment and commitment presents a unique
opportunity. Not only are we in a position where we can create stimulating learning environments
that contribute to raising educational achievement, but we can also address the huge environmental
challenges we face at the turn of the 21st Century. It would indeed be a missed opportunity if, in 60
years time, when significant climate change will have taken place, the next generation to be educated
55
in these new buildings looks back at the educational estate with the same jaundiced view we have
today. Education buildings, be they primary schools, after-school clubs, or adult education centres, can
act as educators in their own right. Through an understanding of the impact of building fabric, services
and the interaction of these with the environment, we will be able to bring the issues of sustainability
and the impact of human activity on the environment into sharp focus for future generations.
The 10 case studies featured in this chapter demonstrate a wide variety of education buildings, all of
which address these issues. They vary from highlighting the importance of innovation in recyclability to
an example of different sustainable construction techniques. Most exceed the 2002 Building Regulations
standards for thermal efficiency and all consider carefully the environmental impact of construction
materials. The primary schools featured have directly engaged children in the design process with
obvious delight and, indeed, are richer for it. The higher education exemplars have remarkably similar
approaches to issues such as passive ventilation, thermal mass, and the control of natural daylighting and
air leakage, yet at the same time consider future flexibility as a key component of sustainability. Normal
budget constraints have not prevented an element of demonstration technology being incorporated
in three of the case studies. The reference standard for school buildings sustainability is BREEAM for
Schools, which was sponsored by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and is intended to
make a ‘sea change’ in the energy efficiency of new schools. Several of the case studies have achieved
a BREEAM Excellent rating. All are at the forefront of sustainable building design in this sector, and
the lessons learnt will be invaluable in understanding how to invest the huge sums committed by the
government to provide inspirational learning environments that should aim for zero-carbon emissions.
56 57

NOTLEY GREEN SCHOOL

An international-competition-winning design Address Notley Green Primary School
Blickling Road
quality. For instance, the window frames are made of timber and aluminium, which
gives good thermal performance and low maintenance. The WarmcelTM thermal
for a new-build model primary school Great Notley
Braintree
insulation is made from recycled newspaper. The carpet at the entrance is made
from old car tyres. The polyethylene wall coverings are made from recycled plastic
demonstrating sustainable principles within a Essex
CM77 7ZJ
bottles. The green roof requires a shallow substrate and helps to absorb CO2.

standard DfES budget. Construction Cost £10 million

Completion Date January 2002
Client Essex County Council
Notley Green School is the result of a competition run jointly by the Design
Architect Allford Hall Monaghan Morris
Council and Essex County Council to select a new prototype ‘model sustainable
school’. The aims of the competition were fourfold: to produce a high-quality new Quantity Surveyor Cook and Butler
school to a standard DfES budget; to establish the principles of a sustainable Structural Engineer Atelier 1
Notley Green has a very distinctive form and the use of materials – timber
cladding and sedum roofs – expresses its ‘green’ credentials. While the
triangular plan shape was derived from an analysis of energy and environmental
requirements, it is inherently inflexible, and has proved difficult to extend.
Measured performance data are not available but estimated energy for heating
is 142kWh/m2/yr.
Fig 3.02 Internal view
Fig 3.03 Timber clad elevations

3.04
building and method of construction; to record the process of designing and Fig 3.04 Ground floor plan
Services Engineer Atelier 10 Fig 3.05 Expressive built form showing north lights
constructing the product; and to allow feedback to practice, education and
government. Indeed, the ultimate criterion was that for the school to succeed it was Main Contractor Jackson Building
to be a delight to school children, teachers, parents and the numerous members
of the public who might pass by and occasionally visit. A further key aim of the
project was to provide a building that could be utilised by the community out of
hours to ensure that it was sustainable in use as well as construction.
The ultimate triangular form offers the benefits of an excellent floor-to-wall ratio,
the possibility for natural light and ventilation throughout through a simple section,
and a commanding presence on the site. This triangular shape coupled with

2.04
the creation of an internal atrium space not only helps to reduce the amount of
unwanted but commonly found circulation corridor by about 10% but also helps in
providing natural light and natural ventilation. The compact plan form also helps
to reduce heat losses. The south-east facing classrooms benefit from morning solar
gains, which provide some heat in the spring and autumn. The glazing ratios are
in the order of 35%, being the optimum for preventing excessive heat losses and
3.02

controlling heat gains. North light is allowed into the spaces by the clerestory lights
created by the sloping roofs. In the central spaces fresh air is introduced under
the floor and extracted through the clerestory windows. The scheme provides two
spaces in addition to those required by the brief, the central triangular court and
the northern covered play area, while still reducing the overall area of the building
by nearly 10%. All materials, including the site itself, were carefully assessed in
terms of their use and recyclable potential. As a result of this research numerous
recycled, low-embodied-energy and environmentally preferred products have been
used. The selection of materials was dependent on a subjective assessment of

3.05
3.03

recyclability, embodied energy, energy in use, lifecycle costings, maintenance and

58
KINGSMEAD
PRIMARY SCHOOL
In a recent post-occupancy survey the results
place Kingsmead Primary School in the top
10% of the buildings surveyed. The building
Construction Cost £2.4 million
is popular with staff, pupils and parents Completion Date June 2004
alike.
Structural Engineer Integral Structural Design
Kingsmead Primary School is a new build timber framed and clad building that Services Engineer Arup
goes beyond DfES best practice design, providing an exemplar learning tool
Main Contractor Willmott Dixon
for seven classes and their teachers. The motivational driver behind the school
was to deliver a sustainable building using local materials and labour wherever
possible, through a partnering arrangement between client, designer and
contractor. Originally farmland, the site is one of the last remaining fields following
the development of surrounding housing. As well as providing the required play
area the landscape surrounding the school provides a number of natural habitats
encouraging local flora and fauna, and thereby creating a habitat for learning
too. The brief for the project established design innovation, sustainability and
educational value as key topics, and funding was established on an initial budget,
which included baseline sustainability features.
The design approach included future-proofing, replicability and enhancing the
teaching and learning environment. The ethos of sustainable construction informed
every aspect of design from orientation, selection of natural materials, use of
natural daylighting and ventilation, and the landscape concept. The outcome is a
replicable building which delivers a high-quality teaching and learning environment
that is closely aligned with the DfES ‘Building Schools for the Future’ and ‘Teaching
Environment of the Future’ visions. The principles of sustainable construction are
apparent throughout the project, from base building design concepts of super
insulation and natural ventilation to the use of photovoltaics, solar water heating,
rainwater harvesting for flushing toilets, SUDS (sustainable urban drainage systems)
3.06
recycled materials, locally sourced products and labour, and the use of a biomass
59
Address Kingsmead Primary School
Dukes Way
boiler heating system. The building has a highly visible timber portalised glulam
structure, set out to form an inverted gull wing roof to harvest rainwater. PerspexTM
Northwich
Cheshire
pipes help the children to understand this concept and, combined with a digital
read-out, the amount collected and used can be easily seen. The timber deck roof,
CW9 8WA sheathed with a single membrane of rubber has 225mm of insulation throughout,
which in combination with additional insulation behind the timber batten ceilings
generates exceptional insulation and acoustic properties to the classrooms.
3.07
Client Cheshire County Council In use, Kingsmead is in the top 10% of schools for heating-related CO2 emissions
reduction. The biomass boiler reduces this even further, making the school’s
Architect White Design
heating almost CO2 neutral. However, over and above the savings in energy and
CO2 production, the use of natural ventilation and daylight creates a teaching
and learning environment that actually improves learning outcomes, enhances staff
retention and reduces days off due to ill health. The next steps include expanding
the monitoring system to better measure the energy used in the building. This
data will be saved onto a computer and used as a teaching and learning aid.
Monitoring the energy use so closely will also enable the most energy-efficient
use of the building. Other important objectives are to achieve a surplus of energy
generated by the photovoltaic system for export to the national grid and to change
the fuel for the biomass boiler from wood pellets to locally sourced woodchip.
Fig 3.06 School entrance
Fig 3.07 General view showing roof-mounted solar collectors
Fig 3.08 Expressed glulam structure
3.08
Fig 3.09 Section illustrating air flow
3.09
60 61

WESTBOROUGH
PRIMARY SCHOOL
A prototype building, which uses primarily Address The Westborough Primary School
Macdonald Avenue
doors. The building is designed to last 20 years and is intended to promote
cardboard as an environmentally friendly building material that can be recycled
recycled or recyclable materials in a Westcliff-on-Sea
Essex
nine times, thereby reducing significantly the landfill waste burden created by the
construction industry.
dynamic cardboard structure designed to last SS0 9BS
The two year duration of the project consisted of one year of research and
Construction Cost £177,157
20 years. Winner of the RIBA Sustainability Completion Date April 2001
development, six months of constructing a full scale prototype and six months’
construction on site. A good deal of research and collaborative working was
Award 2002. Client Westborough Primary School needed to convince planning and building control authorities that the proposals
were safe from a fire strategy viewpoint and viable. The project was jointly
Architect Cottrell and Vermeulen
funded by the research partners and the DETR through the Partners In Innovation
Structural Engineer Buro Happold programme, and involved 21 different manufacturers and suppliers. This is an
The cardboard after-school club was the outcome of a research project lasting Services Engineer Buro Happold inspiring project, which should lead to more experimentation with the use of
two years. This innovative building set out to use 90% recycled and recyclable recycled materials in the construction industry.
Main Contractor C J Franklin
materials in its construction. The school had identified a pressing need for
Fig 3.10 Masterplan
permanent after-school provision, typical of many primary schools, as part of its Fig 3.11 Construction detail
long-term vision. This provided the ideal basis for a research project which, with Fig 3.12 General view showing corrugated roof profile
the total support of the school, allowed the design and construction of the building Fig 3.13 Screen printed cladding
to engage with the whole school and the wider community to foster a sense of
ownership and pride in the project. The chosen material for the construction was
cardboard – a material made almost entirely from recycled constituents.
The project set out to test the sustainability of using cardboard within a building.
The material, combined with ideas of sustainability, provided the inspiration for an
architecture that is structurally and spatially challenging. The structural possibilities
of cardboard were initially explored through origami and an understanding of

3.11
the intrinsic strengths of a folded structure. The final form of the building embodies
this idea, which is further expressed on the cladding panels of the front elevation.
Screen printed images of an origami heron, a local species, created by artist
Simon Patterson animate the façade. The school community was involved with
the project from the outset and children collected card for recycling and helped
design and develop the building, even appearing on television as part of a live
broadcast. This engagement with the production process of the new classroom
exposed them to the issues surrounding sustainable construction. The completed
project uses a high proportion of cardboard. Walls and roof are constructed from
load bearing and insulating composite cardboard panels. Cardboard tubes are
used as structural columns and palisade walls and much of the rest of the building
uses recycled building products. Pinboards, for instance, are made from recycled
newspaper. Recycled newspaper is also used in structural boarding, recycled
rubber is used for flooring throughout and worktops are recycled polyurethane
3.10

3.13
3.12
core board. Recycled TetrapacTM board is used in partitions, kitchen units and
62 63

MILLENNIUM SCHOOL,
GREENWICH
A group of new education and healthcare
buildings that combine to provide a
sustainable and social heart for a modern
sustainable community.
The Millennium School and Health Centre provide health, primary education
and social facilities for the new Greenwich Millennium Village built on a large
brownfield site in south-east London. The buildings were designed to meet the
overall environmental sustainability guidelines of the Ralph Erskine-designed
masterplan. The three interconnecting buildings are positioned with their entrances
directly off the public square of the new village. The more private rooms of the
buildings – classrooms, consulting rooms, waiting rooms and treatment rooms – are
turned to face due south onto their own gardens and playgrounds. By facing all
Address Millennium Primary School
50 John Harrison Way
London
SE10 0BG
Construction Cost £10 million
Completion Date January 2002
Client English Partnerships
Architect Edward Cullinan Architects
Quantity Surveyor Gardiner Theobald
Structural Engineer Price and Myers
Services Engineer Fulcrum Consulting
Main Contractor Wates Construction Ltd
The heating and ventilation of the school and health centre is achieved by passing
tempered air though the hollow cores of pre-cast concrete floor slabs using the
TermodeckTM system. This method exploits the thermal capacity of the building
fabric itself, enabling the building to moderate its own internal climate. The net
result is that occupied areas receive 100% fresh air, with free night-time cooling
available in summer using the cooler night air to flush heat from the thermal mass
of the roof and floor, which store this coolth for use the following day.
Advanced modelling techniques were employed to optimise the use of daylight
levels in the school classrooms on both floors through the use of light wells at the
rear of the classrooms. Energy-efficient artificial lighting has been used throughout,
with tubular compact fluorescent lamps to minimise energy usage. Although the
users of the building enjoy its pleasant environment, teething problems with the
mechanical systems and the sophisticated software controls to the heating and
ventilation systems have meant that the expected energy savings have not yet
been realised.
Fig 3.14 General view of the Millennium School and Health Centre

3.15
the main rooms due south and by the use of protective awnings, the buildings will Fig 3.15 Internal view
benefit from passive solar gain, thereby saving energy. Further energy savings
are achieved by very high levels of insulation, the use of natural light through
glass walls and down-light shafts, and by ventilating through hollow, heat storing,
concrete floors.
The local school and health centre lie at the heart of a modern sustainable
community. Combining these and building them early in the development
programme created a social focus from the beginning. The extended school day
with an after-school club, crèche, adult education multi-agency information club,
community office, and the extended age range catered for in the early years
centre provide extensive opportunities for the new residents. The buildings use
construction materials chosen for their low environmental impact. English larch is
used for the external wall cladding as a self-maintaining material obtained from
a certifiably sustainable source. Internally the buildings are designed to be robust,
with a simple steel frame structure, which allows for easy alterations to internal
layout and cladding in the future. The flat roofing is built up with mineral wool
insulation and finished with ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber
sheeting held down with ballast. Internally, linoleum flooring is used extensively.
The building services strategy combines guaranteed continuous fresh air supply
with exceptionally low energy costs and passive cooling in hot weather. The
design was the culmination of extensive consultation with DfES regarding the
3.14

optimum means of compliance with its Building Bulletin 87.

64 65

ALEXANDRA PARK SCHOOL

A good demonstration of robust sustainability
measures achieved with a relatively modest
budget on a constrained site.
Alexandra Park School is an extension of an existing 1960s secondary school
with three new buildings containing general teaching, art, design, music and
science classrooms, together with a new external courtyard and landscaping. The
school lies to the north of Alexandra Palace in North London and is surrounded by
greenery along most of its boundary. Within the site there is a mixture of buildings
with the main four-storey teaching block constructed in the 1960s and the science
and sports buildings built some 20 years later.
Address Alexandra Park School
Bidwell Gardens
noise-sensitive rooms and appropriate materials selection. The buildings are
insulated in excess of the prevailing standards and air-tight construction reduces
London
N11 2AZ
fabric heat loss. Photovoltaic cells provide power to fans, which assist the
movement of air through the ventilation chimneys. A ground-coupled heat-
Construction Cost £7.4 million exchange system provides passive temperature control to areas of high heat
source such as ICT rooms. Rainwater harvesting for toilet flushing also helps
Completion Date August 2004
mitigate site storm-water attenuation problems.
Client Alexandra Park School/Haringey Council
The project is a good demonstration of what can be achieved with a relatively
Education Services
modest budget on a constrained site. The design was developed to achieve at
Architect Nicholas Hare Architects least Class B under Building Bulletin 87 and with an anticipated CO2 generation
Quantity Surveyor Potter Raper of 18kgCO2/m2/yr reduces energy costs to an absolute minimum. The BRE tested
Structural Engineer Price and Myers the air permeability of the building and found that the rate was 4.99m3/hr/m2 at
50Pa reference pressure, less than half the maximum limit in approved document
Services Engineer Hoare Lea & Partners L2 of the then current Building Regulations.
Main Contractor Willmott Dixon Construction Ltd

3.17
The brief required an expansion of the school from six classes of entry to eight Fig 3.16 The newly created atrium
Fig 3.17 New science block and courtyard
with the creation of a new sixth form. The client was keen to create a low- Fig 3.18 New teaching block
energy building to incorporate into the educational ‘landscape’. The project also Fig 3.19 Site plan showing new additions
presented the opportunity to rationalise the accessibility problems resulting from
a mix of buildings of various ages. The new buildings were arranged to create a New four-storey art, design and
new courtyard forming a ‘heart’ for the school and to define the route to school. A technology, and general teaching wing
new four-storey atrium between the main teaching building and the extension unites
many of the departments. Energy efficiency was considered at an early stage
and followed through the design process, utilising thermal modelling techniques
and subcontractor specialist knowledge. The buildings were designed with
principles of passive environmental design – natural ventilation, natural lighting,
heavy thermal mass, good insulation and solar orientation – as the starting point.
Active technologies, such as ground-source heat exchangers, photovoltaic arrays, New two-storey
daylight linking and rainwater harvesting were then incorporated. In the built science block
scheme, demolition was minimised to avoid wasting embodied energy and all
demolition materials were re-used or distributed to charities. The use of standard
components minimised site wastage and the structure is a simple concrete frame
with exposed thermal mass.
Windows are designed to provide maximum daylight, coupled with movement
sensors, reducing the energy costs associated with artificial lighting. A natural
ventilation strategy is employed which combines chimneys in the centre of the New single-storey
building to draw fresh air through the open windows. Excessive heat gain music block
is minimised by considered room usage and orientation, and external solar
shading. The challenge of designing a naturally ventilated building to comply
3.16

3.19
3.18
with numerous acoustic requirements is met by careful disposition of
66 67

ZICER BUILDING, UEA

A building dedicated to the study of Address Zuckerman Institute for Connective
Environmental Research (ZICER)
on electricity use than the Elizabeth Fry building. However, due to the top floor
being less thermally efficient, the building overall is consuming slightly more.
environmental challenges that combines high School of Environmental Sciences
University of East Anglia
The heavily glazed roof structure offsets the CO2 savings generated by the PV
installation. UEA has an established record of constructing successful energy-
thermal mass and natural ventilation, and Norwich, NR4 7TJ efficient buildings which enabled valuable lessons to emerge from this project. The
importance of client and user involvement in both planning and post-occupancy
Construction Cost £7 million
showcases building integrated photovoltaics. Completion Date July 2003
monitoring is essential in reducing energy consumption to meet design targets. The
process of handover is also a key component in the understanding and delivery
Client University of East Anglia of energy-efficient buildings because it enables users and facilities managers
Architect RMJM alike to have a sense of ownership of the building, particularly if user interface is
ZICER is a new-build higher education institute that brings together five existing
Quantity Surveyor Northcroft necessary to operate the building’s energy control systems.
research centres based in the University of East Anglia’s (UEA) internationally
acclaimed School of Environmental Sciences. The institute is located north of Structural Engineer Whitbybird Fig 3.20 External view of glazed bridge link
UEA’s distinctive Grade II listed Teaching Wall designed by Sir Denys Lasdun. The Services Engineer RMJM Fig 3.21 Rooftop conservatory
client wanted a building that would bring together social and natural scientists Fig 3.22 Typical section
into an interdisciplinary institute, which is dedicated to the study of environmental Main Contractor Willmott Dixon Construction Ltd
challenges. The Zuckerman Institute’s aim is to provide closer connections between
scientists, businesses, NGOs and policy makers, and to showcase the institute’s
environmental research activities by applying sustainable design principles.
The building is linked to the main Teaching Wall by a glazed bridge which acts as
the key circulation route through to the rest of the Environmental Sciences School’s
departments housed in the Teaching Wall. The five floors of accommodation
include research facilities, exhibition space, meeting rooms and a state-of-the-
art virtual reality laboratory. The client’s aspirations for a landmark building with
environmental design credentials translated into the use of TermodeckTM ventilated
hollow core slabs, very high insulation levels resulting in lower U-values than the
then Building Regulations recommended figures, very high airtightness and shallow
plan layout maximising daylight penetration, natural ventilation and building
integrated photovoltaics for the roof level exhibition.
A weekly energy consumption monitoring regime was set up on completion of
the building by the Energy Manager at UEA as has been the case for two other
TermodeckTM buildings on campus. The monitoring procedure allowed significant
energy savings to be achieved in ZICER by altering the original heating and
free-cooling strategies and rectifying differences associated with energy demands
in the buildings. ZICER benefited from additional monitoring whereby daily
energy consumption figures were recorded, accompanied by detailed occupant
questionnaires on thermal comfort forming an integral part of a PhD research
3.20

