What happens when a building services contractor demonstrates to business executives, the construction and property industries that a standard plan office building can be sustainable and financially justifiable? Colin Robertson, sustainability manager of NG Bailey, explains.
Answer – the development of an EPC ‘A’ and BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rated building that will produce 75% less carbon emissions than its average counterparts and deliver a substantial £50,000 saving per annum in running costs.
With almost 50% of the country’s carbon emissions coming from buildings, if we are to meet the UK’s ambitious 80% carbon reduction target by 2050 we need to fundamentally change the way that we build.
The early engagement of building services engineers can be the key to bringing sustainable benefits to any building. One project in particular goes a long way to proving this to be the case, and showing it’s not just the opinion of building services contractors – because of course they would say that, wouldn’t they.
So why did national building services provider NG Bailey decide to invest £5.5m of its own money and embark on such a project? And how did they go about developing an office which, although looks the same as its neighbours on an everyday business park, couldn’t be more different?
The plot
The 20,000 sq ft plot was chosen at Strathclyde Business Park, primarily because it was the right location from a business point of view. NG Bailey had decided to merge its two offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh to create one central Scotland location for its 150 staff that was between both locations and was also nearer to key customers in the area.
Although one of the objectives was to create as sustainable an office as possible, the other was to ensure that its employees had a quality space to work in, based in an appealing location.
In order to ensure both objectives were met in both the construction and occupation phase of the building, two taskforces were formed: the ‘project executive team’ (construction) and ‘Solais House user group’ (occupation. The groups met on at least a monthly basis and provided a focal point for every element of the project.
The starting point
NG Bailey was the project’s M&E designer, building services and systems provider, as well as the client. Cooper Cromar was appointed as the architect, Dawn Construction as the main contractor and developer and the business park owner is HF Developments. The design began with a brief by HF Developments, which was used as the basis for planning permission and the original architectural plans. On top of this came a brief from NG Bailey, and it was this that would make this project unique.
Before any work started on site, the engineering team conducted a feasibility study to assess ways in which building services could be integrated into the build from day one, rather than being specified, as a bolt on, at a later stage. The team wanted to gain BREEAM points by reducing the need for energy, generating energy from renewable sources and minimising water requirements, among a range of other sustainable measures.
Engineers conducted building thermal modelling to look at air flow and heat losses, to maximise natural ventilation. Renewables feasibility also took place for key parts of the building services, such as photovoltaic (PV) glass, which was modelled against its position and power output.
A commitment was made to install a ground source heat pump, because it would deliver zero Nitrogen Oxide pollution when linked to on-site electricity generation. A more cost-effective open loop option, using warmth from abstracted water, was opted for. However, a challenging time followed when a geological fault line was discovered, meaning the necessary flow could not be achieved. A subsequent bore hole located a more suitable route to the water table, and plans for the system were back on track.
The early engagement of NG Bailey as the building services engineer held the key to understanding whether design aspirations could be met and if the technologies being proposed would work together. Indeed after this stage, all design plans for the building were carried forward by the project team.
Bringing the building to life
Situated on Calder Campus to the north of Strathclyde Business Park, the two-storey building was subject to a number of strict covenants, particularly relating to visual elements. Planning stipulations had to be worked within in relation to a number of the planned sustainable technologies, such as the PV glazing and roof lights.
Green procurement through the supply chain was also an important area to consider when gaining BREEAM points, so the team sourced a range of options. These included Forest Stewardship Council certified wood, 100% recycled carpets, an armour coat wall finish in the reception area made from recycled marble and TTURA, a durable flooring material which consists typically of 85% recycled glass, including previously 'difficult' waste from consumer, building and automotive waste streams.
Every tiny detail was considered, even the LCD screens installed post-construction were Energy Saving Trust recommended and the hand driers were the latest in ‘air-blade’ technology.
The windows and structure of the building were designed to be as air tight as possible, to reduce heat loss and therefore use less energy for heating. Key features include automated windows, operated through an intelligent system to maximise natural ventilation, and a layered building fabric, linked to manual occupant-controlled windows and trickle vents, to provide a long-term, airtight construction.
