BBLBnewsVision / Commitment / skiLLs & expertise / DeLiVery

www.bblb-architects.co.uk / Special Edition Spring 2011

sustainaBiLitySpEcial iSSuEprojects, comment and industry news

also inside:london array Wind Farm

local Enterprise partnershipsWorcester Bosch projectsBREEaM Excellent office

Meanwhile the European union is looking for a 20% cut in total energy consumption (not just electricity) by 2020. Britain is supposed to produce 10% of its electricity from renewable sources (wind and tide, etc) by 2010, 15% by 2015 and 20% by 2020. We managed just 4% in 2010. at the same time, it proposes a 26-32% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020, and 60% by 2050 (both against a 1990 baseline). in the uK electricity is generated by power stations from the following sources:

55% are powered by Gas �30% are fuelled by Coal (over 30% of �which are due to close in the next 10 years as they do not meet EU regulations)13% are Nuclear (80% of which will close �by 2023)2% are powered by Renewable Sources �

The uK is the World’s 4th largest producer of gas. Over the last 40 years we have produced nearly 2,000 billion cubic metres of gas and believe that there are up to 1,500 billion cubic metres still to be recovered, but production is falling at over 2% per annum. The uK used to export coal and North Sea gas but today 80% of our coal and 15% of our gas is now imported. Having access to our own gas reserves has contributed greatly to the uK’s wealth. The industry has generated tens of thousands of jobs, as well as investment and tax revenues worth many billions of pounds. it has enhanced the uK’s self-sufficiency in energy and strengthened our security of energy supply – is this all about to change?

currently 80% of all the Eu gas supply is imported from Russia. With the uK being the last stop on the pipeline from Russia and their continuing conflict with the ukraine (first on the pipeline) the passage of gas to Western Europe is always threatened.

Consider thisit is frightening to think that as our natural resources decline and the need for energy increases (in spite of Eu looking to reduce energy consumption), the majority of power

and energy the uK requires is generated by gas; and as 4th largest producer of gas in the world we can no longer meet our own demand and rely on importing fuel from other countries at ever increasing prices.

With recent news that energy prices are set to increase by 60-70% in the next year, the prospect of ‘fuel poverty’ (where more than 10% of income is paid in energy bills) is greater than ever. Heating & hot water account for 60% of total energy costs in buildings. in the majority of existing buildings 30% of this energy is wasted through poorly insulated building fabric and inefficient heating systems.

at the Eu Member States committee in april 2010 a legislative report was adopted that by 31st December 2018 all newly constructed buildings produce as much energy as they consume. is this really achievable? But there has never been a greater need to consider how to make buildings more sustainable.

What can the property and construction industry do to help?

To avoid the potentially disastrous effects �of runaway climate change, the global average carbon footprint needs to be less than 3 tonnes per person per year. Currently in the UK, the average is 13 tonnes per person per year.Put sustainability high on the agenda and �consider what we can do to reduce energy consumption.Work closely with our clients to introduce �a sustainable approach from the earliest stage possibleConsider the full process - Sustainable �Design, Responsible Sourcing, Best Practice sustainable technologies and working with the end user to educate them how to effectively monitor and utilise their buildingPractice what we preach - be as green as �we can be in our own company operations and at home as well as how we design & build our projects!

Did you know? Based on current trends, the world will need 50% more energy in 2030 than it does today. energy-related emissions of greenhouse gases by then will be 55% higher. these are facts!

By ed Baverstock partner

The Old library, Hagley RoadStourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 1QH

Telephone: +44 (0)1384 880 550

www.bblb-architects.co.ukinfo@bblb-architects.co.uk

We hope that you will enjoy reading this Special Sustainability issue of BBlB News. in addition to pieces about BBlB and our projects we have also included articles about topical subjects which we hope will be of interest to you. if anyone else in your organisation would like to receive a copy please let us know.

if there is anything you would like more details on, or you are interested to find out more about how BBlB could assist you with current or upcoming projects, please call Debbie Ward on telephone: 01384 880550.