3.22
3.21
project. The main part of ZICER, the four floors of offices, performs slightly better
68
MICHAEL YOUNG BUILDING
A flexible, sustainable and energy-efficient
building on a greenfield site which aims
to break the paradigm of current university
working practices.
This innovative low-energy building aims to break the paradigm of current
university working practices by promoting open, flexible and comfortable working
environments. The client brief called for a low-energy office building designed
to minimise maintenance and running costs, with a stipulation for a ‘Very Good’
BREEAM rating. Another key requirement was to provide an environment that
would act as a catalyst to promote new working methods among the 350
academic and administrative staff more accustomed to having their own individual
cellular offices.
One of the principal drivers of the design for the new Business School was the
desire to create naturally ventilated workspaces with facilities for individual local
control and flexibility of layout.
The three-storey building provides office and support accommodation. There are
four workspace wings radiating from a central block, containing support services
such as coffee docks, photocopying areas and toilets. The architects worked
closely with the engineers to define an appropriate environmental control system
that would not compromise the desire for flexibility of layout and to provide
strategies for ventilation, daylighting and solar control. This was achieved using
the TermodeckTM system, which supplies air via the cores of the concrete floor
planks, making full use of the total available thermal mass of the structure, rather
than just the surface exposed to the room. With high-efficiency thermal wheels in
the air-handling units recovering heat from the exhaust air stream, the occupants
benefit from high rates of tempered fresh air supply without the draughts and
control complexities often associated with natural ventilation. Windows are still
openable to allow local fine-tuning of environmental conditions by the occupants.
Appropriate solar-control measures, including integral blinds mounted in the
glazing cavity of the computer rooms, also ensure that the need for active cooling
is minimised. Increased fabric insulation levels and the use of low-emissivity triple-
3.23
glazed composite windows mean that the entire heating load can be met via the
69
Address Michael Young Building
Open University, Milton Keynes
tempered air supply, thus avoiding the need for perimeter heat emitters. Airtight
construction was an important part of this low-energy strategy and the measured
Walton Drive
Milton Keynes
air leakage through the building fabric averaged 3.2m3/hr/m2 at 50Pa when
pressure tested by BSRIA, a 40% improvement on the specified requirement.
MK7 6AA
The project was awarded an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating of nearly 80%, one of
Construction Cost £7.5 million
Completion Date October 2001
the highest scoring assessments made under the BREEAM 98 scheme. Energy
consumption was estimated at 130kWh/m2/yr with CO2 emissions of less than
Client Open University Estates Division 40kgCO2/m2/yr. Post-occupancy evaluation was carried out at the end of the first
operating year to obtain user feedback and monitor conditions in the building. This
Architect Jestico + Whiles
analysis showed energy use higher than predicted and the designers have worked
Quantity Surveyor Currie and Brown closely with the client to address ways of bringing the energy consumption back
Structural Engineer Anthony Hunt Associates in line with the design estimates, thus allowing the building to live up to its true
Services Engineer Halcrow low-energy potential. This involved a review of temperature set points, encouraging
more vigilant use of thermostatic controls and exploiting the full benefit of the
Main Contractor John Sisk & Son Ltd complex lighting management system to ensure greater efficiency from lighting
energy use. Water meter readings indicate that the rainwater collection is paying
dividends as water consumption is well below recommended consumption levels
(5.7m3/occupant compared to 20m3/occupant typically).
Fig 3.23 Internal view illustrating exposed concrete soffits
Fig 3.24 External view
Fig 3.25 Typical floor plan
3.25
3.24
70 71

CENTRE FOR
MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES
A series of naturally ventilated and lit
pavilions grouped around shared facilities
re-interprets the classic Cambridge court to
provide exemplar low-energy workspace.
The new Centre for Mathematical Sciences was generated by a pressing need to
re-house the increasingly congested Faculty of Mathematics. The brief called for
a series of small offices for one to three people in clusters and a need to cater for
private study and the serendipitous exchange of ideas. The maths complex was
also required to provide laboratory space for the Fluid Dynamics Group, a library,
a variety of teaching spaces, computer rooms and a refectory, and was to be
Address Centre for Mathematical Sciences
Wilberforce Road
Using a combination of solar sensors and movement detectors, office lighting
maintains an adequate level of illumination during occupancy of the space,
Cambridge
CB3 0WA
dimming to accommodate the ambient daylight levels and in so doing reducing
the heat load within the room in comparison with standard manual operation.
Construction Cost £50 million Following completion of the first phase of building a Probe Survey1 was carried
Completion Date April 2003
Client Estates Department, University of Cambridge
out to measure the building’s performance. Further post-occupancy evaluations
were carried out following completion of each of the three phases. The
advanced natural ventilation strategy has proved fundamentally sound although
Architect Edward Cullinan Architects
the performance of the roof lanterns has been disappointing. In practice they
Quantity Surveyor Northcroft contribute little useful daylight to the spaces below. Energy use per unit of treated
Structural Engineer Buro Happold floor area for a typical office pavilion is 147kWh/m2/yr gas and 100kWh/m2/yr
Services Engineer Roger Preston and Partners electricity, equivalent to 72kgCO2/m2/yr. The electrical consumption is high due
to night use of PCs, which form part of a distributed network processing system.
Main Contractor Laing O’Rourke (Phase 1)
1 PROBE – Post-Occupancy Review of Buildings and their Engineering – was a research project which
McAlpine (Phase 2) ran from 1995–2002 under the Partners in Innovation Scheme.

3.27
both visually stunning and low-energy in its operation. Laing O’Rourke (Phase 3) For further information see www.usablebuildings.co.uk

Seven four-storey pavilions are arranged around a central space which contains a
restaurant, laboratory and teaching complex at its western end and a library at its
eastern end. Between them sits a grassed entrance court in the classic Cambridge
tradition. Academic offices are wrapped around the perimeter of each pavilion, to
benefit from natural daylight and ventilation. The pavilions themselves are wrapped
around the central core, which acts as the focus for the whole centre.
Reductions in energy use are achieved through a thermally efficient envelope and
structure, deep overhanging eaves, automatic blinds and high levels of natural
ventilation. The concept for the environmental control of the centre was for the
building to provide its own passive means of ventilation using either stack effect or
cross-ventilation. A building management system (BMS) controls night-time cooling.
Further architectural devices that exploit the physical characteristics of air movement
include the design of the windows within the façade. By providing openings at
ceiling level and below desk level, a mini stack effect introduces ventilating air
3.26

into the single-sided offices even on windless days. An alternative strategy for
ventilating the space is employed in the centre of the building where central stairs
Fig 3.26 Site plan
and circulation areas, containing toilets, showers and stores, are ventilated via a Fig 3.27 General view of the campus

3.28
roof-mounted lantern, which also provides daylight. Fig 3.28 Typical section
72 73

LANCHESTER LIBRARY
An innovative example of a how to achieve Address Lanchester Library
Coventry University
This is the architectural practice’s fifth large naturally conditioned building.
The design team has evolved an even finer degree of localised control – the
a replicable deep plan, naturally ventilated Coventry
CV1 5FB
library has many more sensors distributed within it, the distribution of air is
now significantly decentralised and there are many more inlets and outlets.
building on a difficult site which widens Construction Cost £17 million 1 Lightwell providing ventilation and daylight The environmental engineering relies heavily on control systems and simple
mechanical equipment such as dampers having a stable and robust variable
2 Wind protection
access to higher education. Completion Date August 2000
Client Coventry University
3
4
BEMS controlled louvres and windows
Low-emissivity, argon-filled, double glazing
closing capability, which will not go out of synchronisation and short-circuit the
5 External solar shading
whole system.
Architect Short & Associates 6 High ceiling
7 Perimeter radiators with thermostats
Measured data for a two-year period of occupancy indicates that the building
The site for Coventry University’s new library was located behind the former Quantity Surveyor GB Partnership 8 Castellated beams uses 50% less energy than a standard air-conditioned building and in summer
Morris car factory, on a fairly steep slope bounded by the elevated spaghetti of Structural Engineer Taylor Boyd and Hancock 9 Thermally massive (concrete) ceilings, painted white to assist internal temperatures are up to 9ºC below ambient.1
daylight penetration
Coventry’s inner ring road. The brief was for a naturally conditioned 10,220m2 Services Engineer Environmental Design Partnership 10 CO2 and temperature sensors provide BEMS input
SECTION THROUGH CENTRAL ATRIUM (AIR OUTLET) 1 During the two-year monitoring period the peak temperature recorded was 26.4ºC on 19 June 2005,
deep square, robust and flexible building. The library staff expressed a desire when the external temperature was 35ºC. Krausse, B, et al, (2007) Environmental performance of a
for large open square floor plans for their future activities and learning resources. Main Contractor Totty Construction warm exhaust
Warm Exhaustair air
out out naturally ventilated city centre library, Energy & Buildings, d.o.i 10.1016/j. enbuild 2007 02.010.
Flexibility and the incorporation of rapid IT advances were the top priorities. Building Physics Institute of Energy and Sustainable
The plan of the library is punctured at regular intervals by five atria or light wells Consultants Development, De Montfort University,
1
through its four principal floors. This produces a regularly recurring pattern of Leicester & University of Wales,
greater and lesser-lit floor plates so the readers are placed at the perimeter and School of Architecture 2 2
around the atria to receive direct light and air while book stacks occupy the darker
residual areas. The building’s principles are simple but the physics is complicated:
air is introduced into a plenum below the upper ground floor and fed upwards
through the atria. It is extracted via perimeter stacks and a large central atrium.
The motive power is entirely provided by the natural buoyancy effect of warming
4
air. This environmental adaptation is pursued across the elevations and tunes 3
each elevation both to the exigencies of its orientation and locally to the condition 5
behind it, in terms of its adjacency to a void. The north elevations are further tuned
6
so that the free glazed area grows and shrinks as the elevation passes in front
of atria and bookstacks behind. The south-westerly and south-easterly elevations 4
are quite different in character, being heavily modelled in brick and cast stone to
form a brise soleil within the mass of the wall. The potential for natural light was
analysed using 1:50 physical models in an artificial sky and computer simulations
of particular quadrants of the plan, while the Institute of Sustainable Development
in Leicester and the University of Wales modelled internal airflow (using
computational fluid dynamics) and external conditions (using physical models in
the wind tunnel in Cardiff), including detailed modelling of the stack terminations.
3.29

Of course these techniques are just a means to an end but the analysis does
throw up very useful clues which allow a high degree of particularisation of plan, Fig 3.29 wind towers create an expressive architecture

3.30
elevations and spaces within – for example, window arrays are configured so that Fig 3.30 Section through central atrium (air outlet)
the sun will just kiss the window cills on 21 June. 7 8 9 10
74
GENESIS, SCAT
A centre of vocational excellence which
demonstrates a variety of sustainable
construction techniques in a series of
pavilions accessible to students, local
people and the building industry.
Genesis is a new-build educational resources centre for the Somerset College
of Art and Technology (SCAT) – a government ‘centre of vocational excellence’
for sustainable construction. The project is located on a brownfield site on the
college campus and is bounded by greenery on two sides and the college car
park to the other. The client wanted a building that would explore, explain and
evaluate cutting-edge thinking in sustainable construction by introducing the use of
sustainable practices and materials into mainstream construction. Furthermore the
building should create a facility that enables students, the building industry and
local people to experience high-quality buildings that have been constructed using
sustainable methods.
The building is conceived as a series of individual pavilions grouped around a
larger central pavilion. Each pavilion utilises a different sustainable construction
technique, which is expressed visually as each pavilion breaks through the glazed
wall of the main pavilion. A small cutaway in each pavilion within the main
space reveals its wall build-up. The result is a stimulating learning environment
for students and visitors, which demonstrates to the mainstream construction
industry that ecological construction, sometimes viewed as on the fringe, can be
used in contemporary architecture. The architecture is intended to be crisp and
contemporary, to look mainstream not makeshift. The design process focussed on
thorough and detailed research into each main construction technique (steel frame,
timber frame, earth, straw, and clay block), and the multitude of potential materials
and finishes which each might utilise.
A 37kW biomass boiler powers under-floor heating throughout. A range of timber
fuels, from pellets to sawdust and shavings waste from the college workshops, can
be used to provide the energy source. Renewable technologies are demonstrated
by the incorporation of evacuated tube solar collectors on the roof to pre-heat
water and a row of demonstration photovoltaic panels to contribute to the
3.31
electrical demand. A SUDS (sustainable urban drainage system) is included,
75
Address Somerset College of Arts and Technology
Wellington Road
which channels water on three sides collected from roof level through a reed
bed and into the campus drainage system if overcharged. There is no grey water
Taunton
Somerset
recycling as a consequence of the size of the building and the unjustifiable cost of
equipment and pumping.
TA1 5AX
A close collaboration between the engineers and Bath and Plymouth Universities
Construction Cost £1.7 million
Completion Date May 2006
helped to develop and test appropriate construction solutions, while the main
contractor selected individual expert sub-contractors to build each construction.
Client Somerset College of Arts and Technology Making available test results, construction experience and in-use monitoring from
this process forms a key part of the ongoing educational remit of the project. One
Architect Architype
of the main aims of Genesis, in seeking to bring sustainable construction into the
Quantity Surveyor Nisbets mainstream, was to explore and prove what could be achieved with a mainstream
Landscape Architect Robert Bray Associates contractor under a standard contract with a limited budget. This was achieved
by working with highly skilled specialist sub-contractors. Budget pressures,
Structural Engineer Whitbybird
however, meant omitting some elements entirely in order to maintain a high level
Services Engineer Tandy Building Services Consultants of sustainability rather than dilute the specification. The project tries not to polarise
Main Contractor D B Russell Construction Limited ‘good’ and ‘bad’ materials but focuses on appropriate use and construction,
particularly when using inherently less ecological materials.
Further information: www.genesisproject.com
Fig 3.31 Internal view
Fig 3.32 Detail of rammed earth construction
3.32
Fig 3.33 External view
3.33
76 77

SUMMARY
Fig 3.34 Fig 3.34 Genesis, SCAT, Taunton The preceding 10 case studies span a range of educational building types. All are pioneering in some
way. The question therefore is how lessons can be applied to inform the huge investment in educational
buildings currently in train.
It is clear from analysis of the case studies that initial design decisions made by project teams can have
a significant impact on the level of success in achieving a sustainable building. Careful siting, considered
orientation and sensible materials choices combined with effective control mechanisms are basic pre-
requisites. An engaged and informed client body willing to commit to an understanding of the ultimate
impact of these initial choices can also significantly enhance and underpin the effectiveness of design
team decisions. So often sustainable measures have been less effective than initial design predictions
indicated because of a lack of understanding, by facilities managers and others responsible for ‘driving’
the building, of the degree of user control necessary to make them succeed. Deferring to the conditioned
sealed box mentality of the recent past will no longer be an option when occupying the evolving
generation of sustainable education buildings. Staff and pupils need to understand the design intentions
in order to get the best performance from their buildings.
At the very heart of this understanding is the education system. A number of the buildings presented have
used the building itself to convey the message of sustainable design and encourage interaction to directly
inform children, students and adults of the impact of construction on the environment. The government’s
City Academies programme, which is now delivering the first generation of new secondary schools, is
intended to raise educational standards. Alongside this the Building Schools for the Future initiative is set
to transform virtually every public-funded school in the country – a huge task. It is vital that the government
invests not only in the educational improvements necessary but also in the energy efficiency of the new
building stock. Initial feedback from some of the pioneers is disappointing in that energy use is higher
than predicted – usually as a result of extensive IT, and artificial lighting loads. Incorporated technologies
are evolving very quickly and hopefully this burden will reduce within the lifetime of most schools.
However, building fabric is fixed and the sincere hope is that the failures of the past will not be repeated
in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Our children’s future depends upon it.
78 79

3 NEW HOUSING
Fig 4.01 Greenwich Millennium Village.
Proctor and Matthews
David Turrent
SLATEFORD GREEN, Edinburgh
ALPINE CLOSE, Maidenhead
BowZED, Tower Hamlets, London
COOPERS ROAD, Southwark, London
PARKMOUNT, Belfast
OAK MEADOW, South Molton
PLAS Y MOR, Carmarthenshire
THE GREEN BUILDING, Manchester
GREAT BOW YARD, Langport
80
INTRODUCTION
In the late 1990s, partly in response to growing concern about climate change, there was a noticeable
increase in the level of innovation in housing design. On the Greenwich peninsula in London, English
Partnerships initiated the first of a series of ‘Millennium Villages’ with specific environmental targets for
energy and water consumption as well as waste generation on site. Around the same time Peabody Trust
took up Bill Dunster’s design for BedZED, a low carbon development in Beddington, Sutton, which broke
new ground in terms of social and technical innovation, attracted massive publicity and began to raise
awareness of the importance of sustainability in residential design and layout.
There are many definitions of ‘sustainable housing’ and no shortage of checklists against which to validate
any particular design approach. Some common topics include:
• stakeholder involvement and engagement with the local community
• good access to public transport – decreased reliance on the car
• high quality of public realm and ‘placemaking’
• attractive visual design
• flexibility and adaptability
• integration of landscape and enhanced local biodiversity
• high thermal performance and efficient heating
• airtight construction
• utilisation of renewable energy sources – solar, wind, biomass
• low embodied energy in construction materials
1 DCLG Building a Greener Future: Towards
• reduction in waste during construction and in use
• water conservation and recycling.
Not all these features will be found in every ‘sustainable’ housing development but many will have
been seriously addressed through the process of design, construction and management. Benchmarking
Zero Carbon Development, Department
of Communities and Local Government
Consultation Paper; December 2006.
81
methods such as BRE Ecohomes, the Association for Environmentally Conscious Building (AECB) Platinum,
Gold and Silver standards and the new Code for Sustainable Homes provide a means of rating projects
both at design stage and post-completion.
The nine housing case studies include examples from both private (4) and public sectors (5) and represent
a varied and diverse response to the challenge of innovation and sustainability in 21st Century housing
design. Most of the accommodation is ‘general needs’ family housing and apartments, although one
(Plas Y Mor) is aimed more at the growing elderly population. They include timber frame construction,
prefabricated steel and concrete frame as well as traditional masonry. Some utilise individual heating
systems; others have adopted communal heating with combined heat and power (CHP). Six of the
case studies demonstrate the integration of renewable energy technologies such as solar water heating,
photovoltaics (PV) and roof-mounted wind turbines.
Most projects have adopted thermal insulation standards in excess of 2002 Building Regulations (Part L),
while some achieve super-insulation standards well in excess of the revised 2006 standard and more in
line with Scandinavian norms.
For housing designers, developers and contractors, however, energy and CO2 will continue to be a pre-
eminent concern. Approximately 27% of CO2 emissions in the UK (153 million tonnes per year) originate
in the domestic sector. There are some 25 million existing homes in the UK so each household emits, on
average, just over 6 tonnes CO2 per year, largely through space and water heating and increasingly
electricity for lighting and appliances. Much of the existing housing stock is thermally inefficient and will
need to be upgraded significantly if the UK government’s targets for 60% reduction in CO2 emissions
are to be achieved by 2050. There is now a recognition that all new housing needs be built to zero-
carbon standards in order to compensate for the inefficiency of the existing stock. In December 2006
the government announced that all new homes should be zero-carbon by 2016, with incremental
improvements to be introduced in 2010 and 2013.1 Zero-carbon is defined as “zero net emissions from
all energy use in the home over a year; including lights and appliances”. Energy used for heating, hot
water and lighting must come from on site or local renewable sources, whereas off site energy can be
used to power domestic appliances if it comes from renewable sources.
82 83

SLATEFORD GREEN
An RIAS competition winning design for a Address Slateford Green
Gorgie Park Road
which concluded that the project had been successful mainly because of the
quality of the partnership between client, design team and contractor. Early
car-free development on a brownfield site Edinburgh
EH14 1NQ
involvement of the contractor regarding buildability was of particular value. Three
innovations that had to be omitted were: the grey water treatment, photovoltaics
– a strong urban form that responds to solar Construction Cost £6.88 million (on cost grounds) and use of waste heat from the distillery due to a restriction on
the guaranteed period of supply. However the original innovation – the car-free
orientation and creates a communal open Completion Date May 2000
Client Dunedin Canmore Housing Association
principle – has been maintained and is successful.

space. Architect Hackland and Dore

Additional costs for the sustainable measures represented 10% of the total building
cost. Savings of £250 per dwelling per year were estimated for heating and hot
Quantity Surveyor Summers Inman water but so far these have not been verified. The SAP rating in 1997 at the time
Structural Engineer Harley Haddow Partnership of the design was 96 and estimated CO2 emissions 18.5kgCO2/m2/yr.
Slateford Green is a new build, four-storey timber frame development providing
Services Engineer Harley Haddow Partnership
120 flats and a community meeting space on the site of an old railway goods
yard in West Central Edinburgh. The brief was for a mixed tenure development Main Contractor Hart Builders
of 69 flats for social rent (including four wheelchair dwellings), 39 for shared
ownership and 12 for outright sale. The development was to be car free, urban in
form and to incorporate sustainable measures.
The site levels fall from south to north with vehicular access at the narrow southern
end of the site. The design concept was for a perimeter development oriented to
the south, maximising solar gain into an open-ended courtyard. The continuous
terrace provides a strong urban form enclosed by a one-way service road
connected to local cycleways. Common staircases give access to upper floor
flats, with enclosed cycle stores at ground level and communal refuse stores
(separate bins for recycling) located opposite stair entrances. The courtyard has
a central landscaped area containing three ponds planted with reeds, providing
an attractive visual and acoustic feature while also attracting wildlife. The timber
frame dwellings are highly insulated with a ‘breathing wall’ form of construction
utilising WarmcelTM insulation and Panelvent board. The development is heated by
a gas-fired district heating system, originally designed to take waste heat from a
neighbouring distillery. Assisted passive ventilation is used throughout and materials
have been sourced for minimal environmental impact and including: untreated
4.02

cedar boarding, Sto render and recyclable aluminium.

