For developer, Wilson Bowden, and Architects, Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson, Services Consultant Hannan Associates, and Structural Engineer White Young Green, the finished building is the successful culmination of seven years regeneration work at Riverside Exchange and the first project in Sheffield to be BREEAM ‘excellent’ rated. In fact, this next generation of ‘green’ is a working model of how a commercial property can be engineered to consider every element, from the building’s effect on the environment to the environment’s effect on the building.
For the staff moving to the site from five offices scattered across Sheffield, these purpose-built Home Office headquarters represent an ideal working space, although the majority of the occupants will be unaware of how everything from the building orientation, to the way the air circulates, has been designed to reduce energy consumption.
- The building is orientated to reduce heat build up from solar gain whilst optimising natural daylight.
- Heating and cooling is supplied by highly efficient condensing boilers and HFC-free chillers which serve 4 pipe fan coil units incorporating DC motors.
- Heat recovery on ventilation systems reduces energy consumption.
- A green roof absorbs solar energy and reduces rainwater run-off, which is harvested or recycled within the building.
- Interior materials – including recycled carpets and timber from sustainable forests – has been chosen to maximise conservation while minimising waste and cost.
Click here to see 'New Build Post-Occupancy study' - CIBSE Journal Article - January 2010
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