WeLCome to this ‘Green’ issue of

BBLBnews

Breeam 2011 VERSiON upDaTE

Following feedback from the industry and with due regard to the changes

and additions that need to be made to reflect regulation and standards, BRE has recently published a version update for BREEaM (Feb 2011). a summary of changes is below:

Setting new benchmarks and �assessment methodology for energy efficiency and operational Carbon emissions in advance of the Government’s “road-map” to energy efficient, zero carbon and ‘carbon negative’ buildings.Updated benchmarks for �construction waste and water consumption.Introduction of new standards on �sustain-able procurement and postconstruction operational after-care, including monitoring of building performance.Updated approach to assessing and �quantifying service life planning, stakeholder participation, life cycle impacts and recycled aggregates.New and updated reporting �requirements of key performance indicators, including building life cycle CO2 emissions, construction and operational water consumption, construction waste volumes and VOC emissions.Re-classification and consolidation �of issues and criteria to make it even easier to deliver BREEAM certified buildings in an efficient, cost effective and value

energy, sustainabilityand Climate Change

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robin rigg operations facility, E.ONE.ON, one of the uK’s leading power

and gas companies, appointed BBlB to design the operations and maintenance facility at the Robin Rigg offshore wind farm at Workington port, cumbria.

The project incorporates an external service area, a sustainable service building and offices with low carbon technologies, including the use of an air source heat pump and recyclable materials.

according to Tom Whiting, project Developer for E.ON climate & Renewables, the E.ON team has been so impressed with the designs for Workington port, that BBlB has been invited to

prepare designs for future wind farms in other areas of the country. “Our internal property department approached BBlB to develop designs for the facility in cumbria,” he said. “Despite working to a limited specification, BBlB designed an excellent scheme and everyone was very happy with the way it worked. The new building provides a perfect view of the wind farm so that managers and operators are able to look out and physically see which turbines are working, and are located only metres away from the access system. it provides a really good set up operationally.”

Mike Turner, Director at BBlB, commented,

“BBlB is committed to the ethos of sustainable buildings and we have been delighted to be involved in this important project, producing designs that respond to the corporate message of E.ON climate & Renewables.”

He added, “BBlB worked with the local appointed main contractor, Thomas armstrong ltd, providing technical support throughout the contract programme helping to deliver the project from conception to completion.”

BBlB has also been appointed to provide design support for a similar facility for the london array offshore wind farm.

cOMMERcial & iNDuSTRial

BBlB has a well established ongoing working relationship with Worcester, Bosch Group and we have worked closely with Bosch on several key projects, including those listed below, over the past number of years.

energy house 6, Worcester:conversion of an existing 1930’s house utilising Worcester, Bosch Group products to achieve a zero carbon producing house.

Zero Carbon home (pictured):Design and develop conceptual solutions for a zero carbon home utilising Worcester, Bosch Group products fully integrated into the design. These designs were realised in the form of detailed models used for future development towards a home which could achieve a code for Sustainable Homes level 6.

phase 4 office redevelopment:Redesign and extensions to the existing office facilities to provide new canteen, office and staff facilities to accommodate the company’s growth.

r&D Building:To design and manage requirements for additional floorspace to the existing R&D building. a mezzanine floor with flue shafts was created to provide additional working space with the ability to retain double height spaces for the testing of flues.

site redevelopment:assisting in the planning for future site growth we prepared conceptual models and desktop studies giving clear guidance on the sites required for future growth of the company, with a 5, 15 and 25 year expansion plan.

residential & Commercial projects with Worcester, Bosch Group

cOMMERcial & iNDuSTRial

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in the first quarter of 2010 turbine manufacturers Siemens, clipper, Mitsubishi

and GE all committed to a uK presence. Fundamental to these decisions was the uK’s excellent market outlook. considerable follow-on supply chain development is expected in the uK considering the size of the domestic market and the confidence now demonstrated by the turbine manufacturers.

a requirement for these companies and their investors is a long-term market outlook and confidence in government policy. The massive development cycle the uK has set off on must be seen as the beginnings of a long-term and stable industry.

The ‘uK Offshore Wind: Building an industry report’ from renewableuK (formerly BWEa) presents scenarios of uK offshore wind installation for the 2015 to 2030 period. Detailed assumptions have been developed to show both the hardware and the installation services that will be required to meet these delivery scenarios.