Fig 4.02 Aerial view showing landscaped courtyard
The development has been fully occupied for six years and is enjoyed by

4.04
4.03
Fig 4.03 A pedestrian friendly environment
residents. The client commissioned an independent post-completion evaluation, Fig 4.04 Landscaped courtyard
84 85

ALPINE CLOSE
An INTEGER project designed by Bree Day
Partnership Architects as a model for future
environmental and social housing design
– a sensitive layout, which successfully
integrates landscape and renewable energy
technologies.
Alpine Close is a new build scheme of 27 houses and flats for rent, part of
the INTEGER (Intelligent and Green) pilot projects programme. The scheme is
arranged in three separate terraced blocks of two and three storeys designed to
provide highly serviced flexible space internally, to be resource efficient and to
support local ecology. The site, previously occupied by redundant garages, is
located on the southern side of Maidenhead within walking distance of the town
Address Alpine Close
Maidenhead
Responding to the sun path, the buildings were placed in a linear form close to the
north-east site boundary. The south-west sunny sides of the buildings are glazed
Berkshire
SL6 1AX
and open, while the north-east sides are highly insulated and dense with few and
smaller openings to minimise heat loss. Roofs are covered in sedum and have a
Construction Cost £2.4 million rear upstand supporting photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors. Passive
stack ventilators and sun pipes, illuminating internal staircases, penetrate the roof
Completion Date September 2001
Client Maidenhead & District Housing Association
surface. The houses have individual condensing gas boilers; while the flats are
served by a communal system.
Architect Bree Day Partnership
All homes are fitted with grey water recycling systems. For the flats, there were
Quantity Surveyor The Andrews Partnership several communal systems but this caused a problem with the location of – and
responsibility for – the disinfectant units within the flats. These were replaced by an
Structural Engineer Anthony Ward Partnership
Services Engineer Faber Maunsell external brominator, which also proved less than ideal. Subsequent installations
replaced the brominator with a chemical chamber built into the sump chamber
Environmental Engineering i&i Ltd within the external treatment tank. Location of communal treatment tanks is a
Main Contractor Bickerton Construction Ltd maintenance issue that needs to be considered when specifying grey water
recycling systems in flats.
Post-occupancy surveys have revealed high levels of resident satisfaction. Through
the design and specification residents’ annual utility costs have been reduced by

4.06
centre and close to bus and rail public transport. The aim of the project team was some 40%. The scheme has also resulted in less void tenancies for the client. The
to produce a humane and informal sustainable housing scheme with the shape of project brought a number of renewable and environmental technologies together
the site, access position, existing residential buildings and tree planting providing and sought to integrate them through innovative construction techniques. It also
the fixed starting point for the site layout. The landscape design has a line of incorporated modern methods of construction such as prefabrication of combined
structural tree planting through the length of the site and defines front gardens and kitchen and bathroom pods and fully assembled closed wall panels. The design
house boundaries with evergreen hedging. Paths and cycle routes are integrated and efficiency of some of the systems used, such as grey water recycling, have
with the local authority’s projected movement strategy plan. Other objectives of the continued to be improved by manufacturers since Alpine Close was completed.
layout were to: The 172m2 PV installation (20.4kWpeak), which cost £140,000, provides a
proportion of electrical power to eight houses and seven flats. The panels are
• locate buildings to maximise passive solar design grid-connected to enable tenants to sell back any surplus electricity generated.
• create a strong public realm Actual energy output varies from 702 to 743kWh/kWpeak/yr.

• integrate landscape For further information, see www.architech.co.uk/MDHA

• integrate vehicle and pedestrian movement

• control car speed Fig 4.05 Site plan
Fig 4.06 South elevation showing roof mounted PV
4.05

4.07
• minimise car parking provision. Fig 4.07 Installation of PV panels
86 87

BowZED, TOWER HAMLETS

A new build zero-fossil-energy apartment
building delivered as a conventional
commercial development opportunity on
a tight urban site in East London.
The plot had originally been created out of the back garden of an end-of-terrace
house fronting the Bow Road. The original client bought the site in 1992 and
obtained planning permission for a four-storey family house, with a workspace
on the ground floor. However, funding problems led to the sale of the site to a
developer who applied for a change of use to four apartments.
Address 56 Tomlins Grove
Bow
satisfied with their new properties, even though the flats were marketed by the
developer at well over comparable market prices. The project is a useful exemplar
London
E3 4DH
for private housebuilders keen to get on the zero-carbon learning curve.
Meter readings for PV generated electricity in 2006 show just over 3000kWh
Construction Cost £0.5 million being produced, approximately 40% of total electricity used. The wind turbine
Completion Date July 2004
Client Yorklake Ltd
has been less successful and has not generated any electricity due to problems
with the control box. This project illustrates that achieving zero-carbon standards in
practice will not be easy.
Architect Bill Dunster Architects/ZEDfactory Ltd
Structural Engineer Ellis and Moore Consulting Engineers Capital costs are also an issue, especially on smaller-scale projects. The architects
have been developing a supply chain for ZED products (super-insulation, triple-
Main Contractor Toweregion Ltd glazed windows, solar panels, etc.) in order to obtain the benefits of economies
of scale.
For further information, see www.zedfactory.com

4.09
The initial design challenge was how to provide solar access for a building on a Fig 4.08 South elevation with PV conservatories
north–south street whose main elevations face east or west. This was overcome Fig 4.09 Internal view of PV glazing
Fig 4.10 PV glazing
by stepping the south side of the building to provide every floor with a south-
Fig 4.11 Section
facing glazed wall, terrace and conservatory. Locating the staircase on the north
side of the plan allowed for a straightforward redesign into four self-contained
flats. Construction was always intended to be to zero heating ‘ZED’ standards.
This dictated a super-insulated thermally massive masonry approach with precast
concrete floor planks. External wall construction is 0.5m thick and achieves a
U-value of 0.1W/m2K.
Space heating demand is met by incidental heat gains (from appliances and
occupants) and passive solar gain from the conservatories supplemented by a
small traditional radiator installed in each living room. Hot water and back-up
space heating are provided by a 15kW wood pellet boiler with a 3 tonne hopper
located on the ground floor.
Photovoltaic panels (PVs) are sized to generate 50% of annual electrical demand.
A micro-wind-turbine mounted on the stair tower was intended to supply the
remaining 50%. Kitchens and bathrooms are placed at the north end of each plan
to allow easy connection to the wind-assisted passive stack ventilation system.
The quality of space provided by the south-facing terraces and conservatories
has been very successful, as has the use of PVs. Here, a simple system has been
adopted where each apartment’s PV panels feeds its own inverter and export
4.08

4.11
4.10
meter. This has been very well received and the residents report feeling very
88 89

COOPERS ROAD
Phased regeneration of a 1960s council Address Coopers Road
London
The gas-fired CHP plant provides 11% of the heat demand and 12% of electrical
demand. Average CO2 emissions are estimated to be less than 25kgCO2/m2/yr,
estate, re-designed with resident involvement SE1 5JG based on 2002 SAP calculations.
Construction Cost £7 million (Phase 1) Feedback from tenants occupying the first completed courtyard is very positive.
to form four courtyards supplied with Completion Date December 2005 Some important lessons have been learnt from Phase 1, for example:
communal heating and combined heat and Client London Borough of Southwark • Contractor experienced difficulties in sourcing Forest Stewardship Council
and Peabody Trust (FSC) accredited timber, with consequent loss of Ecopoints. Subsequently,
power (CHP). Architect ECD Architects more suppliers are adopting the scheme and other certifying agencies
are now recognised, e.g. CSA and PEFC.
Quantity Surveyor BPP Consulting
Structural Engineer Price and Myers • A sustainable urban drainage scheme (SUDS) was considered but not
The Coopers Road estate was built in the 1960s and occupies a 1.69 hectare implemented in Phase 1 for cost reasons. Phase 2 will include rainwater
site just north of the Old Kent Road in the London Borough of Southwark. In 1999 Services Engineer Max Fordham and Partners collection/recycling.
the Council took the decision to demolish the existing medium/high-rise blocks Main Contractor Countryside Properties
and replace them with new mixed tenure low-rise housing. The brief was for a • The CHP system could have been more economical had it been
Landscape Architects Coe Landscape Design extended to serve adjacent developments.
development of 190 flats and houses including 121 for rent, 33 shared ownership
and 36 for sale. All homes were to be designed to meet Lifetime Homes standard, • Flats were originally designed with a framed concrete structure, allowing
which was developed by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. The aim is to make future flexibility in flat layouts. As a result of value engineering this strategy
homes more flexible to accommodate changes in family circumstances, with a was replaced with traditional load-bearing masonry construction.
particular accent on accessibility. The scheme was to be built in phases to allow
for decanting and demolition. The client was keen to see the incorporation of a Fig 4.12 Site plan illustrating phasing
number of sustainability measures within the constraints of the available budget Fig 4.13 Deck access to upper floor flats
Fig 4.14 Landscaped courtyard
and a target Ecohomes rating of ‘Very Good’ was set. Fig 4.15 Each courtyard had a combination of flats and houses

The design process began with a series of workshops involving local residents.

4.13
These events generated a wish list, which then informed the masterplan. There was
a strong preference for communal rather than individual heating and for communal
semi-private space rather than large private gardens. The developed scheme is N
based on four enclosed courtyards. The courtyard form encourages a sense of
community and creates a strong sense of identity. It also creates a clear hierarchy
of private, semi-private and public spaces, and a streetscape with a high level of
natural surveillance. Access roads are designed as HomeZones and the majority
of car parking (50% provision) is on street. Sustainability measures include:
4.12

enhanced standards of thermal insulation compared to 2002 Building Regulations;

high-performance double-glazed windows; accessible riser ducts; community
heating with CHP; low flush WCs; cycle storage and re-cycling facilities. In Phase One 76 Phase Three 46
addition, the design offers the opportunity of retro-fitting solar collectors on south- Phase Two 78 Phase Four 52
facing roofs in the future.

4.15
4.14
Total 252
90 91

PARKMOUNT, BELFAST
A private development initiated by the Address Shore Road
Belfast
The project recognises the connections between good design and place
making, between daylighting and the quality of internal spaces, and between
Northern Ireland Housing Executive – its BT15 4HH responsible energy use and healthy living. Seventy percent of the apartments
achieved a SAP (1998) score of over 100 with CO2 emissions levels averaging
Construction Cost £2.89 million
main distinguishing feature is the roofscape, Completion Date November 2003
26.8kgCO2/m2/yr; at the time, a reasonable level . Above all, the project
demonstrates the need to take all practical steps to reduce energy demand
which responds to solar orientation and Client The Carvill Group – increased insulation levels, improved airtightness, etc. – before considering the
Architect Richards Partington Architects use of renewable energy supplies.
demonstrates integration of photovoltaics Quantity Surveyor The Carvill Group Although the apartments with PVs achieved a SAP score 10 points higher than
and solar water heating. Structural Engineer Gilligan & Partners those without, the installation was expensive and the private developer client
found it very difficult to secure funding or a grid connection for the installation. The
Services Engineer Max Fordham LLP
robust environmental solutions are complemented by the roof design, which helps
Main Contractor The Carvill Group to ‘future-proof’ the buildings’, anticipating a more widespread use of renewables
Parkmount is an urban housing scheme providing 58 one and two bed apartments (PVs or solar thermal) when the technology becomes more affordable. The
for sale. The site is a long, thin strip of derelict land, aligned on a north – south Roof pitch set to maximise architects drew some important lessons from the project, in particular:
axis, 3.5km from the centre of Belfast. The brief aimed to promote new ideas in solar potential
housing design with the intention of building these into a demonstration project. PV pilot scheme
• agree with the client as early as possible what the environmental
The key environmental objectives were to: Total area: 70 m2 objectives are and how they are to be measured
Solar thermal ensure the whole design team is fully briefed
• provide flexible apartment plans to anticipate changes in work patterns panels
•

and lifestyles Building acts as a • give high importance to ‘quality of life’ issues, e.g. natural light, acoustics
barrier to road noise
• develop simple and reliable environmental solutions – economic and easy and amenity space
to run Natural stack ventilation • consider on-site quality assurance procedures to help ensure goals are

4.17
of access Spines
• attain a BRE EcoHomes ‘Very Good’ standard met in practice.

• maximise solar potential, in particular the use of photovoltaics.

The roofscape is the distinguishing feature of the project, helping to unify the
whole scheme so that each of the repeated blocks is seen as part of a considered
whole. The form of the buildings responds directly to ‘solar logic’ with the lowest
roof at the southern end of the site ascending at a constant 5-degree angle Crescent arrangement
towards the north and culminating in a nine-storey tower. Thus, no part of the of buildings provides
roof is overshadowed by any other part of the building. A 59m2 array of grid- shelter to courtyard from
4.16

prevailing winds
connected photovoltaic (PV) panels was designed with an estimated output of
2,200kWh/year, sufficient to meet the annual electricity consumption of one
of the apartments. The scheme uses a proprietary system of amorphous silicon
modules, factory-bonded to the single-ply roofing membrane and protected by a Fig 4.16 View illustrating solar design strategy
fully weatherproofed transparent polymer coating. On the other half of the same Fig 4.17 PV installation

4.18
block an installation of solar thermal panels provides pre-heating of hot water to Fig 4.18 The development has a strong urban form
the apartments below.
92 93

OAK MEADOW
An award-winning innovative and eco-
friendly development of 35 new build
homes for rent to local people, designed
as a template for rural, sustainable housing
throughout the country.
The site was former agricultural land, which fell within the development
boundary of the small market town of South Molton and was bounded by other
residential developments. North Devon District Council offered the land to Devon
and Cornwall Housing Association (DCHA) on the condition it was used for
ecologically sustainable homes. In turn, DCHA’s brief was to use the site to its
maximum potential for mixed general needs and support housing, while creating
an ecological development that retained and enhanced a wildlife corridor on its
perimeter. The development was also to adhere to Egan principles1 of procurement
with a partnering agreement being adopted from the outset.
Local stakeholders including tenants, the housing association, District Council and
Address Oak Meadow
South Molton
include rainwater harvesting for use in flushing WCs and a sustainable urban
drainage system (SUDS). Low-energy lighting and A-rated white goods have also
North Devon
EX36 4EY
been used. The general specification meets the AECB Silver Standard.
A comprehensive monitoring programme has been set up to quantify the energy
Construction Cost £3.4 million and water use of the buildings and this information will be made available
Completion Date March 2005
Client Devon and Cornwall Housing Association
in the future. Feedback from tenants so far is very positive: “Lovely homes to
be in … we love the light and airy feel of the rooms…” The designers stress
Architect Gale and Snowden Architects Ltd
the importance of involving users and educating them to get the best out of
the building’s special features but also highlight the need to stretch the client’s
Quantity Surveyor PWH Associates Ltd aspirations to maximise the potential for sustainable development in every
Services Engineer Faber Maunsell project. Oak Meadow won Sustainable Development of the Year Award in
2005, sponsored by Building magazine.
Main Contractor Midas Homes
1 The Egan report ‘Re-thinking Construction’ was published in 1998. It set-out ways of improving the
efficiency of the construction industry and identified committed leadership, partnering, integrated
supply chains and use of off site manufacturing as key requirements to achieve this.

4.20
the design team were all involved in the design process. The concept focussed on
simple passive design strategies including: building form and orientation; super-
insulation; low embodied energy; healthy materials; water use; and integrated
landscape design. The houses are grouped in short terraces to reduce heat loss
New road
and built using highly insulated timber frame construction.
The architects have developed the Twin FrameTM System, which enables the Ramps for traffic calming
construction to be fabricated with a double thickness timber frame wall and roof
New cycle path
construction allowing high levels (300mm) of cellulose insulation. The system
utilises standard readily available materials from FSC-accredited sources. Thermal Public/commununal footpaths
mass is incorporated in the internal walls and ground floor slabs, and careful
detailing ensures minimum thermal bridging and maximum airtightness. Space Car parking spaces

heating demand is therefore negligible. Solar water heating supplies 50–60% of New private footpaths
the hot water load with back-up from an efficient gas condensing combi boiler. A
wood-fuelled communal heating system was considered but rejected by the client Public amenity area

4.21
on management grounds. One interesting feature is a cool larder on the north
side of the house, using a PV-powered fan to draw air from underground pipes.
Fig 4.19 South elevation with timber cladding
Healthy, non-toxic materials have been specified and polyvinylchloride (PVC) has
Fig 4.20 Roof mounted solar panels
4.19

been avoided in waste pipes and electrical cabling. Water conservation measures Fig 4.21 Site plan
94 95

PLAS Y MOR
A highly insulated ‘integrated care centre’ for Address Plas-Y-Mor
Burry Port
very positive response from residents who described it as “A wonderful building...
lovely and warm”.
elderly people, planned around an internal Carmarthenshire
SA16 0NW
Regarding the performance of the building, there have been some overheating
problems in the corridors but they can be attributed to staff and residents learning
glass ‘garden’. Construction Cost £2.98 million how to ‘use’ the building. An optimisation period was necessary to effectively
Completion Date November 2003 manage the fuel supply for the biomass boilers and their interface with the solar
Client Gwalia Housing Group Ltd and water heating system. After some fine tuning over two heating seasons the systems
Plas-Y-Mor is situated on reclaimed brownfield land for new residential use and are now functioning well and providing good value.
Carmarthenshire County Council
comprises two two-storey wings linked by a double-height glazed structure facing
due south. The project responds to the growing need to provide quality and Architect PCKO
choice in housing for elderly people by integrating 38 flats with a mix of essential Quantity Surveyor Shaun Condron Partnership
services including leisure and healthcare facilities. The architectural concept reflects Structural Engineer Ateb Consult

4.23
the philosophy of the centre, whereby an holistic approach is adopted to the
Services Engineer Hicks Titley Partnership
delivery of care and residents are encouraged to be self-reliant.
Main Contractor Tycroes Group Ltd
The designers started by consulting residents of an earlier project who commented
on the light, spacious quality of the communal areas and this was seen as an
essential quality to be retained within the scheme. A high degree of glazing has
been incorporated in the design to ensure light penetration into communal areas.
Flats and common rooms have glazing wherever possible, orientated to provide
views towards the main entrance and social hub. For heating and hot water, initial
estimates were for a 93kW wood-burning boiler, powered from a locally procured
fuel source, providing 60–70kW for space heating plus 20–30kW for hot water.
Secondary heating is derived from a solar heating array designed to contribute
between 60 and 70% of the average hot water load through the year. Passive
solar design enables the glass garden to generate preheated air for distribution
into communal areas. Thermostatically controlled vents ensure that thermal comfort
is maintained within the space. The glass garden roof is pre-wired and finished to
receive a future photovoltaic installation.
At the design stage the estimated total energy costs for tenants was anticipated
at around £5.44 per week. The latest figures currently indicate that low-energy
design features combine to enable residents to derive all energy requirements for
just £4.61 per week representing low cost in use for tenants. The scheme achieves

4.25
a Carbon Index of 10.0 with flats achieving a SAP (1998) rating of 105 equating
to 10.86kgCO2/m2/yr. denotes day centre
4.22

The project demonstrates that early consultation with users and consideration of 1 1 bedroom flat 6 Dining area 11 Common room
key features contributing to the overall sustainability of a scheme can produce Fig 4.22 Internal bridge link 2 2 bedroom flat 7 Kitchen 12 Laundry/salon & treatment room
Fig 4.23 Main entrance 13 Bio-mass boilers/plant
a high quality building, which is environmentally, economically and socially Fig 4.24 Internal view
3 Glass garden 8 Training kitchen
sustainable now and in the future. A survey carried out in May 2006 gave a 4 Reception 9 Office/staff area 14 Solar panel array
Fig 4.25 Site plan

4.24
5 Rest & activity spaces 10 Shop
96 97

THE GREEN BUILDING

A private sector mixed-use regeneration Address The Green Building
19 New Wakefield Street
A reinforced concrete structure was chosen for reasons of low embodied energy
and thermal mass. Timber cladding and insulated render create a natural feel to
scheme close to the city centre Macintosh Village
Manchester
the building. Water conservation measures include low-flow fittings throughout,
and showers were specified in preference to baths. A-rated white goods were
demonstrating a sophisticated response to M1 5NP selected to minimise water and energy consumption. Thermal insulation standards
were in excess of 2002 Building Regulations. Estimated CO2 emissions are
Construction Cost £6.5 million
urban context and integration of renewable Completion Date January 2005
26.47kgCO2/m2/yr.

energy technologies. Client Taylor Woodrow Developments Ltd The design of the Green Building is contemporary, celebrating its environmental
credentials and demonstrating that sustainable design is commercially viable. It
Architect Farrells
also demonstrates that a sustainable approach can be achieved in higher density
Quantity Surveyor Rex Proctor and Partners urban developments. The additional costs of the ‘green’ elements were partly offset
The Green Building is a private mixed-use development, located close to the city Structural Engineer Waterman BBT by government grants. Some of the technical issues addressed during construction
centre and forming part of the Macintosh Village masterplan. Formerly industrial included:
Services Engineer Taylor Woodrow Technology
in character, the site is triangular in shape bounded by the River Medlock, a busy
main road and a high-level railway viaduct. The masterplan seeks to re-connect Main Contractor Taylor Woodrow • health and safety aspects of maintenance of the roof-mounted wind
the site to its surrounding area, revive the historic street pattern and create a turbine
Landscape Designer Camlin Lonsdale
new southern gateway to the city centre. The brief was for 32 private residential • difficulty of sourcing FSC timber for flooring
units, a GP surgery and a 120-place nursery and the building was to provide
accessibility for people with disabilities. In addition, the client set out a challenging • design modifications required to optimise natural ventilation through
sustainability agenda, based on an Ecohomes rating of ‘Excellent’, supplemented the atrium
by renewable energy technologies and aiming to achieve an overall 75% • sourcing of low-flow technologies for taps and showers.
reduction in CO2 emissions.
The main interest in this scheme lies in the way the building responds to the
challenge of urban regeneration and to the sustainable design brief. The building
at ground and first floor level occupies the whole footprint of the triangular site,
with separate entrances to the nursery, surgery and apartments creating activity
at street level. Above this rises a 10-storey drum containing the residential
accommodation. This form provides an efficient wall-to-floor ratio and maximises
daylight to the adjoining residential building. The resulting deep plan is naturally
4.26

ventilated through an internal atrium, regulated by motorised dampers at roof level.