Consideration was also given to air tightness at the fit-out stage, for example signage was installed with no fixings. The Simplified Building Energy Model calculation shows that the property will be 42.4% better than Part L requirements and the Building Emission Rate will be 13.3kgCO2/m2 per annum.
A ground source heat pump provides all the building’s heating requirements without the need for a boiler, as well as ‘free cooling’ using underground water passing through a heat exchanger. Most of the domestic hot water is generated through solar thermal heating, while sun pipes light into many of the internal spaces.
Large open plan areas, a substantial light well and individual blind controls mean that maximum daylight use is linked to occupancy, while the latest LED, high frequency fluorescent lamps and lighting control systems have also been incorporated. In addition, PV glazing provides shade for the southfacing entrance, and at the same time generates around 5kW of power. Passive cooling is also provided through phase change material (PCM). Water consumption is reduced through rainwater harvesting, waterless urinals and infrared sensor taps.
With its Intelligent Building Management System (IBMS), designed to allow increased functionality at less cost and reduced energy output, Solais House incorporates a range of sustainable technologies and shows how the approach taken to their installation can be successfully tailored and integrated without compromising building design, and in a way that’s sympathetic to its location.
Now the building is complete
As part of the company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, we have implemented a number of measures dedicated to the ongoing reduction of our environmental impact. For example, staff do not have individual paper bins at their desks, instead there are a number of segregated recycling bins both in and outside the building.
Sharepoint software has been implemented to enable paperless working, and before the office move staff were told to expect fewer paper filing facilities to aid the transition to paperless office principles. The staff user group has an ongoing involvement in the building and works with the company’s sustainability team to roll out campaigns. For instance, the CIBSE 100 hours campaign as well as the company’s own E-5 campaign to reduce its energy output across its entire office estate by 5% over the next two years.
It is too early to communicate what the operating costs actually are as the building has not yet settled, having only been occupied since last September. NG Bailey is still working with the building occupants to fine tune the technology that has been installed to deliver, in reality, the performance set out by the Energy Performance Certificate.
The Building Research Establishment (BRE) has been commissioned to conduct a whole life costing exercise, which will analyse actual building performance against the forecast efficiency savings, and seasonal commissioning is currently being carried out to refine operational performance of the building services and ensure comfort levels of the building throughout the year.
So have we proved our point? We most certainly have – the result is a standard plan office building, that though it looks the same as others, benefits from being BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and EPC Grade ‘A’ rated with running costs that would make most occupiers green with envy.
To back this up even further, just last month the building won the national innovation award at the British Council for Offices ceremony, with one of the judges commenting: “Solais House is no flashy showcase full of futuristic gimmicks but a hard-nosed commercial enterprise. It is heartening to see there are no faddish bolt-ons or green jewellery. Everything is integral to the build, showing how a firm that would normally be introduced late on as a sub-contractor can add enormously to a design if consulted early.”
Carbon Trust Scotland ‘in the bricks’ study
Solais House was one of three buildings to ‘star’ in a recent study, commissioned by Carbon Trust Scotland and undertaken by Mindy Hadi, principal consultant occupational psychologist at BRE, which uncovered significant business benefits for companies and organisations considering specifying a low carbon building. The research consisted of a series of interviews with business, building and facilities managers and focus groups with building occupants.
Topics explored whether the occupants had perceived productivity, job satisfaction and loyalty to have increased since moving into their new respective buildings.
The research uncovered key business benefits including:
• Reduced operational costs. For example, utility costs
• Expected increase in asset value over a standard speculative building
• The high levels of daylight, good air quality and natural ventilation that are associated with low carbon buildings have had a positive impact on occupant health and well being, compared with occupants’ previous air conditioned premises
• Open plan, transparent offices encourage communication and break down silos. The research suggests this can have a positive impact on staff, with colleagues and managers deemed to be more accessible.
http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/buildings