Extensive consultation with project developers, stakeholders and supply chain companies has been conducted to develop and review project dates and assumptions for hardware requirements, and to make policy recommendations.

Delivery profiles for the 2015–2030 period are an “aggregated Developer appetite” build profile showing rapid development from the outset and an installations peak in 2018 before declining sharply over the next three years. if such a build profile can be achieved it is expected to result in a strong domestic market given prompt investment decisions on new uK manufacturing facilities.

“Healthy industry” and “low added Value” scenarios show a less dramatic ramp up in capacity followed by a longer period of relatively stable activity, with a more gradual

tailoff from 2022. a ‘Healthy industry’ scenario shows a strong and sustainable level of deployment that will encourage significant uK supply chain development. The long-lasting build profile will help attract leading players and ensure the uK benefits from the large amount of offshore wind capacity that will be built off it’s shores. The slower growth rate than the ‘aggregated Developer appetite’ scenario will make ramping up supply chain capacity more achievable. a Healthy industry scenario is expected to require at least five turbine plants to be established.

in the ‘low added Value’ scenario, additional delays and increased project attrition slow the delivery rate. With less capacity being added the market opportunity for supply chain companies is reduced. There is lower demand for turbines, which means there is less room for multiple turbine manufacturers supplying the uK market from a uK location. This scenario represents a missed opportunity for the uK.

hardware and factory requirementsFor uK capacity installed between 2015 and

2030 almost 10,000 turbines and foundations will be required. Over 12,000km of array cabling is needed and export cable lengths are well in excess of 8,500km.

a major challenge for the industry will be in delivering these requirements. The hardware delivery date requirements have been set at the year they are required on a project. The period to 2016 will be critical in ensuring sufficient production capacity can be brought online to meet project requirements and avoid lengthy lead times and upward cost pressures.

With the fast growth expected of the uK between 2016 and 2018 it is imperative that factories are established well in advance. The uK’s forecast growth will require the equivalent of 22 factories for just the turbines, foundations and cables. investment decisions on plants are required straight away. it is expected that some government investment will be required to help establish these facilities. The cost of building the necessary plants (for these major components only) is estimated at in excess of £1 billion. Given the relatively early peak in factory production capacity it is important that any factories established in the uK are then able to take advantage of further uK development rounds and the wider European export market.

the Wider european marketThe proportion of annual installations

elsewhere in Europe will grow rapidly from 2019. The timing of the growth of the wider European market is relevant as it is when annual Round 3 installations begin decreasing in the uK. Figures suggest that the production capacity built up within the uK for currently announced rounds would have a strong export market potential.

However, if the uK only manages to achieve the capacity additions shown in the low added Value scenario the risk would be that manufacturers choose not to establish in the uK. a continental base may provide a stronger location given the size of the future market there.

“under one scenario there will be a need for eight turbine plants by 2015, which alone will cost an estimated £720 million”

The article above is an excerpt from the uK Offshore Wind: Building an industry report. To find out more about the wind and marine energy sector visit www.renewable-uk.com where you can also download the full report.

offshore Windis the uK blowing hot or cold?The programme of Offshore wind Farms is moving forward, but is the UK positioning itself to maximise the opportunity for our construction and manufacturing sectors?

SuSTaiNaBiliTY

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Janes lathwood chartered Quantity Surveyors, are aware of the need to offer

‘added value’ to our client’s construction projects, and to maximize their current property assets. We have partnered with a leading solar pV provider to offer just that.

Renewable energies are not a new concept, however, with the government Feed in Tariff (FiT) scheme there are exciting investment opportunities for building owners to maximize their assets by having photovoltaic (pV) systems installed.

Eu Renewable Energy Directive 2008 said 20% of all energy used in the Eu by 2020 should come from ‘renewables’.

fit payment structure The FiT’s structure provides a simple way of encouraging non-energy based professionals, businesses and residential owners to invest

in electricity generation, and provides the incentive to encourage those generators to be increasingly efficient.

‘FiT’ allows payment for electricity fed into the national grid, FiTs payments will only be made to electricity generated for partial export (remote generators, not connected to the grid are not eligible).

The electricity generation tariff for pV installations is a fixed price per kilowatt hour which remains at that fixed priced throughout the entire 25 years investment.