The truncated form provides a south-facing roof slope for 60m2 of evacuated-tube

4.27

4.28
Fig 4.26 Macintosh village masterplan
solar collectors as well as a mounting for the 2.5kW wind turbine, which powers Fig 4.27 External view
lighting in the communal areas of the building. Fig 4.28 The Green Building in its urban context
98 99

GREAT BOW YARD

Development of twelve speculative eco- Address Great Bow Yard
Bow Street
so that the new development would fit comfortably into its context. Other green
features of the design include: rainwater harvesting for dual flush toilets; thermally
houses for the private market, the first of Langport
Somerset
efficient timber wall panels constructed off-site; high levels of insulation using
cellulose (newspaper); non-toxic finishes to the interior; and an ecological planting
its kind in the South West, comprising a TA10 9PN scheme that incorporated SUDS and the re-homing of badgers on the site that
were resident before construction started.
Construction Cost £1.7 million
prototype south and west-facing terrace. Completion Date December 2005 The properties have all been sold – most off plan – proving there is a genuine
Client South West Eco Homes Ltd market for this type of home. No equipment has been installed to monitor the
environmental performance but the feedback from occupants has been positive,
Architect Stride Treglown
In 2003 developers South West Eco Homes Ltd held a limited competition to some claiming that they hardly had the heating on over winter. Indeed by 10am
produce a design for twelve contemporary sustainable houses and a public space Quantity Surveyor Westlea the sunspaces were comfortably warm in December, purely heated by the sun.
on a riverside site in the market town of Langport, in Somerset. The proposals were Structural Engineer Ellis & Moore Some owners are in the process of installing photovoltaics on the roof.
to be educationally informative and prove that green design could be inspiring Main Contractor Russell Construction Fig 4.29 View of two wings, south and west
and commercially viable. As well as meeting the rigorous environmental objectives Fig 4.30 Detail of timber ‘brise-soleil’
of the brief, the design needed to respond to the challenges of the site, which Fig 4.31 Site plan
Fig 4.32 Integrated solar water heating on south façade
included contamination, threat of flooding and siting within an historic environment.
Despite a conservation area setting, the contemporary design won the support of
the local planning officers and has been well received by the local community.
The south-facing orientation rigorously adopted by most green developments
was not possible within the site, so two terraces or wings, north and east, were
proposed. This presented the opportunity to explore two different prototypes:
4.29

south-facing thermally massive passive solar; and west-facing super-insulated

lightweight timber frame. Each terrace has been designed to present maximum
area to the south. This is achieved in the north wing by a monopitch roof and on
the east wing by introducing a series of repeated south-facing gables. In the north
wing, solar thermal panels have been mounted in galvanised frames on the south
façade and low-level sunlight controlled by timber louvres is admitted into integral
sunspaces as part of the passive solar strategy. On the east wing grant funding
has been won for the installation of roof-mounted photovoltaic panels, with the
necessary cabling already built into the construction.
Reducing the impact of cars on the layout and appearance of the development
was an important consideration so car parking is concealed in a hidden corner
of the site and behind larch-screened undercroft garages. Roads are pedestrian in
feel, using block paving and timber bollards made from recycled telegraph poles.
Apart from locally sourced FSC cedar cladding, reclaimed brick using lime mortar

4.31
4.30

4.32
was employed adjacent to the listed warehouse and neighbouring Mill House
100
SUMMARY
From a technical point of view the housing case studies illustrate a variety of approaches. Both lightweight
timber frame and traditional masonry construction are represented and indeed one scheme (Great Bow
Yard) has both. Research by Arup1 has highlighted the risks of overheating in lightweight construction as
temperatures rise, especially in the south-east of the country. Thermal mass offers benefits in this respect,
reducing the need for heating in winter and cooling in summer. Time will tell how these projects perform
in the future.
What these case studies have in common is an attitude to site layout based on a desire to optimise
orientation for solar gain; either at ground or roof level. It is refreshing to see that rather than resulting
in over-regimented designs, the case studies demonstrate a variety of architectural forms and a sensitive
response to context. Sustainable development must go hand in hand with good urban design and
placemaking. Densities range from 28 to 260 dwellings per hectare reflecting both rural and urban
locations. Site location will have a strong influence on the approach to sustainability. Higher densities
create opportunities for reducing energy use from transport, generate more compact, energy-efficient
forms, and are better suited to community heating infrastructure. Lower density developments carry
an additional premium for transport energy use but generally offer scope for more space intensive
technologies such as biomass and wind turbines, as well as more potential for passive solar design.
However, as mentioned above, designers need to be aware of the increased risks of summer overheating
as average temperatures rise.
The main conclusion drawn is that simple passive measures work best. It is important to get the basics
right – to achieve a high performance building envelope and airtight construction and then consider
some of the more visible add-ons such as photovoltaics and wind turbines. Feedback from these projects
re-inforces the importance of the ‘energy hierarchy’ as defined in the London Energy Plan,2 and now
becoming widely adopted:
• reduce energy demand
• utilise renewable sources
• supply conventional energy efficiently.
The introduction of innovative technologies in sustainable housing can increase the risk of technical
failures. Inevitably there will be teething troubles with prototype technologies and clients need to
understand this. Grey water recycling in particular can be problematic and requires rigorous maintenance
regimes. Although many renewable energy technologies are well proven (for example solar water
heating), there have been problems with the performance of small-scale wind turbines in urban areas.
While biomass boilers appear to be increasingly popular there is some concern about reliability of
supplies and biomass CHP systems have not proved reliable to date.
Only one of the case studies (BowZED) laid claim to be zero-carbon at design stage, but in reality it has
not met this exacting standard. Estimated carbon emissions from the other case studies are in the order
1 Jake Hacker and Chris Twinn, UK Housing
and Climate Change. Heavyweight versus
Lightweight Construction, Arup Research and
Development, January 2005.
2 The Mayor’s Energy Strategy, Greater
London Authority, February 2004.
101
of 25kgCO2/m2/yr – a figure that might be considered ‘good practice’ at the current time. This can be
reduced to 10kgCO2/m2/yr, by adopting U-values for external walls of 0.1W/m2K and 1.0W/m2K for
windows – a technically challenging standard. Even more challenging is the AECB Gold Standard of
4kgCO2/m2/yr, which requires an airtightness measurement of 0.75m3 per m2 at 50Pa, compared to
10m3 in the 2006 Building Regulations.
The goal of zero-carbon, or carbon neutral development, is still some way off. The Code for Sustainable
Homes provides a framework and timescale for achieving this, with Level 6 requiring zero net emissions,
including lights, appliances and electrical consumer goods in the home. In the short term, future-
proofing is an important design strategy – ensuring that roofs have optimum orientation, and that basic
infrastructure is provided to allow future retrofitting of renewable technologies. Community heating is a
good idea because fuel supplies can be changed in the future as gas and oil become less cost-effective.
It is certainly important for project teams to set ambitious targets because these will inevitably get
watered down as the design develops and experience shows that buildings rarely perform as well as
expected in practice.
Within the wider sustainability agenda designers need to be developing integrated water management
on all sites, including consideration of SUDS from the earliest stage, and should be researching local
sources of materials as well as making more use of recycled materials.
Costs are always a constraining factor – additional capital costs are in the region of 2–10%, but there
is some evidence of enhanced values and fuel costs for space and water heating can be dramatically
reduced compared to current norms.
Community consultation has also been an important aspect of several of the case studies. It is important
that local residents feel a sense of ownership of their neighbourhood and take pride in it.
Common features shared by all the case studies are the qualities of internal light and of external amenity
space. These are known to be important attributes that directly affect the quality of life for residents. The
hope is that residents will be sufficiently inspired to adopt more sustainable lifestyles and make conscious
decisions to use energy and water resources more sparingly, recycle more domestic waste and leave
their cars at home!
At the end of the day sustainable housing developments will be judged on three simple criteria:
• Do people want to live there?
• Do they perform?
• Will they stand the test of time?
102 103

Nick Thompson
4 REFURBISHED
BUILDINGS
Fig 5.01 Glastonbury House, Westminster
BEAUFORT COURT, Kings Langley
KINGSDALE SCHOOL, Southwark, London
CAMBRIDGE FEDERATION OF WOMEN’S
INSTITUTES HQ, Cambridge
FLAGSHIP HOME, Kensington, London
GLASTONBURY HOUSE, Westminster, London
TITANIC MILL, Huddersfield
KYNANCE BEACH CAFÉ, Cornwall
LYNTON LEARNING CENTRE, Lynton
WEST END HOUSE, London
104
INTRODUCTION
Building refurbishment is, on the face of it, the least glamorous area of architecture, but is arguably the
most important because of its environmental impact. Architectural quality tends to be achieved by subtle
intervention, rather than dramatic gesture, and yet existing buildings are often so poor in their thermal
performance that major energy savings can be achieved with relatively little expenditure. Invisible
mending goes unnoticed and excellent examples of sustainable architecture may be disregarded as
‘worthy but dull’. And yet, not only do buildings account for some 47% of carbon emissions; the existing
building stock accounts for a significant proportion of this.
There are other challenges too. The finest examples of historic architecture tend to be Listed Buildings,
which are exempt from compliance with current Building Regulations for energy performance. At the
other end of the scale, owner-occupiers control much of the housing stock and yet take-up of grants
for roof insulation by private householders has been notoriously slow. It is difficult to engage private
landlords on energy efficiency; and in the social housing sector, the government investment programme
for ‘Decent Homes’ upgrades has not properly addressed the issue. The key criterion for commercial
building has traditionally been location, rather than performance. Yet the opportunities for creative
environmental refurbishment are growing, and the rewards in terms of performance and architectural
delight are substantial.
With historic buildings, energy upgrade using thermal insulated lining boards and secondary glazing can
preserve the appearance of important façades. Roof insulation, controlled ventilation with heat recovery,
improved heating controls, and the use of renewable energies including solar collectors for water heating
are all opportunities which can add value. The National Trust has embarked on an ambitious programme
of renovation of its estate and strives to be an exemplar of good environmental practice.
Private householders often invest in conservatories or garden rooms. There are opportunities for solar
spaces here, which can contribute to thermal performance (provided they are not heated by conventional
means). The appearance of extension roofs can be improved using sedum turf. This will oxygenate the
air, assist with summer cooling, reduce the risk of drain surcharging and minimise neighbour objections to
planning approval. The Nottingham ‘Eco house’ is an example of just how far dedicated environmentalists
can go in the pursuit of ever-lower CO2 emissions, in this case less than 3 tonnes CO2 per year.
105
Victorian industrial buildings have proved to be a very successful niche for residential developers
addressing a younger home-buyers’ market. The most creative are taking the environmental opportunities
inherent in multi-occupancy, which include the provision of communal heating systems with individual
heat metering; using glazed atria to improved thermal performance, ventilation and amenity; and taking
advantage of volume purchase of energy-efficient double glazing, solar pipes, stack ventilators, dual flush
toilets and other environmental products.
In social housing, the wave of construction of multi-occupancy dwellings including high-rise blocks in the
1960s is often cited as a touchstone of architectural failure. These buildings have been pilloried as ugly
and unworkable. Opinion is changing. Over-cladding with insulated flexible renders can transform their
thermal performance and appearance. New window products, including frameless glazing systems for
balcony enclosure, can provide additional tempered space. Replacement of building services offers the
opportunity for upgrading fuel sources and improving controls. Plant space on the roof can be liberated to
provide a residents’ sky lounge. Wind skirts and podium accommodation can improve the micro-climate
around the base of the towers.
Working with building physics, rather than fighting against it, can transform commercial buildings.
Smart façades can enliven both architecture and building performance. Night purge cooling,
stack ventilation, low-energy lighting and controls can all contribute. Schools can be revitalised in
operational and environmental terms with the sensitive infill of courtyards and addition of brise soleil
on south-facing façades.
Architects are adding value through environmental refurbishment of all manner of existing structures from
farm buildings to tower blocks. At the same time they are engaging with local communities and involving
people in the process – from the community café to the Women’s Institute. Sustainable architecture is
about people. It is about transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. Sometimes it shows; sometimes
it just feels better.
106 107

BEAUFORT COURT
The UK’s first commercially developed Address Renewable Energy Systems Ltd
Beaufort Court
a
b
225kW wind turbine
Hybrid PVT array
Key energy-saving features include:
optimised natural ventilation, daylight, high levels of insulation, low air
building aiming to be carbon neutral and
c Crop store •
Egg Farm Lane
d PV invertors infiltration, solar control, low embodied energy, recycled materials,
Kings Langley e 1500m3 water heat sink minimum resources, low water use, rechargeable electric vehicles and
entirely self-sufficient in energy. Herts WD4 8LR f Biomass Crop (miscanthus) public transport
Construction Cost £5.9 million g Renewable energy centre
h Crop shredder • a hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) array providing both electricity
Completion Date November 2003 i Biomass boilers & gas fired back-up boilers and hot water installed as the roof to a biomass crop store, the heat of
The project brief was the conversion and extension of the former Ovaltine Egg Client Renewable Energy Systems Ltd j Electrical import/export meters which is passed to a 1100m3 watertank which acts as an underground
Farm to provide 2,665m2 of headquarters office accommodation for Renewable Architect Studio E Architects
k 80m deep borehole in chalk aquifer
seasonal heat store, before the energy is used to pre-heat incoming fresh
Energy Systems Ltd, a wind energy company, using renewable energies and l Air handling installations
air
sustainable strategies. The triangular site comprises 7.5ha of farmland located Quantity Surveyor A&S Friend and Partners m Fresh air
n Exhaust air a biomass crop (miscanthus or ‘elephant grass’) grown on 5ha of
in the metropolitan green belt. The M25 orbital motorway to the south brings Structural Engineer Dewhurst McFarlane •
o Irrigation
millions of people using the road into close contact with sustainability in action. A Services Engineer Max Fordham and Partners surrounding land serving a biomass boiler to heat the building
pan-European design and development team won European Union Framework 5 ground water pumped from an 80m deep bore hole for summer cooling
Landscape Architects Camlin Lonsdale •
funding for the project. Visitor facilities were to be provided together with extensive
monitoring of the performance of the systems installed. Design principles included: Main Contractor Willmott Dixon Construction Ltd • a 225kW wind turbine supplying, with the PVT installation, all the
electrical power required by the building and a significant surplus fed into
• meeting the commercial needs of a headquarters office building the National Grid.
• providing exhibition, conference and facilities for the use of RES This award-winning project is considered to be one of the most ambitious in recent
and visitors years. The project demonstrates how disparate technologies can be used and
• minimising energy consumption and resources how they interact in a real building. Although there have been some teething
troubles with the biomass boiler and heat storage tank the goal of a zero-carbon
• supplying energy entirely from on-site renewables development is in sight. The company runs regular seminars and open days
• integrating social, technical and aesthetic aspects. contributing to the dissemination of information about sustainability and renewable
energy. Further information: www.beaufortcourt.com
The existing buildings had to be radically altered and extended but the local
planning authority required that the views of the outside of the building must remain
largely unchanged. Both the ‘coach house’ and ‘horseshoe’ buildings were to be
converted to office use with exhibition, catering, conference, meeting, and main
plant spaces. The coach house was upgraded and the courtyard was enclosed
with a new steel structure. The conversion of the horseshoe was more complex.
The construction between the two towers, except for the timber roof structure, was
entirely demolished, the ground floor was lowered, the upper level floor and the
roof reinforced, and the outer external wall rebuilt. The ground floor was extended

5.03
5.02

into the courtyard by 5m and a new single-storey link, incorporating the main
entrance, was placed between, connecting the two wings of the horseshoe. Turf
Fig 5.02 Sensitive restoration with contemporary additions
was planted on the roof of the new office space. A third new building provides

5.04
Fig 5.03 Zero-carbon site strategy
storage and drying for the harvested biomass crop with a hybrid photovoltaic/ Fig 5.04 Green roof over new office extension
thermal array on its roof.
108 109

KINGSDALE SCHOOL
Dramatic interventions to revitalise a 1950s Address Kingsdale School
Alleyn Park
the bi-curved roof geometry together with inventive cladding details, articulate the
music and sports buildings as spatially powerful, expressive, day-lit buildings. The
school including covered courtyard, sports London
SE21 8SQ
load-bearing, solid timber cross-laminated construction system offers a sustainable
structure and internal finish as one process, only requiring external insulation and
hall and music school with creative use of Construction Cost £24 million profiled weatherproof cladding. This is the UK’s first large-scale school project
that employs prefabricated timber panels, setting a standard for fast, dry and
materials. Completion Date December 2006
Client London Borough of Southwark
environmentally sound construction.
This is a government-funded experimental project that focuses on the relationship
Architect de Rijke Marsh Morgan Architects (dRMM)
between school architecture and improved learning. The late 1950s building
Kingsdale School was a failing school and in 2002 the Architecture Foundation Quantity Surveyor Appleyard & Trew has been transformed by the addition of the Europe’s largest variable-skin ETFE
launched a design competition to find a solution. Demolition was one option, Structural Engineer Michael Hadi Associates roof, creating a near zero-energy internal courtyard space, which re-orientates
but the winning architects chose instead inspirational transformation – a radical Main Contractor Galliford Try Construction the whole school and houses an unusual geodesic timber auditorium. The re-use
reinterpretation of existing structures and spaces. Leslie Martin had designed the and upgrade of the existing building stock has avoided wastage (including
original school in 1959, while with the London County Council (LCC), as a model Environmental Engineer Fulcrum Consulting asbestos removal), improved facilities, realised latent potential, provided
of social integration. Project Manager SBDS continuity and exceeded expectations for the school population, who remained

5.06
Acoustic Consultant Fleming & Barron in situ during the reconstruction. The process demonstrates the value of design
This two-phase project stems from discussions between pupils, staff and the
by consultants who have prioritised space, light, colour and quality. Kingsdale
architects de Rijke Marsh Morgan Architects (dRMM), with both educational and Artist Joep van Lieshout
School was listed as a failing school in 2001 but, since the re-modelling,
architectural ambitions. Phase 1 included a new central multi-purpose space,
has shown dramatic improvements in morale, academic performance, pupil
auditorium, dining, library, circulation, and classroom refurbishment. Phase 2
behaviour, and staff turnover.
added a new sports hall (four courts, mezzanine, changing facilities) and a music
school (classrooms, practice rooms, performance space, recording studio). The Fig 5.05 Internal view of sports hall
approach was to recycle, extend and exploit the potential of the existing building, Fig 5.06 ETFE roof over courtyard
and create new satellite buildings with external facilities. The architects drew and Fig 5.07 Section through refurbished building
modelled a series of interventions, including the implemented strategic demolition
of the old hall and superimposition of new ‘climatic envelope’ ETFE (ethylene
tetrafluoroethylene – a fluorocarbon-based polymer) roof over the school. The
resultant 3200m2 of ‘inside-out’ courtyard is naturally heated and ventilated. This
provides flexible space, which has changed the previously corridor-based plan
into a central atrium, providing full access, dining, assembly, auditorium, social
and exhibition uses.
The large grounds are being used to accommodate facilities the school lacked,
including a sports hall and music school. Together these form a ‘gatehouse’ to the
school from the east. The design challenges the typical perception of sports halls