Fixed price remains the same for most of the eligible technologies, no matter what year the installation takes place.

The government has reserved the right to change the tariff level if there is a sudden change in technology costs although an installation which has already started to receive a tariff at a certain level, will continue to receive the same generation tariff level throughout the 25 year period.

FiTs awards for domestic installations also have the benefit of tax exemption.

FiTs follow this following basic structure:i). a fixed payment from the electricity

supplier for every kW hour generated.ii). a further payment, every kWh exported to

the wider energy market. iii). The further benefit from the direct saving

of using non-exported electricity on-site to offset some or all of the electricity they would otherwise have had to pay for.

Brief example of solar pV installation & payback period:a small domestic /commercial installation of roof mounted pV panels generating 3,960 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, with an installed cost of circa £16,000 would give a payback period of circa 11 years (9 years after taking index linked benefits into account). However, capital cost increase in value of the premises, together with added marketability and saleability, also need to be taken into account.

The above is provided by Janes lathwood and their partners Solar Technology pV Energy. Should you require any further information or assistance then please do not hesitate to contact them on 0121 200 1200

Greenfields Business park, HinckleyBBlB was part of the Miller construction

team that Hinckley & Bosworth Borough council commissioned for the design and construction of a number of Hybrid units at Greenfields Business park in Hinckley, leicestershire. The park offers businesses a range of environmentally responsible units for light industrial usage with excellent road network links and fantastic facilities.

The scheme is now complete and comprises ground floor warehouse space and first floor office space and 16 industrial units - total GiFa approximately 40,000 square feet.

The scheme has achieved BREEaM ratings of “excellent” for the Hybrid units and “very good” for the industrial units. The industrial units within the scheme make use of the following sustainable technologies:

Timber cladding - providing a lower �‘carbon footprint’ by utilising re-usable and sustainable materials Living ‘green’ roofs planted with �sedum - providing a high level of insulation, reducing energy costs and cutting rainfall run-off by up to 90%

Wind turbines on some of the buildings – �providing a sustainable source of energy Permeable paving - reducing rainwater �run-off and passive ventilation.

a five-year ecological management plan has also been drawn-up to benefit the ecology of the site.

cOMMERcial & iNDuSTRial

For further information about the Business park contact Shaun curtis on 01455 247070.Email: shaun.curtis@hinckley-bosworth.gov.ukWebsite: www.greenfields.org.uk

feed in tariffs (fits)

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BBLB iNHOuSE

favourite piece of architectureThe Museum of contemporary art, Barcelona by Richard Meir. a great building by a great architect in the most unlikely part of Barcelona. i would also love to visit the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao by Frank Gehry.

hobbies and interestsall racket sports, golf & cycling. i am music mad, going to as many gigs as possible. i also love football and rugby when i get the opportunity.

Why i joined the industryi have always enjoyed drawing and art from an early age. coming from a family of builders, gas engineers, electricians and carpenters i was encouraged to stay off the tools and pursue my love for drawing and design.

favourite piece of architectureThe first buildings i studied were Villa Savoye by le corbusier 1928 and Farnsworth House by Mies Van Der Rohe 1946. These are among my favourites due to the fact that they started my career path into architecture. i studied these buildings in a school project to design my own house at the age of 12 (the result of which is notably not my favourite piece of architecture!).

Why i joined the industryBecause i enjoyed and was quite good at drawing from an early age, i left school at 15 following my O’levels and went to work for an architectural practice while training to become an architectural Technician. i then went on to study architecture at Manchester School of architecture. The rest, as they say, is history!

Black Country & telford fBeRecent event held at the Zoo discusses plans for Dudley town centre

plans to regenerate Dudley were outlined to an audience of local property and

construction professionals at the Black country and Telford branch of the Forum for the Built Environment’s (FBE) breakfast meeting, held at Dudley Zoo.

Braving the snow, almost 50 members and guests were the first to hear Steve Johnson – director of estates and capital projects at Dudley college, outline their plans to invest over £30 million into Dudley town centre to create a new learning quarter and Bill Kirk – chief executive of New Heritage Regeneration limited, share plans for more than 20 projects that will give the public realm in Dudley a facelift and support and encourage further investment and regeneration.

Steve Johnson said: “The new learning quarter will support the relocation of an additional 250 staff and 1,500 college students

from the town centre bringing a £1.5M annual spend to Dudley town centre. The scheme will reinforce Dudley as the education capital of the Black country and also release 14 acres of residential land aiding the borough’s plans for housing development.”

Bill Kirk said: “We have 350,000 sq ft of development within our master plan for Dudley Town centre, including a new anchor food retail operator. castle Hill is also a key site because it is a very successful tourist attraction. The zoo, museum and canal trust all bring in 600,000 visitors a year.”

John Bradshaw, partner and Debbie Ward, Business Development Manager, at BBlB are on the Black country and Telford Branch committee. The Black country & Telford Branch’s mission is to help generate business growth by Building local Networks, focusing on local people, local issues and local venues.

Sustainability as a concept has been around a while, in the 1970’s it was

Energy scarcity fears, in the 1980’s the issue was Global Warming and Ozone, come the 1990’s the focus was Rainforest and Biodiversity and in more recent times sustainability has become more holistic to incorporate social and economic as well as environmental concerns.

Whether the property & construction industry embraces all things ‘sustainable’ for moral or business reasons - or in most cases perhaps both - it is in everyone’s best interest to share knowledge and best practice as to which

approaches, processes and technologies are working and which are failing.

With this in mind BBlB teamed up with Kier, cyril Orchard Group and code Green to deliver a discussion workshop to a local council. it was part of a two stage process where we imparted expertise and knowledge as well as collated feedback from the attendees, and it is being followed up by a case Studies and Debate session in april.

The event was interesting and thought-provoking and one we hope to repeat with other clients and public bodies.

sustainability Workshop

Steve Johnson, Dudley college; philip Beale, fbe; peter Suddock, Dudley Zoo and Bill Kirk New Heritage Regeneration

mark Cowley associate

ed Baverstock partner

staff profiLes

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The objective of the recently formed local Enterprise partnerships (lEps) is to bring

together councils and business on an equal footing with one voice, replacing the current Regional Development agencies (RDas).

lEps will have a key role to play in coordinating bids across areas and communities for a share in the £1.4bn (over three years from 2011/12 to 2013/14) Regional Growth Fund, set up to provide support for projects that offer significant potential for sustainable economic growth and can create new private sector jobs.

The fund will particularly help areas that have been traditionally reliant on the public sector make the transition to private sector growth and prosperity. proposals for funding are being sought from private organisations and public-private partnerships.

The first round of bidding to the Regional Growth Fund ended on the 21 January 2011. 464 bids were received with a combined total value of £2.78 billion (see image).

amidst the positive messages that the government are pushing out through their media channels around the formation of local Enterprise partnerships there are concerns as to whether they will just be talking shops. There are fears that the lEps lack the ambition to make significant economic impact; will not have credible business representation; that initial negotiations have been dominated by local politics; and there is not a clear focus on economic growth.

With a very limited budget it is vital that the lEps form strong relationships with their local business community - gaining and maintaining the trust of and commitment from the private sector will be the making or breaking of these partnerships.

The contribution successful facilitation can make to creating, nurturing and delivering on opportunities should not be undersold, and it is activities such as encouraging creative thinking, knowledge sharing, lobbying, bringing parties to the table, smoothing processes and genuinely assisting with the delivery of projects where the lEps can show their worth. But without strong leadership and good organisation to “connect, communicate and collaborate”, the Working Groups and Boards of these new lEps could very easily fall in to the trap of all talk and no action.

“Leps will tackle issues including planning and housing, local transport and infrastructure, employment, enterprise and supporting business start-ups”

cOMMERcial & iNDuSTRial enfieldpower station BBLB has worked with e.on to provide two buildings on site at enfield power station in north London.

a new steel two storey office building has been designed and linked to existing accommodation to provide additional offices and meeting rooms with a new entrance to the whole office facility.

in addition to this, a new contemporary gatehouse building had been designed which reflects the style of the new office building in order to welcome visitors whilst providing security, meeting and exhibition space to the power station.