5.07
5.05

as generic, artificially lit, orthogonal boxes. Made from straight, flat-packed timber,
110 111

THE CAMBRIDGE FEDERATION

OF WOMEN’S INSTITUTES HQ
“On a low budget, the architect has Address Oakington Road
Girton
The building is popular with its owners and has been a critical success. It proved
possible to achieve an intelligent building on a limited budget – items such as
achieved a building which delights Cambridge
CB3 0QH
PVs can be near self-funding through grant schemes. Feedback received from
the owners and users demonstrates that the cooling and ventilation strategies
and functions well… the principles of Construction Cost £305,000 employed have proven successful through a hot summer. The all-round success
stems from the sustainable aspect being built into an holistic design strategy;
sustainability have informed the project Completion Date September 2004
Client/Building Owner Cambridge Federation of Women’s Institutes
aesthetic and ecologically driven approaches influence one another to produce an
integrated building and a comfortable working environment that is straightforward
throughout.” (RIBA Award 2005 jury) Architect ellismiller and intuitive to regulate.
Quantity Surveyor Henry Riley Fig 5.08 Detail of façade
Fig 5.09 A ‘modernist’ conversion using natural materials
Structural Engineer Whitbybird Fig 5.10 Section illustrating sustainable design strategies
The existing offices of Cambridge Federation of Women’s Institutes were unsuitable
Services Engineer Roger Parker Associates
and re-organisation unfeasible, so a new location was selected. An existing
pig-farrowing shed was purchased and converted to new use. Site selection was Main Contractor Britaniabuild Ltd

5.09
influenced by the opportunity to retain existing fabric and the proximity to a public
transport route. In addition to basic spatial requirements the client’s brief led from
their commitment to Local Agenda 21 principles and the building was designed to
be as near carbon neutral as possible.
The form of the existing building was refined in accordance with natural lighting,
ventilation and cooling strategies developed for the new use. A heavy exposed Recycled grey
Cool thermal mass
thermal mass ceiling of precast concrete planks tempers the internal environment water
from concrete
and establishes a consistent module for internal planning. Fair-faced brickwork to plank ceiling
external walls increases thermal mass. The bulk of materials used were sourced
locally. Simple natural cross-ventilation and cooling are possible due to the secure Electricity PV cells reduces mains
(and quiet) setting. Fresh air is introduced through elegant European-Oak louvres Natural ventilation
consumption
and glazing. The fixed-louvred openings can be safely left open at night to pre- through louvres: stale
cool the exposed ceiling and walls ready for the following day. Controlled natural air out, fresh air in
Cross-ventilation on very hot days
light is introduced through south-facing glazing and a continuous clerestory strip, Heat from users/ Naturally
which was developed to include a full-length internal light ‘shelf’ that bounces equipment lit spaces
natural light deep into the space. Users can simply control daylight locally using Shading and daylight control with internal
internal fabric blinds and external sliding oak shutters. The building stores and blinds and exterior sliding screens

recycles rainwater for flushing toilets, employing an existing water tower to hold
the header tank. Photovoltaic (PV) cells mounted at the front of the building create
a covered and shaded pergola over the entrance and reduce mains electricity
5.08

5.10
consumption. It was possible to resource the bulk of materials locally.
112
FLAGSHIP HOME
An important demonstration project
showcasing a low-carbon approach to the
regeneration of a multi-occupancy traditional
London residential property.
36 Beaufort Gardens is a 19th Century terraced townhouse located in a
Conservation Area close to Harrods in Knightsbridge. The five-storey house is
classified as an HMO (house in multiple occupation). Some time ago it had
been converted to provide bedsit accommodation, but over the years the building
fabric deteriorated and the building failed to comply with Local Authority Fitness
Standards. In 2001, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in association
with Westminster Council, launched the Flagship Home project. The objective was
to demonstrate how this type of house, representative of much of the Council’s
housing stock, could contribute to a low-carbon economy while maintaining the
traditional character of the building and adhering to planning requirements. Grant
funding was provided by the Energy Saving Trust.
The design strategy was to provide a self-contained two-bedroom flat in the
basement; to construct a roof extension to match the neighbouring property and
provide three additional bedsits; and to rationalise and refurbish the remaining
floors to provide a further 16 bedsits meeting improved space and safety
standards. Four of the 19 bedsits are allocated as keyworker accommodation for
lower rents. Design challenges included:
• location in a Conservation Area with consequent restrictions on the type
of refurbishment that can be carried out
• solid brickwork construction, so difficult to insulate
• high ceilings, so difficult to heat
5.11
• large, single-glazed sash windows – high heat loss and draughty
113
Address 36 Beaufort Gardens
London
• no central heating system – many of the original residents used electric
heating.
SW3 1PS
To maintain the appearance of the building, external walls at the front and rear
Construction Cost £0.6 million were dry-lined with insulated plasterboard; the insulation extending for one metre
Completion Date October 2004 along the party wall to avoid thermal bridging. All the windows at the rear were
Client Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, replaced with high-performance double-glazed timber windows, while secondary
glazing was added to existing sash windows on the front façade. The addition
Westminster City Council
of a roof extension meant that a new highly insulated structure could be added
Architect ECD Architects and the area of flat roof provided space for an evacuated tube solar water
Quantity Surveyor BPP heating installation.
Main Contractor Beechwood Property Renovations Ltd Two high-efficiency condensing gas boilers provide space heating, with each
Energy Consultants Rickaby Thompson bedsit having its own programmable thermostat. In addition, the Flagship Home
has a whole-house mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR) system, with
Building Owner SE Land and Estates plc
extracts from kitchen/shower areas and recovered heat delivered to living areas.
All white goods are A-rated and dual-flush WCs have been installed. Living areas
and communal spaces have low-energy lighting.
As a result of the refurbishment programme the NHER (National Home Energy
Rating) improved from 3 to 9 with CO2 emissions reduced from 25.74 to
9.58 kgCO2/m2/yr – a reduction of 63%. Tenants have not taken up the offer
of ‘energy awareness training’, however, and bedsits appear to be slightly
overheated, so target carbon savings may not be achieved. Fuel costs are
included in the rent, so there is no real incentive to adjust heating controls. This
was a partnership project and all parties found it an extremely valuable learning
experience. For further information see www.rbkc.gov.uk/flagship
Fig 5.11 Roof mounted evacuated tube solar collectors
5.12
Fig 5.12 Refurbished street façade
114 115

GLASTONBURY HOUSE
Complete ‘intelligent & green’ (INTEGER) Address Glastonbury House
Warwick Way
flush toilets, flow restrictors and rainwater harvesting for landscaping irrigation.
Linoleum is used rather than PVC flooring. Networked cabling has been provided
refurbishment of a residential public sector London
SW1V 4NT
for telephony, IT and digital TV alongside a social alarm system. Benefits include
video access control, lowest cost telephone calls, free calls within the block, and
tower block with the elderly residents Construction Cost £10 million multi-channel TV reception.

remaining in occupation throughout. Completion Date January 2007

Client CityWest Homes Ltd
Disruption was minimised through the provision of a new external service riser
allowing existing services to be kept live while the new ones were installed.
New services were concealed behind dropped ceilings, bulkheads or dados,
Architect Cole Thompson Anders
so chasing into walls was avoided. Multi-skilled teams were able to deliver fully
Glastonbury House is a 22-storey residential tower block seven minutes south of Quantity Surveyor Franklin & Andrews refurbished flats within a 3.5 week turnaround, while residents were temporarily
London’s Victoria railway station and part of a 1960s council estate managed Structural Engineer WSP decanted to completed flats elsewhere within the building. Continuing close
by CityWest Homes, the former Westminster Council Housing Department. Services Engineer WSP consultation with residents helped to defuse anxieties. External landscaping and
The residents are elderly and live independently with the support of a Scheme a wind skirt canopy, covered with turf (Alpine Sedum) helped to improve the
Manager who lives on site. CityWest Homes, as a Partner in the INTEGER Main Contractor Wates Construction microclimate. Ground floor community rooms were remodelled. Both lifts were
innovation programme, wanted to create an ‘intelligent & green’ flagship project. Landscape Design Arup renewed. A new residents’ Sky Lounge, created from the redundant rooftop boiler
The building structure was in good condition, building fabric was fair, but building Project Manager Mouchel ParkMan room, offers panoramic views across London.
services were obsolete. The challenge was to implement a full building overhaul
Technologist i&i Ltd A 1960s tower has been made fit for the 21st Century. The residents will enjoy
and upgrade (beyond ‘Decent Homes’ standards) to achieve EcoHomes ‘Very
Communications enabling concepts added comfort, better controls, lower bills and enhanced facilities, while the
Good’, including replacement of kitchens, bathrooms and building services, with
performance of the block will be improved in terms of carbon emissions and
the residents in occupation throughout.
water usage.
The block is a single-staircase building with concrete cross-walls and external brick
Fig 5.13 Ground floor canopy
cavity walls. There are 162 flats including 80 bedsits, 80 one beds, and two Fig 5.14 Refurbished building with enclosed balconies
maisonettes. Problems included a windy micro-climate around the block, defective Fig 5.15 Roofing ‘sky-lounge’ for elderly residents
lifts, poor heating controls, inadequate ventilation, dilapidated fittings and pigeon
nuisance. The design was to incorporate intelligent systems for building control,
communications and care support. Energy and water use was to be reduced.
Construction noise, dust and disruption were to be minimised.
The building has been connected to the Pimlico District Heating system, which
has recently been upgraded to combined heat and power (CHP) units which
provide around 9mW of heating and over 3mW of power to the grid. Energy
efficiency of the building was further enhanced through improved heating controls,
natural ventilation systems, energy-efficient lighting and appliances, cavity wall
insulation and enclosing balconies to provide solar spaces. A 6kW, 4m high wind
turbine on the roof and photovoltaic panels on the entrance canopy will generate
sufficient power to light the landing spaces. Provision has also been made for a

5.14

5.15
5.13

6 kW, 4m high wind turbine on the roof. Water efficiency measures include dual-
116 117

TITANIC MILL
Private sector conversion of a Grade II listed
mill building: a balance of environmental
aspiration, commercial viability and respect
for a historic building.
Formerly a Grade II listed textile mill, Titanic Mill stand in the picturesque setting
of the Colne Valley some 5 miles from Huddersfield town centre. Completed in
1911, the same year as the launch of the Titanic, the imposing six-storey masonry
building was commonly known as Titanic Mill. The building was derelict but there
were good transport links to Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool. The visionary brief
of the developer, Lowry Renaissance Ltd, was to provide 130 contemporary living
Address Titanic Mill
Linthwaite
One of the most innovative initiatives was the setting up of an energy services
company (ESCo) – Mill Energy Services – owned by the building’s management
Huddersfield
HD7 5UN
company (i.e. residents and ground floor tenants), which manages energy
demand and supply on the site.
Construction Cost £17 million At the time of writing, the project is still under construction and due to complete
Completion Date December 2008
Client Lowry Renaissance Ltd
by the end of 2008. There have been a number of completions in Phase One
of the upper floors, and residents are enjoying life in their new apartments.
There are several considerations for future projects. For example, could PV cells
Architect David Bellis RIBA
and biomass be brought on line earlier in the project to provide energy for the
Structural Engineer Thomasons construction process? Although low-energy lamp fittings have been fitted these
Main Contractor Lowry Homes Plc are still largely unattractive and limit the type of shades which can be fitted. As a
Energy Consultant Energy for Sustainable Development (ESD) consequence residents have opted to change the fittings themselves for standard
energy fittings. The question might also be asked – is the biomass CHP facility
Acoustic Consultant Sol Acoustics an optimal solution, given the high level of insulation, the embodied energy of
the plant and the resource costs of fuel deliveries? Gas fired CHP might have

5.17
apartments and hotel bedroom suites on the upper 5 floors and a 2000m2 luxury been an alternative.
health spa and restaurant on the ground floor. In response to climate change, the
ambition was to make the apartments carbon neutral (on a net annual basis) and Flue Generated electricity
to minimise carbon emissions from the ground floor spaces. Gasification
The central issue of the project was to balance commercial viability with
environmental performance while respecting the historic integrity of the building. Fuel drying
The architects worked closely with energy consultants Energy for Sustainable Wood gas
Import/export meter
Development (ESD) and enjoyed a lengthy and vigorous dialogue with the multi-stage
local authority. The developer maintained his ambition for a scheme with high cleaning
aspirations for environmental performance while meeting the challenge of matching
costs with development value. The aim was to maximise the area of the apartments
and to achieve zero CO2 emissions without compromising the rugged original
architecture of the mill building.
Woodchip
Energy-saving measures include 200mm mineral fibre insulation to walls and
300mm to roof. The building benefits from an inherent high thermal mass. A Alternator
Gas engine
high standard of airtightness, typically <1.0 air changes per hour at 50Pa, was
achieved in the conversion. Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery provides

5.18
input to main living spaces and separate extract from kitchen and bathrooms.
High-efficiency lighting and A-rated appliances were installed. Provision was
Charcoal Engine heat
5.16

made for remote reading of electricity and heat meters. A community bio-mass
combined heat and power (CHP) unit uses wood chips to produce 100kWe and
Fig 5.16 The Grade II listed mill in its setting
0.8GWh/yr. Photovoltaic panels installed on the inner roof slopes on top of the Fig 5.17 An inherently high thermal mass building Industrial/district heat
building generate 40,000kWh/yr. Fig 5.18 Biomass CHP system schematic
118
KYNANCE BEACH CAFÉ
Enhancement of a strategic visitor site with
emphasis on conservation, sustainability
and tourism.
Acquired by the National Trust in 1999, Kynance Beach Café was an attractive
but dilapidated structure located in the dramatic setting of Kynance Cove on the
Lizard Peninsula. The site attracts over 150,000 visitors annually and is a key
natural asset within the local and regional tourist economy.
In 2001 the National Trust sought to match its own investment with a variety of
partners, and set the following objectives for the two year restoration project;
• to improve the ‘public product’ through provision of high quality visitor
facilities – the sensitive restoration of the historic café buildings and
provision of new high quality visitor lavatories
• to ensure the environmental sustainability of this site, by protecting and
enhancing the natural environment while providing increased public
benefit
• to act as a demonstration exemplar project in terms of high quality
design and integrating sustainable technologies within a sensitive natural
environment
The café complex is located within a site of special scientific interest (SSSI),
Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
(AONB). New services brought to site were located underground within existing
roads to protect the natural landscape and wildlife habitats, existing telegraph
poles and cables were removed and the new toilet building designed with a turf
roof and traditionally built stone walls to blend into the natural landscape.
Restoration of the café buildings included high levels of insulation using sheep’s
wool, double glazed replacement sash windows and replacement of old
asbestos external tile cladding with a painted weatherboarding finish. Two south
facing roofs incorporate 540 individual photovoltaic (PV) tiles, with peak power
119
Address Kynance Beach Café
Kynance Cove
generation of 6.5kW and annual yield of 4,700kWh. The café kitchen has been
equipped with low energy/water appliances throughout. A solar water heating
The Lizard, Helson
Cornwall
panel supplies hot water to the kitchen. Contractors and services for the project
were procured locally within Cornwall, with a significant percentage of project
TR12 7PJ costs spent within the environmental sector.
Construction Cost £0.8 million A Sequence Batch Reactor (SBR) waste water treatment plant was installed
Completion Date September 2004 to deal with sewage and café waste, and this tertiary treatment exceeds
Client The National Trust discharge consents to ensure high levels of bathing water quality standards.
Water conservation measures have been implemented throughout including
Quantity Surveyor James Graham, KPK Building Contractors Ltd
low flush toilets.
Services Engineer SJH Engineering Services
Improved interpretation throughout the site has increased visitor awareness of
Main Contractor KPK Building Contractors Ltd the use of sustainable technologies. Post project surveys have been completed,
Project Manager Mike Hardy, Devon and Cornwall NT alongside an NT Case Study for the project – enabling lessons learnt to be
Building Surveyor Peter Bee, Devon and Cornwall NT applied in similar NT projects and for sharing experiences with external partners.
Environmental Adviser Rob Jarman, Head of Sustainability NT This was a partnership project involving the National Trust, the Objective One
Programme for Cornwall and Scilly, South West Regional Development Agency
and Cornwall County Council.
Fig 5.19 Before refurbishment
Fig 5.20 Installation of the PV roof tiles
Fig 5.21 After refurbishment
5.20
5.21
5.19
120 121

LYNTON LEARNING CENTRE

Conversion of two redundant stone buildings Address Lynton Learning Centre
Lynton
In addition, stone walls were repaired using lime mortar; breathing building
products specified and PVC products avoided. Local contractors were used and
to a local authority public library and a Devon
EX35 6AE
encouraged to train local labour.
A committed and driven community in partnership with the local authority and
computer training centre. Construction Cost £0.2 million funding bodies gave the project an unstoppable momentum. The contractor and
Completion Date Summer 2001 design team had a good working relationship gained from working together on
Client/Building Owner North Devon District Council a series of previous commissions. A partnering ethos and detailed understanding
Lynton nestles into the landscape above cliffs on North Devon’s exposed west- of sustainable construction principles aided cost-efficiency and buildability. The
Architect Gale & Snowden Architects Ltd
facing coast. Formerly a 1900s market hall and fire station, the buildings are of project is a particularly successful example of a community-led initiative, which
traditional construction with stone walls and slate roofs. The client, North Devon Quantity Surveyor and attracted funding and provides valuable facilities for the community. Through
District Council, wanted to create a new library and computer training centre for Planning Supervisor PWH Associates renovation and conversion the project has helped to heal an unloved part of
Lynton. The new building was to improve existing library facilities and to provide Structural Engineer Michael Ralph Lynton and has secured the life of an old building for future generations.
a venue for a variety of computer training courses. It was to be accessible to
all, to have low running costs, to be sustainable in design and to demonstrate
environmental responsibility. The project would prolong the life of an otherwise
redundant building and help to heal a blighted area at the centre of Lynton.
With the support of the Town Council, a client group consulted widely to establish
a wish list for possible uses of the buildings. Initially the project was to include an
arts cinema and computer training suite. The brief was rationalised and with the
backing of North Devon District Council a public library and a computer training
centre were built. The challenge was to insert modern uses and user requirements
into the Victorian ‘shed’ type buildings.
The design strategy was evolved to:
• minimise energy and water use
• maximise natural daylight and ventilation
• avoid thermal bridging
5.22

• maximise airtightness
• utilise low-energy lighting Fig 5.22 New use for an old building
Fig 5.23 Internal daylit spaces

5.24
5.23
• use low-water-use fittings and appliances Fig 5.24 External view
122 123

WEST END HOUSE

Architect’s own office refurbishment Address West End House
Hills Place
An annual energy consumption target of 220kWh/m2 was set, split as follows:
heating (gas) – 97kWh/m2/yr
demonstrating a visually striking approach
•
London
W1F 7SE • electricity – 123kWh/m2/yr.
to sustainability. Construction Cost £1.4 million Metered energy consumption from June 2002 to June 2003 was of 107kWh/m2
Completion Date September 2001 for gas and 141kWh/m2 for electricity (inluding special uses), which is 12% above
Client REID Architecture the original target. Electricity consumption is 18% below good practice (when
To demonstrate their commitment to the environment the architects have designed special uses are excluded) and gas consumption 26% below typical consumption
Architect REID architecture
their own London offices to be sustainable and visually striking using passive figures for air-conditioned buildings. Measured water consumption for 90 people
environmental design solutions. Quantity Surveyor Boyden & Co is 4.8m3/person/yr. Total refurbishment cost was £861/m2, which appears to be
Structural Engineer Buro Happold very competitive.
The design concept follows a natural ventilation strategy. External shading was
employed to prevent overheating and chilled beams utilised to provide additional Services Engineer Charterhouse Initial monitoring highlights the need to fine-tune heating controls, and to look
comfort cooling, both for energy efficiency and to create a comfortable, Main Contractor Simons Interiors for possible improvements in the use of daylight. The users are satisfied with the
easy-to-control environment. The environmental strategy utilises grilles at the bottom Landlord Prudential Property Investment Managers Ltd combined use of natural ventilation for fresh air, awnings for solar control and
of the new thermally broken double-glazed windows to provide fresh air intake chilled beams for cooling. The strategy will be promoted in future projects. The
to the building. The air is heated if necessary by fin radiators in the perimeter completed building was short-listed for a British Council of Offices Award and
casing. A gas-fired condensing, low nitrogen-oxide (NOx) boiler provides the the architects were named as a National Champion for this project at the Green
heating. Air is extracted at high level through two vertical stacks (stair and lift Apple Awards. A Building Use Studies survey obtained a 91% response rate from
shaft) at either end of the office space. Motorised dampers linked to the building occupants and a summary index of the replies placed the building in the top 5%
management system (BMS) control supply and extract airflow. The new windows of the UK Building Use Studies Data-set.
can be opened to generate greater airflows when required, giving staff personal
environmental control. External fabric awnings control unwanted solar gains.
They are linked to external solar sensors connected to the BMS. Awnings are
programmed not to extend in the winter so that the office uses beneficial solar
gains to reduce heating requirements. Manual overrides are provided for elevation
on each floor. While the external awnings prevent unwanted solar gains and the
natural ventilation contends with internal gains for the majority of the year, summer
peak cooling loads are dealt with by chilled beams, linked to the BMS.
High-efficiency T5 fluorescent tubes set into a bulkhead detail provide indirect
general lighting to the office spaces. Lighting levels have been reduced to 350 lux
5.25

throughout and task lighting supplements any specific higher requirements. Walls
and soffit are painted with white non-toxic paint to maximise reflectance. Water
Fig 5.25 Refurbished elevation
conservation measures include low-capacity, dual-flush cisterns, waterless urinals Fig 5.26 Entrance at night