Local enterprise partnerships (Leps)The 24 local enterprise partnerships given the go-ahead to “drive growth and create jobs” in the first phase were:

Birmingham and Solihull with East �Staffordshire, Lichfield and Tamworth Cheshire and Warrington �Coast to Capital �Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly �Coventry and Warwickshire �Cumbria �Great Cambridge and Great �Peterborough Greater Manchester �Hertfordshire �Kent, Greater Essex and East Sussex �Leeds City Region �Leicester and Leicestershire �Lincolnshire �Liverpool City Region �Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derby �and Derbyshire Oxfordshire City Region �Sheffield City Region �Solent �South East Midlands �Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire �Tees Valley �Thames Valley Berkshire �The Marches �West of England �

a further seven lEps have since been approved:

Black Country �New Anglia �Worcestershire4 �North Eastern5 �York & North Yorkshire �Enterprise M3 �London �

The Birmingham and Solihull lEp now also includes Bromsgrove and cannock chase.Nor

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applications for the regional Growth fund by area

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ecofurbishmentThe next few years will see continued reduction in Government funding that will mean delays and cancellations to planned new build schemes within the education sector. with pressures on funding increasing, alternative methods of creating new, useable spaces must be found, most notably by the refurbishment and extension of existing buildings.

SuSTaiNaBiliTY

Refurbishment of existing space and disused space has a number of significant economic and sustainability benefits that will result in Ecofurbishment becoming a preferred choice for project managers in the near future, according to John caine, Director of curtins london. “Now is the time for us to look at old buildings with a new perspective, enhance their space and realise their full potential,” he said.

it is often said that it is more economical to demolish rather than re-use and remodel an existing building. This viewpoint stems from existing or perceived structural problems within a building, including low floor to ceiling heights, the wrong structural grid or poor energy performance. although many see these points as viable reasons to write a building off, many of these problems can be overcome with the right design approach and flexible client briefs for refurbishment.

Following client demand, curtins has developed the Ecofurbishment concept as a result of 50 years’ remodelling experience. “From the iconic Grade i listed albert Dock in liverpool to numerous remodelling projects at imperial college, london, our experience of large and small, straightforward and complex projects has enabled us to develop

our Ecofurbishment approach to give the best value to the client,” said caine.

He added: “We define ecofurbishment as being ‘the economical remodelling of existing buildings, using intelligent structural engineering techniques’. We work with property owners, architects and developers to adapt buildings for a different purpose or enhance space for continued use.”

The Ecofurbishment concept can also help to extend and expand both vertically and horizontally, adding new capacity and new facilities to existing buildings at a fraction of the cost of new build projects. Ecofurbishment can also extend the life of tired structures and in a busy occupied building use structural solutions that minimize disruption such as noise, dust and vibration and also develop solutions that are simple and safe to construct.

“To achieve successful refurbishment projects, construction needs to be viewed in a different way, with innovative solutions,” said caine. “With any refurbishment project it is critical to gain a clear understanding and knowledge of the existing structure and, most importantly, to have experience of the key construction methods to allow the building frame to be used and possibly modified to suit the new scheme. The structural analysis involves understanding the existing structure and gaining confidence that it is robust to meet further usage requirements; and adapting the existing structure to meet the proposal scheme/architectural requirements.”

as part of the design team, curtins is able to find answers, from adapting existing facades to create a fresh look and increased energy efficiency, to radical remodelling such as taking out floors, filling in light wells and removing columns and walls to maximise and improve the available space, creating flexible and intelligent spaces that combine expertise and imagination.

an example of this is the remodelling of The Sherfield Building (a 1960s building that forms part of imperial college, london). curtins used the Ecofurbishment concept to infill two large light wells to provide an additional 1600m2 of flexible teaching space to house various different departments. By using Kevlar fabric to strengthen columns on the floor, curtins was able to provide the university with a radically cheaper solution than a new build structure.

cOMMERcial & iNDuSTRialDronfield foundry

a new £15 million foundry for Willliam lee ltd has been completed at Dronfield near chesterfield to compliment the existing 3 foundries already operating on the site.

The new building consists of 5200m² of foundry space together with 1040m² of office and ancillary accommodation with ‘state of the art’ machinery being imported from Germany.