5.27
5.26
and self-closing taps. Fig 5.27 Section illustrating energy strategy
124 125

Fig 5.28 Kingsdale School,
Southwark, London
1 Boardman et al., The 40% House,
Environmental Change Institute: Oxford;
2005.
SUMMARY
The projects illustrated demonstrate that bringing a derelict building back to life, rather than building
new, can be a considerable benefit in terms of land utilisation, resource use, improved amenity, and
maintaining continuity with the past. Optimising natural ventilation, daylight, insulation, low air infiltration
and solar control offer low-cost/high-value routes to sustainable design. Specifying low embodied energy
materials or recycled materials, minimising water use, and encouraging the use of low-carbon transport
all play a part.
Beaufort Court shows how modern intervention can sit very comfortably within the context of an
historic building, in this case in Arts and Craft style. Reid Architecture have demonstrated real
commitment to sustainability with the refurbishment of their offices. The environmental performance
of buildings in use often falls short of design objectives. Here, the occupants have the opportunity
to monitor building performance over time, to adjust systems as necessary and to apply the lessons
learned on future projects.
Titanic Mill shows how a determined developer can deliver a viable private sector sustainable residential
regeneration. Glastonbury House shows how sustainable refurbishment can be carried out in a fully
occupied social residential building. Minimising disruption required a creative approach to design,
construction management and social engagement; while the sky lounge, wind skirt canopy and glazed
balconies offered synergy between sustainability and architectural opportunity. The Flagship Home in
Kensington demonstrates sensitive sustainable upgrade of a typical period property in multi-occupation in
a conservation area.
At Kingsdale School, a simple and bold idea – the roofing over of an internal courtyard – transformed
building use, circulation, performance and image. Kynance Beach Café, the Lynton Learning Centre and
the Cambridge Women’s Institute all show in different ways how the sustainable refurbishment of small
buildings can make a big impact on their surroundings, on the environment and on the lives of those who
use them.
But it is the existing housing stock that poses the greatest challenge. Two-thirds of the dwellings that will
be standing in 2050 already exist. Generally, they have a poor standard of thermal efficiency. There are
still some 11 million un-insulated cavity walls; and the average SAP rating in England in 2001 was 51.
Two million homes in England have a SAP rating below 30. Raising the average SAP rating to 70 would
involve a massive programme of thermal insulation upgrades and boiler replacements, but would still
only reduce CO2 emissions by 34.5%. Achieving the government target of 60% reduction by 2050 will
require radical technical interventions, as outlined in the 40% House report1.
126 127

David Lloyd Jones

5 PUBLIC
BUILDINGS
Fig 6.01 National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff
GREAT NOTLEY DISCOVERY CENTRE, Braintree
JUBILEE LIBRARY, Brighton and Hove
NATIONAL MEMORIAL ARBORETUM, Staffordshire
EVELINA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL, London
BURGESS PARK COMMUNITY SPORTS CENTRE,
Southwark, London
DAVIES ALPINE HOUSE, Kew, London
GLENCOE VISITOR CENTRE, Argyll, Scotland
BRIDGE COMMUNITY CENTRE, Hastings
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR WALES, Cardiff, Wales
128
INTRODUCTION
This chapter reviews ‘public buildings’ i.e. buildings for health, sports, recreation, learning, retail,
government, culture and the arts, to which we all have access. It might be assumed that these buildings
would be in the vanguard of sustainable design, since their prominence and accessibility makes them
obvious vehicles for promoting environmentally benign architecture, but this is not the case. There are
remarkably few major public buildings in the UK that have effectively addressed sustainable issues, and
of those which have, very few have done so with notable, on-going success.
There are, however, many modest public buildings commissioned by individuals and organisations
dedicated to addressing the various aspects of sustainability. This chapter includes several. These can
be fine, sensitive buildings that stand as good examples of sustainable construction, but they are small
in scale and the use to which they are put is usually relatively straightforward. Those who commission
landmark public buildings are generally attracted to high-profile architects with a body of similar prestige
projects. It is these architects, however, who are either outrightly antipathetic to ‘environmental’ design or
have embraced sustainable principles at a relatively late date and are often more taken by the expressive
potential of the measures than by the intrinsic principles that drive them.
That said, the days of sustainable architecture being the sole preserve of the eco-warrior are long gone.
The best examples of this form of architecture are those which seamlessly integrate sustainable measures
into a design, which address all the architectural verities, and which produce a building of innate and
enduring quality.
Over the last six years three important seats of government have been commissioned and occupied by
three respective governing bodies:
• the Greater London Authority (GLA) Building by Norman Foster and Partners
• the Scottish Parliament Building by Enric Mirallis (+ RMJM)
• the Welsh Assembly Building by Richard Rogers Partnership.
All of them lay claim to sustainable credentials.
129
The environmental measures incorporated into the design of the GLA Building include provision for natural
ventilation of the office space and ground-source cooling, but the designer’s main claim for environmental
sustainability is the choice of building form. It is maintained that a sphere – and particularly this warped
version – optimises solar irradiation (the original design incorporated an extensive photovoltaic array) and
solar shading, and minimises building perimeter. The downside to the adoption of this geometrical form
is considerable. An expansive and welcoming entry is difficult to introduce into a sphere; the floor space
– exacerbated by the inroads of the full-height helical circulation (now consigned mainly to ceremonial
use) – is severely constrained; and the possibilities of future adaptation, change and growth of the
building are limited. This building shows clearly the conflicts that can arise between the needs for iconic
status, a versatile and responsive configuration, and effective environmental performance.
The Scottish Parliament Building is quite the reverse: open, expansive and welcoming (or it would be
but for the superimposition of ubiquitous security measures at the main entry). Environmental measures
incorporated in the design include optimisation of natural ventilation and lighting and the use of bore-hole
water for flushing toilets and cooling the building. Love it or hate it – and it certainly polarises opinion
– its sustainable attributes are well integrated – some would say submerged – within a very personal,
but convincing, overall aesthetic. However, as an example of economy of means and conservation of
resources it clearly falls short.
The Welsh Assembly Building, the smallest of the three, is the latest of these major government buildings
and is described in this chapter. It had to address similar issues of public profile and accessibility to the
other two. Its green credentials are reflected in its ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating. It has a strong presence on
Cardiff Bay disputing prominence with the new Wales Millennium Centre. The building also reflects the
openness and transparency that the National Assembly wished to convey. So has this building pulled off
a notable reconciliation between high profile and low emissions? I leave you (and time) to judge.
130 131

GREAT NOTLEY
DISCOVERY CENTRE
A ‘Movement for Innovation’ demonstration Address Great Notley Discovery Centre
Braintree
has been kept on site and used to make an earth mound rising to first floor level.
This mound is planted as a wild flower meadow and gives access from the main
project promoting an integrated approach to Essex CM7 8FS public floor of the building straight out into the country park.
Construction Cost £1.2 million All materials were selected with an awareness of their embodied energy,
design, procurement and delivery. Completion Date June 2001 their recyclability, the sustainability of their sources and their potential toxicity.
Developer Client Countryside Properties Materials include those with low embodied energy such as timber, masonite
beams, blockwork and linoleum; those which have a high embodied energy
User Client Braintree District Council
The Discovery Centre is a sports activity centre, an environmental education but are recyclable – aluminium and mild steel components; and materials which
facility, and a social and community resource. Its mission is summed up in the end Architect Penoyre and Prasad LLP have already been recycled once – aluminium ironmongery and Lignacite blocks
user’s slogan ‘Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Planet’. Located in a new Quantity Surveyor EC Harris with high recycled content, and worktops made of recycled plastic bottles and
country park, it also acts as a visitor centre and rangers’ offices and work areas. Structural Engineer Buro Happold coat hangers.

The need for the services it offers was identified early in the creation of Great Services Engineer Fulcrum The building rises out of the ground as a load-bearing masonry structure
Notley Garden Village. Countryside Properties and Braintree District Council supporting all the pre-cast concrete floors required for the TermodeckTM heating
Main Contractor Mowlem Rattee & Kett
consulted extensively with the residents of the new village, and at the same and cooling system and providing the high thermal mass. Above this is a glulam
Landscape Architect Whitelaw Turkington timber frame and a highly insulated masonite wall and roof construction. The
time worked closely with the design team to define a wider ambition for the
building as a practical demonstration of economic, social and environmental heavy base and the lightweight highly insulted covering – like a cosy on a teapot
sustainability. Penoyre & Prasad were chosen as the architects on the basis of the – play an important part in the environmental strategy.
earlier award winning design for the Millennium Centre in Eastbrookend Country
Park in Dagenham, and the project is a further development of the sustainable
strategies explored there. The project was an M4i demonstration project, which
entailed detailed examination of the procurement and delivery process throughout
the project. Innovative approaches were taken not only in the design but in the
procurement and early involvement of the contractor and major sub-contractors
and suppliers.
The building itself is an environmental education resource, incorporating a number
of innovative ideas to reduce energy consumption, generate energy, recycle waste
products and minimise environmental degradation. It has a 6kW wind turbine with
a grid connection and uses stainless steel solar roof panels to reduce the heating
load for the showers. Rainwater is collected for flushing toilets, and the building’s
foul and waste water output is treated by a reed bed wetland system. The building
is very well insulated and virtually airtight and yet capable of good controlled
ventilation via the TermodeckTM heating and cooling system integrated with the
6.02

building’s structure. Future expansion of the wind generation capability can be

Fig 6.02 Internal view illustrating use of natural materials
explored and the building will be able to harness developments in photovoltaics

6.04
6.03
Fig 6.03 The Centre in its landscape setting
by virtue of its orientation and roof configuration. The spoil arising from the works Fig 6.04 Wind energy contributes to the low carbon strategy
132 133

JUBILEE LIBRARY
One of the few examples of a substantial Address Jubilee Street
Brighton
public building with a rigorous environmental BN1 1GE
Construction Cost £8.2 million (excluding infrastructure)
agenda combined with acknowledged Completion Date March 2005
architectural quality. Furthermore, it was Client The Mill Group
Architect Bennetts Associates with Lomax Cassidy
secured through a Private Finance Initiative & Edwards
(PFI) process, not normally considered Structural Engineer SKM Anthony Hunts
Services Engineer Fulcrum Consulting
amenable to high standards of environmental Main Contractor Rok
In particular, the conventional PFI contractual requirement for closely defined
internal conditions allowed more flexibility for summer temperatures, so that full
air-conditioning could be minimised or avoided. Nevertheless, the contractor
felt obliged to install a chiller that has, to date, not been used. Extensive thermal
modelling was used to demonstrate that internal conditions would be held within
an acceptable range. The success of the model was dependent upon the rigorous
implementation of certain key ideas, such as thermal mass (exposed concrete
structure), solar control (internal or external louvres), volume of space (central
lending areas, where louvres are internal), wind-assisted extract (wind towers and
opening vents) and high levels of insulation.
The project received an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating and has been monitored
closely since completion. Figures are as below:

and architectural excellence. Environmental and Benchmark Measured data

Energy use (CIBSE guide F) 2005/06
Sustainability Consultants Centre for Sustainable Construction (kWh/m2/yr) (kWh/m2/yr)
User Client Brighton and Hove Council/Library
Brighton and Hove’s new library is the centrepiece of a regeneration project Lighting, small power and hot water 20 73.3
Landscape Architects Land Use Consultants
that stitches back together the fragmented streets of the North Lane area near Ventilation and local cooling 12 18.3
the city centre. The site was cleared for redevelopment in the 1960s and had
been blighted ever since. In 1999, the Council embarked on a PFI-led scheme to Main chiller 0.4
regenerate the site, with the new public library as the catalyst. The new generation Electric heating 5.5
of libraries is about much more than books, although that remains the principal
activity in the Brighton building. In addition, there is music, learning, open access Gas for space heating 113 26.4
to computers and the internet, a children’s section, shop, access to a café, public Overall total 145 123.9
meeting rooms and so on. The PFI brief also had a strong section on sustainability

6.06
and detailed town planning requirements.
The library adopts a basilica plan, with tall lending/reference rooms in the centre
and smaller-scale activities around the perimeter on three sides. The fourth side
allows the central space to face south on to a new public square. The perimeter
rooms are ventilated by the TermodeckTM system, using the thermal mass of the
concrete floor. Thereafter, air drifts into the central space and is either re-circulated
in winter or expelled through wind towers in summer. The structural form supports
the environmental strategy and defines the architecture of the building. Solar-control
louvres were essential to the avoidance of overheating and form an important part
6.05

of the external architectural expression.

Fig 6.05 Internal view illustrating daylighting
During the PFI procurement process the Council’s aspiration for high levels of Fig 6.06 External view with new public space

6.07
environmental sustainability were questioned and challenged at every stage. Fig 6.07 Typical section
134
NATIONAL MEMORIAL
ARBORETUM VISITOR CENTRE
A ‘Miesian’ arrangement of single storey
pavilions laid out on either side of a
courtyard and linked by a covered way but,
instead of glass and steel, the buildings are
constructed of structural timber, oak cladding
and render.
The National Memorial Arboretum is a new complex of buildings organised
around a garden court. The Centre comprises a Chapel of Peace, a visitor centre
with exhibition space, multi-use hall, restaurant, shop, and offices. The complex
provides new facilities for visitors to the arboretum, which was planted in 1997 on
an existing brown field site, and the buildings had to engender a sense of tranquil
enclosure on the open site.
The National Memorial Arboretum was the conception of David Childs as a tribute
to the wartime generations of the 20th Century. Lafarge Aggregates donated
more than 60 hectares of the industrial site used previously for gravel workings.
The Millennium Lottery provided match funding against an amount raised by the
National Memorial Arboretum privately through donations.
The buildings express a relationship with the trees of the Arboretum and the
National Forest, being largely constructed of timber from sustainable sources.
On arrival, visitors enter a glazed loggia and encounter views across the central
courtyard enclosed by a pergola leading to the Chapel.
The building design developed through a number of environmental strategies:
• low-energy heating (condensing gas boiler)
• efficient natural ventilation
6.08
• building materials of low environmental impact
• sustainable timber
• rainwater harvesting and water conservation.
135
Address Croxall Road
Alrewas
The visitor centre has three distinct zones:
Reception lobby and exhibition space – a double height glazed loggia
•
Staffordshire
facing north to avoid summer over-heating, and acting as an unheated
DE13 7AR
buffer zone in the winter, thereby reducing costs.
Construction Cost £1.3 million
• Visitor facilities – the shop, restaurant, and hall are contained in a barrel
Completion Date 2001
Client National Memorial Arboretum Co.
vaulted roof supported by a glulam structure, with concrete block lined
walls, and underfloor heating.
Architect Architype
• Support facilities – the offices, kitchen and WCs are accommodated in
Quantity Surveyor Davis Langdon a low south-facing block of lightweight timber construction, with separate
radiators and opening windows allowing a greater degree of individual
Structural Engineer Dewhurst Macfarlane and Partners
Services Engineer Fulcrum Consulting control.
Main Contractor Ron Jones (Staffs) Ltd The chapel structure consists of 12 tree columns supporting a floating roof that
Landscape Architects Brian Evans & Associates also encloses the portico. The non-denominational chapel accommodates up to
120 people, and is intended to be both a contemplative space for reflection,
and a distinctive setting for ceremonies. High-level clerestory windows provide
cross-ventilation, and avoid open views into the space. The pergola, constructed
from de-barked timber columns, is simple with a rustic nature to its finish, in
contrast to the surrounding buildings. Green Oak boarding acts as a rainscreen
6.09
cladding with open joints. The boarding is positioned horizontally on the north
and south façades of the visitor centre, and used vertically on the chapel, so as
to emphasise its height.
The relatively simple demands of this building and its arboreal purpose have
allowed a rigorous approach to minimising its environmental impact. Buildings
within this requirement and in this type of setting, in the hands of a sensitive
designer, usually result in architecture of elegance and tranquillity. This is certainly
the case with these beautifully designed and disposed buildings.
Fig 6.08 View of Visitor Centre, entrance into courtyard
Fig 6.09 Internal view of Chapel
Fig 6.10 View of side elevation of Chapel
6.10
136 137

EVELINA CHILDREN’S
HOSPITAL
Hospitals, due to the necessity of controlled Address Evelina Children’s Hospital
St Thomas
which can be easily demounted and re-erected within the concrete structural frame
to create different room configurations.
conditions and high levels of servicing, Lambeth Palace Road
London
The main feature of the building is a large conservatory that stretches along its
100m length and rises to four storeys in height. The roof is glazed and curves
are one of the most intractable building SE1 9RT
down towards the south, opening the conservatory up to unobstructed daylight
Construction Cost £41.8 million
types in respect to energy constraint and Completion Date 2005
and sunlight. During the 2006 summer heat wave, high temperatures were
experienced in some of the ward areas. Analysis of this has been undertaken and
environmental sustainability. This atrium- Client Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust at the time of writing, a number of options are being considered to mitigate this
problem in extreme conditions on a more permanent basis.
Architect Hopkins Architects
based hospital is one of the very few to Medical Planning Consultant RKW The big achievement of ECH is that it answers the children’s concerns as well as

seriously address those issues. Structural Engineer Buro Happold

the hospital Trust’s brief to create ‘a hospital that does not feel like a hospital’ with
an attractive building that raises the spirits of its patients. The Evelina Children’s
Services Engineer Hoare Lea & Partners Hospital was nominated for the 2006 Stirling Prize and won the People’s Choice
Main Contractor M J Gleeson vote; it also won the 2006 NHS Award for Best Hospital design together with the
Evelina Children’s Hospital (ECH) serves the south-east of England and was British Construction Industry’s Most Inspirational Building Award 2006.
funded by a £50 million grant from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity plus £10 million

6.12
from the NHS. The project complied with all the NHS requirements, including
cost guidelines, and demonstrates that great architecture can be achieved within
the NHS project structure. The design was let through an invited architectural
competition and then procured through traditional competitive tender. The brief
required a 140-bed hospital with a wide range of specialist facilities including
operating theatres, out-patients department, intensive care unit and special
treatment areas.
ECH is a sustainable building in the most basic sense; it sustains human life by
helping its child patients feel better and recuperate from illness. It does so by
incorporating a range of natural, healthy sustainable features, such as daylighting,
sunshine and fresh air ventilation, which are more notable by their absence in
most deep-plan acute hospital buildings. The conservatory faces south to catch the
sun and creates a natural stack effect of fresh air entering through automatically
controlled vents at low level and escaping at the top. It is overlooked on the
north side by all the shared wards stacked over four floors. Even the three lowest
deep-plan floors gain some daylight and natural ventilation. Large holes left in
the floor of the conservatory channel daylight into the heart of these deep-plan
floors. Other occupied spaces are arranged around the perimeter where they can
have windows for daylight and openable louvre panels for ventilation. Wherever
6.11

possible, natural, self-finished materials have been used instead of artificial

materials. They include timber fittings and rubber flooring in the wards and clay Fig 6.11 Night time view
Fig 6.12 Patient friendly environment
terracotta cladding to the external walls. Finally, the building is sustainable by Fig 6.13 internal view of the atrium
being adaptable to future change. All internal walls are metal stud partitions,

6.14
6.13
Fig 6.14 Typical section
138 139

BURGESS PARK COMMUNITY

SPORTS CENTRE
An earth-sheltered building in a reclaimed Address Langcroft Road
Burgess Park
but, in the case of the community room, are protected by the deep overhang of
the roof and, in the case of the changing room wing, by the mediating double skin
London park employing a ground-linked London
SE5 7QH
design incorporating the access passage.

heat pump installation for space and water Construction Cost £1.17 million
All the occupied rooms are naturally lit; the changing rooms by indirect lighting
introduced above the access passage. Other spaces are lit conventionally
heating and a photovoltaic array for shade Completion Date October 2005 with windows. Due to the heat and humidity from showers it is normal to
mechanically ventilate the changing rooms. In this project air is introduced at the
Client London Borough of Southwark
and electrical power. Architect Studio E Architects
back of the spaces above the showers and drawn out above and adjacent to
the access passage.
Quantity Surveyor MPA
Central to the space and water heating system is a 10m3 two-compartment hot
Structural Engineer Price and Myers water tank. Both are heated by exploiting the constant ground temperature by
The new Sports Centre provides changing and community facilities, at the east end
of Burgess Park, for those using the adjacent artificial sports pitch and the football Services Engineer Downie Consultancy Engineers means of vertically sunk ground pipes linked to a heat pump. This raises the
and cricket pitches. The brief requested changing rooms for the artificial surface Main Contractor Claremont Refurbishment temperature of the water in the tank to an average temperature of 55˚C. Electric
(64 spaces) and for turf playing fields (a further 64 spaces), changing rooms for immersion heaters provide standby heat. Hot water is drawn from the second tank
Landscape Architect Shape
supervisors, toilets, reception, kitchen, bar, community room and stores. for winter space heating utilising a piped water underfloor system.