This scheme was set up as a fast track project and all parties signed up to the ethos with the result that commissioning of the furnaces took place in some 10 months from start to finish.

This timescale could not have been met without meticulous planning which included pre-ordering the steel frame to importing ‘state of the art’ moulding lines and furnaces from Germany.

The article above has been kindly provided by curtins. For more information visit www.curtins.com or call 0151 726 2000.

“refurbishment of existing space and disused space has a number of significant economic and sustainability benefits...”

Sherfield Building

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The new building, designed to BREEaM Excellent, will provide a facility for the control, operation and maintenance of the wind farm.

london array will be constructed in two phases. The first 630MW phase will consist of 175 turbines, generating up to 630MW of electricity. This is enough to meet the electricity needs of over 470,000 homes – two thirds of the homes in Kent.

The distinct architectural concept has been designed specifically around the exposed marine conditions and driven by positive

sustainable measures. The maintenance building and offices take advantage of natural light and incorporate MMc, extensive grass roof and cHp.

When fully operational london array will

make a substantial contribution to the uK Government’s target of providing 15.4% of all electricity supply from renewable sources by 2015. it will also avoid the emission of millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide over its life.

The new Operations and Maintenance base is located in the port of Ramsgate.

“London array will make a substantial contribution to the uk Government’s target of providing 15.4% of all electricity supply from renewable sources by 2015.”

London arrayDong Energy, E.ON and MasdarThis Operations and Maintenance building, designed by BBLB architects will provide an operational facility for the London Array Offshore wind Farm.

cOMMERcial & iNDuSTRial

London Array Design Basics 28 January 2011 1

Design Basics Guidelines Updated: 28 January 2011

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Sustainability is no longer perceived as the new fashion accessory that buildings

need to embrace, but rather that it should be central to the design and performance of any building. it should not be seen as ‘bolt-ons’ but more as an integral part of the overall building’s DNa.

at BBlB we believe that sustainable and responsive designs should not only begin with the first sketch design ideas, but also be capable of achieving real and deliverable results - in both the construction period and, more significantly, during the building’s whole life cycle.

“Sustainability” often means different things to different people and usually depends on their own philosophies and perspectives. it can mean incurring ‘unnecessary’ building costs or even ‘green-wash’ or green tokenism to some, but changing lifestyle or saving the planet to others!

So how can we reconcile these vast differences in views, especially when even the Government is unable to decide what ‘Zero carbon’ actually means?

at BBlB, we have been working on ‘sustainable’ design solutions for many years and we believe that there is no ‘silver-bullet’ when it comes to the actual approach to take. But here are our three main principles that aid the process:

Client’s clear drive and passion for 1. sustainable solutionsDesign strategy that embraces ‘passive 2. measures’Detailed design appraisal of the most 3. suitable Low ‘C’ technologies for site and brief

Examined further, the above points make clear that a good client/architect relationship is imperative to achieving a successful sustainable building. When a client has the vision and desire to create sustainable building solutions this can drive the market, with the results being quicker sales/leases, higher rents, lower running costs and more blue-chip clientele. This scenario is true of BBlB’s design for 90,000 sqft BREEaM ‘Excellent’ offices in coventry (see initial cross section design for the building below).

a building’s design and site masterplan should embrace ‘passive’ design measures. These design measures are simple but are essential and fundamental strategies that should be embedded within the design approach, and must always come first in the designer’s creative processes.

They help organise the design proposals for effective and sustainable solutions and may include:

Building’s orientation to maximise natural �daylight throughout the yearHigh thermal mass areas of the structure �which help to moderate the fluctuations during the natural day/night temperatures and summer/winter cyclesUtilise and maximise the natural ventilation �systems and strategiesSuper-insulate the building fabric wherever �possible to minimise heat loss

BBlB are currently working on numerous sustainable projects, some large and some small and include code for Sustainable Homes code levels 3, 4 and 5, as well as Zero carbon Homes and BREEaM ‘Excellent’ developments.

RESiDENTial

the orchardBirmingham YMca

The flagship redevelopment of the Birmingham YMca’s existing

premises on Reservoir Road, Erdington is being undertaken by Zenith, development subsidiary of Mercian Housing association, in conjunction with Wates living Space and will be managed by the Birmingham YMca. it is delivering both new living accommodation and enhanced community facilities, with the aim of providing a facility to promote social support systems and commercial enterprise projects.