The design approach was to minimise energy consumption and then to use the A 4.8kWpeak photovoltaic array is located at high level within the south-facing
potential of the sun and the earth to provide the remaining energy needs. The façade of the changing room wing. Power is taken via two inverter units to
main energy demand in the Sports Centre is for hot water for showers and space contribute to the electricity demand of the building and, when it is not in use, the
heating. The energy strategy is geared to this requirement and the following targets electricity is passed to the national grid.
were set: So far as was practical, building materials have been sourced locally. Some
• 50% improvement in energy efficiency materials have been used directly from the site.

• 40% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions The Sports Centre brings much-needed changing and community accommodation
to the established and well-used playing fields in this part of Burgess Park. It does

6.16
• 20% of the electrical demand supplied by photovoltaics (PV). so with careful architecture and minimal environmental and visual impact.
Passive and active systems have been combined, as follows. a Photovoltaic array
b Planted earth bank and roof
The change room wing of the building is ‘earth sheltered’, meaning that excavated c Glazed ‘greenhouse’ façade
earth is banked up against the north wall and much of the east wall and d Existing factory wall reused
spread over the entire roof. This provides an average U-value of approximately e Mechanical air extraction
f Multi-zone underfloor heating system
0.2W/m2K. The south façade of the changing room wing uses the glazed access g 100m deep closed circuit well field
passage to mediate between outside temperatures and the carefully controlled h Mains water supply and chlorine dioxide
6.15

temperatures of the changing rooms. treatment plant

i Ground-pumped heating sytem comprising
Fig 6.15 Inclined glazed/PV facade 2 hot water cylinders, 2 ground-linked heat
East and west façades of the building are screened from low sun by, respectively, Fig 6.16 Environmental strategy pumps and well field

6.17
the earth mounding and an already existing wall. The south façades are glazed Fig 6.17 The building in its setting k Hot water to changing rooms
140 141

DAVIES ALPINE HOUSE

So delicate that it is almost invisible, the Address Alpine House
Royal Botanic Gardens
through the thermal mass of the concrete and re-circulated around the perimeter
of the House and onto the low level plants via intermittent displacement nozzles
new Alpine House continues the pioneering Kew, Richmond
London
and pipes. A stack effect is created and helps to avoid overheating at plant
level by drawing the warm air out of the building via vents at high level. In order
heritage of glass and steel structures at TW9 3AB to protect the plants from overheating during the summer months, an automatic
retractable shading system was developed which would reflect away excess solar
Construction Cost £0.4 million
Kew and provides a refined eco-designed Completion Date March 2006
gain during warm weather. The solution – developed using yacht technology and
based on a fan-like form similar to a peacock’s tail – deploys from low level so
greenhouse for the 21st Century. Client Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew that it does not obscure daylight when retracted, and covers around 70% of the
Architect Wilkinson Eyre Architects cladding panels when open.
Quantity Surveyor Fanshawe This building, in addition to its gem-like appeal, develops climatic control through
The brief required that the new Alpine House demonstrate the same spirit of Structural Engineer Dewhurst Macfarlane and Partners passive means, characteristic of traditional greenhouses, to a new level of
innovation and quality of design seen in Kew’s other famous historic glasshouses. sophistication. Here all the ingenuity is focussed on simulating native conditions for
Services Engineer Atelier Ten
In alpine conditions the plants are exposed to high levels of direct sunlight, but do plant species, not securing comfort for our own well-being. It is one of those highly
Main Contractor Kilby and Gayford engineered buildings that results in exquisite architecture.
not overheat as they are also exposed to constant wind movement. Therefore, it
was essential that the new Alpine House encouraged – ideally through passive
means – the plants’ growing requirements of high light levels, cool conditions and
constant air movement and circulation.
The distinctive form of the new glasshouse is created by two twin-arched elements
placed back to back. This geometry enables considerable height to be achieved
within a relatively small footprint, inducing the ‘stack effect’, described below,
in as elegant a form as possible. Each twin arch is formed from an upper and
lower arch, spanned by stainless steel tension rods, which anchor to the base,
transferring loads to the concrete retaining wall structure. The rods assist in
maximising natural light levels by minimising the depth and width of the cladding
support. A central glazed spine and intermediate cross-spanning structure runs
along the length of the building between the twin arches. This spine has opening
lights for ventilation in the middle section and tilted opening vents to its side walls.
In order to minimise direct sunlight, the orientation of the house is longitudinal,
from north to south, so that only one of the narrow ends is south facing. Similarly,
the glazed cladding panels are faceted – meaning that direct sunlight is only
concentrated on a single facet of the cladding at any point during the day.
The key issues in developing the environmental strategy for the building were the
6.18

provision of shading in summer, natural ventilation to dissipate solar heat gains and
the integration of ventilation and heat dissipation at plant level. The Alpine House
Fig 6.18 Environmental strategy
uses a concrete labyrinth below ground level which, in a manner similar to termites’ Fig 6.19 View with solar shading in place

6.20
6.19
underground chambers, acts as the building’s air handling plant. Air is cooled Fig 6.20 Internal view
142
GLENCOE VISITOR CENTRE
This Centre makes a positive architectural
contribution to its dramatic and historic
natural setting. There is no attempt to
disguise or bury it in the landscape. A
‘light footprint’ approach is taken with the
emphasis on timber construction floating
above the ground. It is anchored by a belt
of silver birches and turf-topped dry stone
walls.
Glencoe is one of the most visited landscapes in Scotland. A visitor centre,
designed in the 1970s, was failing to cope with the number of visitors and was
wrongly located. The decision was taken to demolish the centre and replace it
with up-to-date facilities in a less prominent part of the Glen. The brief for the
project was explicitly ‘green’ and this was developed by Gaia under four headings
of ‘Site, Resources, Energy and Health’.
The buildings are laid out as a ‘Clachan’ (Gaelic for village). This allows a
potentially large building to sit well within both the wider landscape and a
woodland setting, satisfy stringent planning conditions and reduce the energy
needed to ventilate the building. With a drop of 4m across the site, providing level
access to all areas was a challenge. This was achieved using timber boardwalks,
which also protect the natural ground from visitor intrusion. The buildings are raised
off the ground to make a light footprint and allow tree roots and groundwater to
remain undisturbed. Water for the site comes from a spring in the hills above, held
in a new reservoir and treated via silver copper ionisation to avoid chlorination.
Water is conserved throughout with low-flush toilets, waterless urinals and low-flow
taps. Sewage is treated on site by an ecologically benign system, which updates
6.21
the original septic tank.
Address Glencoe Visitor Centre,
Argyll
PH49 4LA
Construction Cost £3.07 million
Completion Date February 2002
Client National Trust
Architect Gaia Architects
Quantity Surveyor Ralph Ogg and Partners
Structural Engineer John Peden Associates
Services Engineer Gaia Architects
Main Contractor R J McLeod
6.22
6.23
143
All specified materials have been assessed as ecologically benign and non-
toxic. Products such as lead, PVC, chipboard, MDF, solvent paints and other
hazardous materials are avoided completely. The building is predominantly built
of timber, all sourced in Scotland. Timber species and details were carefully
developed to achieve the requisite durability levels. Floors are oak and sycamore;
the café ceiling is birch; windows and external doors are laminated oak; internal
doors are elm, birch and alder. Structural timber is spruce and the cladding is
heartwood of larch.
In an airtight and well-insulated building, moisture can be a problem because
many health risks are increased at extremes of humidity. At Glencoe all the
walls, floors and ceilings ‘breathe’. This means that they allow moisture vapour to
pass through without risk of decay. In this way they moderate the humidity levels.
All paints, varnishes and finishes are vapour permeable to enable this to work
fully. Most ventilation is natural – via roof lights and windows. The buildings are
highly insulated with 250mm of recycled paper insulation in walls, floors and
ceiling. Windows are double-glazed and air infiltration is minimised, with sheep’s
wool used to seal between the windows and the frames instead of foam. Heat
comes from a boiler fuelled by locally sourced woodchip, making the Centre
CO2 neutral.
With an avowedly green agenda the designers have avoided creating a too
obsessively worthy building by varying the volumes, making use of the fall along
the length of the site, melding with the woodland and carefully disposing the
limited pallet of finishing materials.
Fig 6.21 Internal view
Fig 6.22 Buildings in their landscape setting
Fig 6.23 External view
144 145

BRIDGE COMMUNITY CENTRE

An example of a modest community- Address 361 Priory Road
Ore Valley
A condensing gas boiler supplemented by a solar water heating system supplies
heating. In addition a small 4.96kWpeak photovoltaic system has been installed.
orientated project with a clear agenda Hastings
East Sussex
Projected energy performance figures:

for minimising environmental impact and TN34 3NW • Electricity: 10,500kWh per year or 14.58kWh/m2
Construction Cost £1.5 million
promoting local social and economic Completion Date November 2005
• Gas: 278,000kWh per year or 386.11kWh/m2
Total: 28,850kWh per year or 400.69kWh/m2.
initiatives.
•
Client Hastings Trust
The emphasis on ‘keep it local’ aimed to spend as much of the building budget on
Architect BBM Architects
local trades, employment training and on the securing of materials; cutting down
Quantity Surveyor Tester Associates of delivery miles being one achievement and the helping out on local economic
The Bridge Community Centre is a 722m2 timber frame building, utilising a high Structural Engineer BEP Consulting Engineers regeneration being another success story. The use of sweet chestnut in particular
proportion of locally sourced materials, and passive and active energy harnessing. is something the local community connected with on many levels, bringing extra
Services Engineer PJR Building Services Engineers
The new building replaces a smaller community facility located on the same site meaning and significance to their new facility. It is also hoped that with more large
which had for many years been inadequate for its purpose. SureStart, Hastings Main Contractor Westridge Construction Ltd buildings using some of the renewable insulation products trialled here cost and
Trust and English Partnerships took it on as a project in 2002. The user group technical back-up will become more in-line with conventional products.
stressed a need for accessibility, inclusiveness, environmental awareness and

6.25
functional flexibility. The building incorporates a foyer for hosting gatherings and
exhibitions, a large flexible-use space, a café with a kitchen and demonstration
area and the capacity to provide ‘meals on wheels’, a number of offices and
meeting rooms, an IT training suite and an ‘Under 11s’ facility.
Building form and orientation were largely dictated by the requirement to reuse
the existing footprint. The roof has a sedum covering. Three vent and light cowls
were reduced to two through cost cutting despite the designer’s concerns about
overheating. Originally a ramp was proposed to bring access down from
pavement to the main entrance 2.5m below, but a radical rethink used a bridge
and a first floor entrance not only to improve accessibility and save money but
to reduce the embodied energy of the construction. Cost cutting also affected
many of the renewable insulation products originally specified, but while internal
insulation was changed to mineral wool, the external walls kept the wood cellulose
insulation batts and flax quilt and sheep’s wool survived for the roof. The architects,
having explored the use of glulam sweet chestnut on smaller projects around the
Sussex Weald, proposed its use on the basis of its locality to site, its strength and
durability. Coppiced from a local supply it is also an outstanding way to lock
6.24

carbon with a crop cycle of between 20 and 25 years. It was not only farmed
locally, but also manufactured within 30km of site. The material was used for the Fig 6.24 Internal view illustrating timber structure
main structure in the form of columns, floor and roof beams, and as an internal Fig 6.25 Locally sourced chestnut cladding

6.26
and external cladding material. Fig 6.26 Centre from Gable End
146 147

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WALES
Despite the vicissitudes of public Address Cardiff Bay
Wales
The Assembly building’s highly progressive environmental agenda aims to set a
new standard for public buildings in the UK and has been awarded a BREEAM
commissioning, intensified security and CE99 1NA rating of ‘Excellent’, the highest score, so far, for a building in Wales. Three core
objectives influence the environmental systems in the building:
Construction Cost £40 million
Design and Build procurement, this building Completion Date 2006 • to reduce energy demand
has come through as an elegant setting for Client National Assembly for Wales • to apply renewable energy sources and to utilise energy-efficient sources
Architect RRP
the National Assembly for Wales. It places Structural Engineer Arup
• to use passive systems to cover residual energy demand.
Air-conditioning has been eliminated from all offices and functional areas. To
a premium on transparency – of both Services Engineer BDSP
reduce CO2 emissions further, a biomass boiler provides high grade heating to
Main Contractor Taylor Woodrow
governance and building fabric – Project Manager Schal
heat emitters (low-level natural ventilators) and heater batteries within air-handling
units. Water usage is minimised through the application of water-saving fixtures
and on environmental sustainability. Landscape Design Gillespies and fittings, and recycled rainwater is used for flushing WCs. Roof lights serving
the committee rooms/offices maximise daylighting, thereby reducing the energy
required to light the space artificially. A fully modulating, bespoke roof cowl
regulates the natural ventilation in these spaces. To permit natural daylight into the
The new National Assembly for Wales is situated in the Cardiff Bay area, close debating chamber, a glazed lantern has been incorporated on the domed roof
to the Victorian Grade I listed Pierhead Building and the new Wales Millennium beneath the natural ventilation wind cowl. Extensive timber within the building is

6.28
Centre, with a design that responds to its setting on the edge of the bay by directly FSC certified – from sustainable sources – and the construction process (involving
facing it with a series of ramps and steps that cascade towards it. The competition timber formwork etc.) also met these standards. A ground-source heat pump system
brief called for the delivery of an open and democratic building, appropriate for provides cooling for mixed mode spaces and technical computer suites, and low-
the 21st Century, which: grade heat, which is required for the under-floor heating system.
• provided an exemplar for access, while taking necessary security One of the primary challenges faced by the design team on the NAW project
measures was attaining the rigorous environmental performance criteria while achieving
value for money. The design team were able to incorporate the high level of
• implemented sustainable strategies and renewable energy systems
services co-ordination required for this without compromising the quality of the
throughout
spaces and at the same time meeting the NAW’s functional requirements. In order
• guaranteed a minimum design life of 100 years to achieve the BREEAM Excellent rating it was necessary for all consultants and
the contractor to be thoroughly conversant with the concepts behind a low-energy
• used Welsh materials wherever possible
sustainable building, not just in terms of the environmental design but also in terms
6.27

• contained three committee rooms and a 610m2 debating chamber for 60 of sourcing materials and embodied energy issues. It has also been important to
members with provision for expansion to 80 members in the future. involve the NAW in the environmental design at every stage of its development so
Fig 6.27 Internal view of debating chamber
that users can optimise the building’s systems to maintain a low-carbon footprint in

6.29
Fig 6.28 Exploded schematic
Fig 6.29 A new public space the long-term.
148
SUMMARY
The projects in this chapter, like all the others, had to be recently completed and were then selected on
the basis of their response to sustainable principles and the quality of their architecture. The latter criterion
is, of course, highly subjective, but to me, perhaps, the most important. A building that meets high
sustainable principles cannot be separated from one that successfully celebrates the architectural verities.
A building that is not uplifting and is not elegantly resolved and presented is not truly sustainable. The
buildings in this chapter meet this challenge. Three of them were candidates for the RIBA 2006 Stirling
Prize. Furthermore, by chance, they comprise an intriguingly representative cross-section of solutions to the
exigencies of green design. They highlight many of the characteristics and paradoxes of the introduction
of sustainable principles to contemporary construction.
An analysis of the environmental attributes of the selected public buildings again demonstrates that the
projects with a simple purpose, with relatively simple demands and located in the countryside invite a
rigorous approach to sustainable design. Those with a complex purpose, with wide-ranging demands
and located in the city are more resistant to energy constraints (both embodied and in use) and more
likely to depend on technology to meet sustainable targets. Nothing new here, but, since the public
building category covers such a wide spectrum of building types – big, small, minimally serviced, highly
serviced, simple purpose and multi-functional – other factors come into play.
Crucial to this is the aesthetic pre-disposition of the architect. Now that any architects worth their salt are
green architects, a recognisable green style is hard to discern. Expressions of green credentials range
from eco-grunge to eco-slick. Take the Alpine House. It is located in a faux country setting, is moderate
in size and needs to meet relatively simple requirements (people are only marginally involved). It could
149
have been conceived as a low-tech glass and timber greenhouse with robust and visible hardware to
open and close the clerestories, but of course, that is not quite Wilkinson Eyre’s thing and probably not
what Kew had in mind and so we have their polished shard disposed against bosky planting beds.
Archetype’s National Memorial Arboretum Visitor Centre, on the other hand, is, as one would expect, a
sensitive essay in low-tech sustainability. Its layout, however, is not evolving and organic as its arboreal
context might suggest. It has the rigour and single mindedness of a Mies campus.
The other factor of interest is the extent to which projects embracing sustainable measures are today
seen as pioneering. As the industry gains understanding of the subject, as legislation takes hold and as
guidelines are followed, have not sustainable measures just become building measures?
Since our nine buildings are all designed at least five years ago they are all pioneers to some
extent. The degree to which they are innovatory and, accordingly, more risky also cuts across the
simple function/simple resolution : complex function/complex resolution scenario. The Burgess
Park Community Sports Centre meets a relatively simple brief, but it is one of the few to integrate
renewables and is therefore, pushing the envelope more than others. The Jubilee Library sets out a
strategy for relying on natural ventilation to keep the building cool based on the designers’ considerable
experience of delivering such buildings, but the contractor still insisted on fall-back artificial cooling. Of
course, innovation will always be necessary and will continue, but low-energy strategies and systems
that a few years back seemed risky and problematic are being refined and developed and are
already finding a place in conventional construction.
150 151