Michael Bolger, Development Manager at Zenith said, “the residential aspect of the scheme is code for Sustainable Homes level 4 with passive design measures, which offer the most efficient sustainability features, being inherent”.

The first phase of 83 self contained flats has recently been handed over to allow residents of the old hostel to move into more suitable, modern accommodation. phase 2 will be owned and managed by Birmingham YMca. The new accommodation replaces the 47 single rooms with shared facilities, helping to get more people back on their feet at a time when the city is battling a homelessness crisis.

alan Fraser, chief executive of Birmingham YMca said: “This project has been five years in the planning so the completion of phase one is a momentous occasion.” phase 1 of the scheme is being managed by Birmingham YMca on behalf of Mercian Housing association.

sustainable approachSuSTaiNaBiliTY

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The QcDa Headquarters building forms part of the first phase of BBlB architect’s masterplan for Earlsdon park in coventry - and at the 2010 celebrating construction awards evening the BBlB/Sisk team won a Built in Quality award for the delivery of this BREEaM Excellent office scheme.

Earlsdon park is a high quality mixed use development located near to the city centre fronting the Butts Road. it is a 10-storey commercial building providing approx 84,000sqft office space, 8,400sqft ground floor retail/café space and a 500 space multistorey carpark which forms a podium acting as an external terrace for the office floors above.

The building sits adjacent to the locally listed 1930’s former Technical college which still houses an art deco two storey 650 seat theatre. a new pedestrian street has been

formed between these two buildings linking the public frontage of the Butts Road through to a landscaped courtyard beyond.

Within the building the ground floor retail element of the scheme engages with this new street and a double height colonnade provides a sense of enclosure, definition and shelter.

internally the office space wraps around a central atrium which allows natural light and ventilation deep into the building.

The atrium also facilitates heat recovery and helps to heat or cool the building as necessary. This key feature forms an integral part of the sustainable strategy which lies at the centre of the design and has contributed to the building’s BREEaM Excellent rating. Other sustainable features include a ground source heat pump, night time purging and rainwater harvesting.

award winning home for government departmentThe BReeAM excellent offices at earlsdon Park in Coventry are now complete, with the scheme winning a Built in Quality Award in the Commercial Category.

cOMMERcial & iNDuSTRial

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cOMMuNiTY

Local services CentreThe greenest building in stoke-on-Trent!

The local Service centre opened its doors to the people of Stoke on Trent in 2010 providing an iconic public building at the heart of Stoke forming part of it’s historic heritage trail. councillor Mohammed pervez (Deputy Elected Major of Stoke on Trent city council) at the opening ceremony said: “Welcome to the city’s greenest building. providing easy access to council services and boosting local regeneration.”

BBlB architects have worked closely in partnership with the city of Stoke on Trent and the carillion design team to help provide the city with a sustainable environmentally friendly building that demonstrates the use of low to zero carbon technology and considered passive design measures which have helped

the lSc achieve a BREEaM ‘Excellent’ rating from the BRE and has secured a carbon Trust grant at design stage to help fund the project.

at every opportunity we have looked at design solutions to improve the energy efficiency of the building. Such as reducing the amount of energy needed for heating and lighting by utilising the sun through passive solar energy and incorporating canopy shading to prevent overheating. The building minimises the demand for energy by providing natural ventilation, good day lighting and high levels of insulation.

Working with the carbon Trust, as part of the low carbon Buildings programme, we secured additional funding for the project to incorporate a number of technologies which have helped the building achieve its ‘Excellent’ BREEaM rating these include Ground Source Heat pumps, photovoltaic panels, Solar Thermal panels and Rainwater Harvesting.

additionally Redhouse lane have produced a series of five short films for carbon Trust. The films focus on five different organisations who have implemented low carbon technologies. carbon Trust are showcasing developments that have successfully applied low carbon technologies, one of these is the flagship Stoke lSc refurbishment which is featured on the carbon Trust website.

a video with more information can be viewed at the following web address:http://bit.ly/buQmZE

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