Fig 7.01 Sketch of Bilston Urban Village,
Wolverhampton
Paul Evans
CLIMATE CHANGE,
BUILDINGS AND
SUSTAINABLE
COMMUNITIES
The case studies featured in this book are a step in the right direction. But they are only a small step.
In the coming years architects and engineers will face new technical challenges posed by the impacts
of climate change on the built environment. Hitherto, the response of the design professions has been
focussed on measures to mitigate climate change – improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse
gas emissions. More recently however, there is growing evidence that climate change is unavoidable (a
result of historic emissions) so efforts need to be broadened to address adaptation measures. How do we
deal with the consequences of climate change to ensure liveable environments in the 21st Century?
Most climate models now concur that average global temperatures will increase between now and
2040. Beyond that date there are a number of low, medium and high predictions which will be
dependent to some extent on actions taken in the next decade. The main effects of climate change
in the UK are likely to be:
• hotter drier summers
• milder wetter winters
• greater frequency of extreme temperatures
• more extreme precipitation
• sea level rise.
By 2050, models predict that London will have a climate similar to that of Marseille today. Summer
temperatures will typically exceed 25 degrees and there will be greater frequency of temperatures in
excess of 30 degrees. This has significant implications for comfort in both existing and new buildings. If
the consequence is a massive shift to air-conditioning in both residential and non-residential buildings this
will result in even higher electricity use and further increase CO2 emissions. We need to demonstrate that
acceptable comfort levels can be achieved through good design and that the potentially catastrophic
consequences of air-conditioning by conventional means can be avoided.
152
In the design of housing there are implications for the size and orientation of windows, solar shading and
types of construction employed. Research by Arup has compared the performance of lightweight against
heavyweight construction and concluded that lightweight structures in the south-east of England are likely
to overheat by 2020. The benefits of thermal mass and effective ventilation control ensure that comfort
conditions can be maintained without mechanical cooling until the 2050s. Certainly the examples of
vernacular Mediterranean architecture support this, with their characteristic heavy masonry walls and
small shuttered windows.
Implications for the design of non-residential buildings are perhaps more far reaching and will require
a radical change in mind set on the part of designers. It is difficult to see how highly glazed buildings
can help in either mitigating or adapting to climate change and more innovative approaches to passive
cooling are urgently required. Designers need to start using future projected temperatures as a basis for
design rather than the historic weather data currently in use.
Climate change has a number of other implications for the design of buildings; drier summers will result
in more subsidence, require more drought resistant planting and place more emphasis on efficient
appliances, rainwater harvesting and grey water recycling. Increased winter precipitation and more ‘flash
flooding’ will require oversized guttering and more rainwater attenuation locally.
Average wind speeds will increase causing more damage and requiring increased wind loadings. Most
importantly, flood risk will affect a large number of properties in low lying areas and flood risk measures will
call for protected door openings, tiled surfaces at ground level and higher mounting heights for electrical
sockets. Needless to say, all this has serious implications for buildings insurance and property values.
Climate change also has implications for masterplanning, urban design and public open space. Solutions
appropriate at the level of individual buildings need to be complemented by larger scale, strategic
initiatives which will lead to more sustainable neighbourhoods. Communities planned around high quality
public transport offer the possibility for closer proximity of living and working with reduced dependence
on the car. They can also benefit from a planned infrastructure to supply energy and water efficiently as
well as waste management and recycling. At the scale of a new neighbourhood there is an opportunity
to plan for the long-term supply of energy at a local level, rather than rely on traditional grid connected
supplies. Combined heat and power plants generating both heat and electricity are more efficient than
conventional power stations and can serve local community heating networks. This approach has the
advantage of offering flexibility in the choice of fuel; initially gas but perhaps biofuels in the future.
In 2004 the government launched the Sustainable Communities Plan focussed mainly on housing growth
areas in the south-east – Ashford, Stansted, Milton Keynes and the Thames Gateway. Here there is an
opportunity to take a more holistic approach to the planning of new communities, embracing the social,
economic and environmental aspects of sustainability.
Social sustainability should encompass local culture and shared community activities. This includes respect
and engagement between different people of different backgrounds and beliefs. This might be achieved
153
through a strong sense of community identity and opportunities for cultural, leisure, community, sport and
other activities to encourage co-operative behaviour in neighbourhoods. Critical to strong communities
is that they are well run with inclusive participation for citizens including building capacity through the
development of community skills, knowledge and confidence. In essence, social sustainability should
include social inclusion and good chances in life for all with due regard for the needs of future generations.
Economic sustainability can be achieved with well served private, community and voluntary services
(e.g. fresh local food and information through public libraries), well performing schools, high quality
healthcare and social services, high quality services for families and children. Sustainable communities
should also provide good opportunities for jobs and training with a strong business community and
business creation opportunities.
The quality of the community environment is important with appropriate size, scale, density, design and
layout as well as a sense of place being factors. Well designed public and green space should also
be included with local accessibility to jobs and key services by public transport. The quality of the built
environment should reflect high quality, mixed use, durable, flexible and adaptable buildings. Negative
environmental impacts of building materials should be minimised and buildings should be designed to
promote health and well-being as well as giving people a sense of security.
Sustainable communities require an integrated approach to design, taking account of microclimate and
landscape, solar access, wind sheltering, infrastructure and transport. To achieve a strong masterplan
outcome requires the concept being held together through all stages of implementation. Client
commitment and leadership during the process is vital, as is their commitment to design quality. Within the
masterplan document should be a record of the core aspects of the site’s physical development that will
contribute to a place of quality. Mechanisms for delivering design quality in masterplans include:
• design briefs and guidelines to ensure high quality design consistency
• a team of designers to embrace variety (and a degree of uniformity) to achieve quality
• competitive interviews and competitions to encourage innovative approaches
• design advisory panels to vet the quality of schemes.
An example of a ‘climate resilient’ masterplan is Bilston Urban Village in Wolverhampton
(www.bilstonurbanvillage.co.uk). Bilston is a 70ha site in the West Midlands, riddled with disused mine
workings and covered by 10m of landfill. Working with Arup Engineers and landscape architects Grant
Associates, Andrew Wright has designed a visionary masterplan, which re-shapes the whole site and
opens up a buried watercourse to create new water bodies within a landscaped park at the centre of
the restored river valley. The design team adopted an integrated design approach and consulted closely
with the local community and key stakeholders. New housing and community facilities are planned on a
series of south-facing terraces, offering fine views over the valley. The project, which has Outline Planning
154 155

Consent, will create around 1400 new homes and 3000 job There are some excellent examples in Europe of model sustainable communities, e.g. Freiburg in
opportunities. Germany. All new buildings have very low energy consumption. The strategy includes high levels of
insulation, solar panels and a CHP plant run on gas and woodchips. Variety has been secured through
In 2005, eco-entrepreneurs Pete Halsall and Pooran Desai
individually designed façades and the use of housing co-operatives. Green space plans were created
together with BioRegional Development Group, the environmental
through workshops creating green corridors with attractive communal areas. Many flats have lush green
organisation that was involved in BedZED, joined forces with
plant-covered balconies. It has been designed as a ‘district of short distances’. Fifty percent of the
Quintain Estates to form a joint venture development company,
households are car free and many people cycle and use public transport.
Bioregional Quintain Ltd, with the aim of creating a number of
high quality sustainable communities across the UK. The focus is ‘Sustainability in ecosystems as well as human society is not an individual property but a
not just on building energy-efficient homes but on enabling and property of an entire web of relationships: it involves the whole community. A sustainable
supporting sustainable lifestyles. They are committed to reducing human community interacts with other living systems – human and non-human – in ways
the ‘ecological footprint’ of their developments and promote the that enable those systems to live and develop according to their nature.’
1 If everyone in the world consumed natural
principle of ‘One Planet Living’.1 resources at the same rate as people in
‘In the human realm, sustainability is fully consistent with the respect of cultural integrity,
the UK, we would need three planets to
Middlehaven is a mixed use regeneration project in Middlesbrough support us. A sustainable future requires us cultural diversity and the basic right of communities to self determination and self
docks, based on a masterplan by Will Allsop (and subsequently to conserve resources and make lifestyle organisation’.
developed by Studio Egret West), to provide 750 new homes, choices to reduce this to the equivalent of
one planet. Fritjof Capra. The Hidden Connections
23,000m2 office space, 11,000m2 of commercial leisure/retail,
hotel and event space as well as a high quality public realm. The
£200 million project is the largest zero-carbon development in the
Fig 7.02 Model of masterplan for Bilston, Fig 7.04 Ecohousing in Freiburg, Germany
UK and will start on site in 2007. The scheme is designed to meet the
Andrew Wright Associates
10 guiding principles of One Planet Living, namely:
Fig 7.03 Middlehaven Masterplan
• zero carbon
• zero waste
• sustainable transport
• local and sustainable materials
• local and sustainable food
• sustainable water
natural habitat and wildlife
•

• culture and heritage

• equity and fair trade
• health and happiness.
Further information www.oneplanetliving.org
156 157

FURTHER READING
Fig 8.01 The Arup Campus, Solihull Lloyd Jones, David, Architecture and the Environment, Lawrence King Publishing (1998)

Farmer, John, Green Shift; Towards a Green Sustainability in Architecture, Butterworth, Revised (1999)

Vale, B and Vale, R, The New Autonomous House, Thames and Hudson (2000)

Edwards, B and Turrent, D, Sustainable Housing; Principles and Practice, Spon Press (2000)

Woolley, T et al, Green Building Handbook, Vols 1 and 2, Spon Press (2000)

Hagan, S, Taking Shape; A New Contract between Architecture and Nature, Architectural Press (2001)

Hawkes, D and Forster W, Architecture, Engineering and Environment, Lawrence King Publishing in
association with Arup (2002)

Anderson, J and Shiers, D, The Green Guide to Specification, 3rd Edition, Blackwell Publishing (2002)

Edwards, B, Green Buildings Pay, 2nd Edition, Spon Press (2003)

Thomas, R, Ed. Sustainable Urban Design; An Environmental Approach, Spon Press

(2003 to be revised 2007)

Roof, S, Closing the Loop; Benchmarks for Sustainable Buildings, RIBA Enterprises (2004)

Smith, P, Architecture in a Climate of Change; A Guide to Sustainable Design,

Elsevier Architectural Press, 2nd Edition (2005)

Buchanan, P, Ten Shades of Green; Architecture and the Natural World, The Architectural Press,
New York (2005)

Edwards, B, A Rough Guide to Sustainability, RIBA Publishing (2005)

CIBSE TM36, Climate Change and the Indoor Environment; Impacts and Adaptation (2005)

Sassi, P, Strategies for Sustainable Architecture, Taylor and Francis (2006)

Hall, K, The Green Building Bible, 2006/7 Edition, Green Building Press

Smith, Peter F, Sustainability at the Cutting Edge, 2nd Edition, Architectural Press (2007)
158 159

PICTURE CREDITS
Page 6 Pages 44-45 Heelis, the National Trust HQ, Swindon Pages 68-69 Michael Young Building, Open University Pages 92-93 Oak Meadow Pages 116-117 Titanic Mill, Huddersfield Pages 140-141 Alpine House, Kew
Fig 1.01 © Peter Cook/VIEW Fig 2.18 © Dennis Gilbert/View Pictures Fig 3.23 © Peter Cook Fig 4.19 © Clive Boursnell Fig 5.16 Courtesy of David Bellis Architects Fig 6.18 © Wilkinson Eyre Architects
Pages 10-11 Fig 2.19 © Dennis Gilbert/View Pictures Fig 3.24 © Peter Cook Fig 4.20 © Clive Boursnell Fig 5.17 Courtesy of David Jones/DLJ Fig 6.19 © Wilkinson Eyre Architects
Fig 2.20 © Dennis Gilbert/View Pictures Fig 3.25 © Jestico + Whiles Fig 4.21 © Gale & Snowden Architects Ltd Fig 5.18 © David Lund Fig 6.20 Photo by Helene Binet/Wilkinson Eyre
Fig 1.02 © Peter Cook/VIEW Fig 2.21 © Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects LLP
Fig 1.03 © David Ward Pages 70-71 Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Pages 94-95 Plas y Mor, Burry Point Pages 118-119 Kynance Café, Cornwall Pages 142-143 Glencoe Visitor Centre, Scotland
Pages 46-47 South Cambs District Offices University of Cambridge Fig 4.22 © PCKO Architects Fig 5.19 © Mike Hardy/National Trust Fig 6.21 © Michael Wolchover/Gaia Architects
Pages 12-13
Fig 2.22 © Simon Warren Fig 3.26 © Edward Cullinan Architects Fig 4.23 © Michael Murray Fig 5.20 © Mike Hardy/National Trust Fig 6.22 © Michael Wolchover/Gaia Architects
Fig 1.04 © Feilden Clegg Fig 2.23 © Aukett Fitzroy Robinson Fig 3.27 © Peter Mackinven Fig 4.24 © Michael Murray Fig 5.21 © Mike Hardy/National Trust Fig 6.23 © Gaia Architects
Fig 1.05 © John Miller + Partners Architects Fig 2.24 © Aukett Fitzroy Robinson Fig 3.28 © Edward Cullinan Architects Fig 4.25 © PCKO Architects
Fig 1.06 © Hockerton Housing Project Pages 120-121 Lynton Learning 2000 Pages 144-145 Bridge Community Centre, Hastings
Fig 1.07 © Phil Sayer Pages 48-49 Environment Agency, Wallingford Pages 72-73 Lanchester Library, Coventry University Pages 96-97 The Green Building, Manchester Fig 5.22 Photograph by © Clive Boursnell Fig 6.24 © BBM
Page 14 Fig 2.25 © Scott Brownrigg Fig 3.29 © Martine Hamilton-Knight Fig 4.26 © Farrells Fig 5.23 Photograph by © Clive Boursnell Fig 6.25 © BBM
Fig 2.26 © Michael Jones Fig 3.30 © Short & Associates Fig 4.27 © Peter Cook/ VIEW Fig 5.24 Photograph by © Clive Boursnell Fig 6.26 © BBM
Fig 1.08 © Fstop/Punchstock Fig 2.27 © Scott Brownrigg Fig 4.28 © Daniel Hopkinson
© Polkadot/Punchstock Pages 74-75 GENESIS SCAT, Taunton Pages 122-123 West End House, Hills Place Pages 146-147 National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff
© Cornstock Images/Punchstock Fig 3.31 © Leigh Simpson Pages 98-99 Great Bow Yard, Langport Fig 5.25 Photo by Andrew Southall/REID architecture Fig 6.27 © Katsuhisa Kida
© Stockbyte/Punchstock CHAPTER 2: EDUCATION BUILDINGS Fig 3.32 © Leigh Simpson Fig 4.29 © Steve Townsend Fig 5.26 Photo by Andrew Southall/REID architecture Fig 6.28 Courtesy of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners
Page 18 Page 52 Fig 3.33 © Leigh Simpson Fig 4.30 © Steve Townsend Fig 5.27 Image by REID Architecture Fig 6.29 © Katsuhisa Kida
Fig 3.01 © Peter Grant Photography Page 76 Fig 4.31 © Stride Treglown Page 124
Fig 1.09 © Peter Cook/Bennetts Associates Fig 4.32 © Steve Townsend Pages 150-151
Page 24 Pages 56-57 Notley Green School, Braintree Fig 3.34 © Leigh Simpson Fig 5.28 Architect: de Rijke Marsh Morgan,
Image: Alex de Rijke Fig 7.01 © Andrew Wright Associates
Fig 1.10 © Wilkinson Eyre Fig 3.02 © Tim Soar CHAPTER 4 REFURBISHED BUILDINGS Fig 7.02 © Andrew Wright Associates
Fig 3.03 © Tim Soar CHAPTER 3: NEW HOUSING Fig 7.03 © Sarah Greenwood/English Partnerships
Fig 3.04 © Allford Hall Monaghan Morris LLP Page 102
CHAPTER 1: WORK SPACES Page 78 CHAPTER 5: PUBLIC BUILDINGS Fig 7.04 © Hayes Davidson
Fig 3.05 © Tim Soar Fig 5.01 © Cole Thompson Anders
Page 30 Fig 4.01 © Charlotte Wood /arcblue.com Page 126
Pages 58-59 Kingsmead Primary School, Northwich Pages 106-107 Beaufort Court, Kings Langley Page 156
Fig 2.01 © Dennis Gilbert/VIEW Pages 82-83 Slateford Green, Edinburgh Fig 5.02 © Peter Mackinven Fig 6.01 © Andrew Holt
Fig 3.06 © White Design Fig 8.01 Peter Cook/VIEW
Pages 34-35 The Arup Campus, Solihull Fig 3.07 © White Design Fig 4.02 © Dunedin Canmore Fig 5.03 © Studio E Architects Page 130-131 Great Notley Discovery Centre, Essex
Fig 3.08 © White Design Fig 4.03 © John Reiach Fig 5.04 © Peter Mackinven Fig 6.02 Image by Penoyre & Prasad LLP
Fig 2.02 © Peter Cook/VIEW Fig 4.04 © John Reiach
Fig 2.03 © Peter Cook/VIEW Fig 3.09 © White Design Pages 108-109 Kingsdale School, Southwark Fig 6.03 Peter Mackinven
Fig 2.04 © Peter Cook/VIEW Pages 60-61 Westborough Primary School, Westcliff-on-Sea Pages 84-85 Alpine Close, Maidenhead Fig 5.05 Architect: de Rijke Marsh Morgan, Fig 6.04 Peter Mackinven
Fig 2.05 © Arup Associates Fig 3.10 © Peter Grant Photography Fig 4.05 © Bree Day Partnership Photography: Michael Mack Page 132-133 Jubilee Library, Brighton
Page 36-37 Technium OpTIC St Asaph Fig 3.11 © Peter Grant Photography Fig 4.06 © Bree Day Partnership Fig 5.06 Architect: de Rijke Marsh Morgan, Fig 6.05 © James Brittain/ Bennetts Associates
Fig 3.12 © Peter Grant Photography Fig 4.07 © solarcentury.com Image: de Rijke Marsh Morgan Fig 6.06 © Peter Cook/ Bennetts Associates
Fig 2.06 © Capita Percy Thomas/Mills Media Fig 5.07 Architect: de Rijke Marsh Morgan,
Fig 2.07 © Capita Percy Thomas/Paul Highnam Fig 3.13 © Peter Grant Photography Pages 86-87 BowZED, Tower Hamlets Fig 6.07 Image by John Bradbury
Image: de Rijke Marsh Morgan
Fig 2.08 © Capita Percy Thomas Pages 62-63 Millennium School, Greenwich Fig 4.08 © spellermilner Pages 134-135 National Memorial Arboretum, Staffs
Fig 4.09 © Spellermilner Pages 110-111 Cambridge Federation of Women’s Inst. HQ
Pages 38-39 Wessex Water Operations Centre, Bath Fig 3.14 © Chris Henderson/English Partnerships Fig 6.08 Photo by Leigh Simpson © Architype
Fig 3.15 © Chris Henderson/English Partnerships Fig 4.10 © Spellermilner Fig 5.08 © Tim Soar Fig 6.09 Photo by Leigh Simpson © Architype
Fig 2.09 © Peter Cook/Bennetts Associates Fig 4.11 © www.zedfactory.com Fig 5.09 © Tim Soar
Fig 2.10 © Bennetts Associates Pages 64-65 Alexandra Park School, Haringey Fig 6.10 Photo by Leigh Simpson © Architype
Pages 88-89 Coopers Road, Southwark Fig 5.10 Courtesy of ellismiller
Fig 2.11 © Peter Cook/Bennetts Associates Fig 3.16 © Martin Charles/Nicholas Hare Architects LLP Pages 136-137 Evelina Children’s Hospital, St Thomas, London
Fig 4.12 © ECD Architects Pages 112-113 Flagship Home, Kensington
Pages 40-41 CEME, Rainham Fig 3.17 © Martin Charles/Nicholas Hare Architects LLP Fig 6.11 © Paul Tyagi/VIEW Courtesy of Hopkins Architects
Fig 3.18 © Martin Charles/Nicholas Hare Architects LLP Fig 4.13 © Paul Tyagi/VIEW Fig 5.11 © Richard Brindle Fig 6.12 © Paul Tyagi/VIEW Courtesy of Hopkins Architects
Fig 2.12 © Jaap Oekes Fig 4.14 © Paul Tyagi/VIEW Fig 5.12 © Clive Boursnell
Fig 2.13 © Gwen Campion/LAPD Lighting Fig 3.19 © Nicholas Hare Architects LLP Fig 6.13 © Paul Tyagi/VIEW Courtesy of Hopkins Architects
Fig 4.15 © Paul Tyagi/VIEW Pages 114-115 Glastonbury House, Westminster Fig 6.14 Courtesy of Hopkins Architects
Fig 2.14 © Gwen Campion/LAPD Lighting. Pages 66-67 ZICER Building UEA, Norwich
Pages 90-91 Parkmount, Belfast Fig 5.13 © Cole Thompson Anders Pages 138-139 Burgess Park, Southwark
Page 42-43 Eden Foundation Building, St Austell Fig 3.20 © Tim Soar
Fig 3.21 © Tim Soar Fig 4.16 © Richard Partington Fig 5.14 © Cole Thompson Anders Fig 6.15 © Kilian O’Sullivan/VIEW
Fig 2.15 © Edward Sumner/VIEW Fig 4.17 © Timothy Soar Fig 5.15 © Cole Thompson Anders
Fig 2.16 © Grimshaw Fig 3.22 © RMJM Fig 6.16 © Studio E Architects
Fig 4.18 © Timothy Soar Fig 6.17 © Kilian O’Sullivan/VIEW
Fig 2.17 © Grimshaw
160

POSTSCRIPT
In the last year or so, while we have been collecting information for these case studies, there has
been a significant increase in the number of projects being published which display strong sustainable
credentials. Of course, mandatory standards are increasing and local planning authorities are now
requiring contribution from renewable energy sources, but clients are also becoming more conversant
with the sustainability agenda and demanding more of their designers. There is still a lot more ‘talk’
than ‘action’ but 2007 will probably go down as the year in which Sustainable Architecture became
mainstream. However, in order to meet the targets now being set for carbon emissions in 2020, and
beyond, and to develop robust strategies to deal with a changing climate, the scale of activity needs to
increase dramatically.

Within the next decade it is likely that all new buildings will have to meet zero-carbon standards and, at
the same time, the existing building stock will require radical upgrading. These are exciting times for the
design professions – there is much work to be done and time is of the essence. What needs to happen
over the next couple of decades is nothing short of a revolution in the way in which we design, service
and use buildings. The new generation of young architects and engineers face a Herculean task. We
hope this book will be an inspiration for them.