The Leading News & Information Service For The Facilities, Workplace & Built Environment Community

Blooming Marvellous - Bloomberg HQ Is World’s Most Sustainable

24 November 2017 | Updated 01 January 1970
 

Bloomberg’s new European headquarters building, which just opened in London, has been rated as the World’s Most Sustainable Office Building.

The building achieved an ‘Outstanding’ rating against the BREEAM sustainability assessment method, with a 98.5% score. This is the highest design-stage score ever achieved by any major office development.

Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P. said: "We believe that environmentally-friendly practices are as good for business as they are for the planet. From day one, we set out to push the boundaries of sustainable office design - and to create a place that excites and inspires our employees. The two missions went hand-in-hand, and I hope we've set a new standard for what an office environment can be."

Compared to a typical office building, the new Bloomberg building's environmental strategies deliver a 73% saving in water consumption and a 35% saving in energy consumption and associated CO? emissions. Innovative power, lighting, water and ventilation systems account for the majority of energy savings.  Designed to utilise waste products, respond to the building’s external environment and adapt to its occupancy patterns, many of these solutions are first-of-a-kind.

Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman, Foster + Partners, said: “In some of our first discussions on the project, Mike Bloomberg and I arrived at a ‘meeting of minds’ on how the design of the new Bloomberg headquarters should incorporate the highest standards of sustainability. The project evolved from thereon into a building that is one of the most sustainable in the world. The deep plan interior spaces are naturally ventilated through a ‘breathing’ façade while a top lit atrium edged with a spiralling ramp at the heart of the building ensures a connected, healthy and creative environment.”

Alan Yates, Technical Director of BRE Global's Sustainability Group said: "What sets the Bloomberg building apart is its relentless focus on innovation and its holistic, integrated approach to sustainable construction and design. Projects like these are really important in giving confidence to the industry to experiment."

 

Key innovation highlights include:

Integrated Ceiling Panels: Bespoke integrated ceiling panels combine heating, cooling, lighting and acoustic functions in an innovative petal-leaf design. The system, which incorporates 500,000 LED lights, uses 40 percent less energy than a typical fluorescent office lighting system.

Water Conservation: Rainwater from the roof, cooling tower blow-off water, and grey water sources, like basins and showers, is captured, treated and recycled to serve vacuum flush toilets. These use net zero mains water for flushing. Overall, water conservation systems will save 25 million litres of water each year, enough to fill ten Olympic swimming pools.

Natural Ventilation: When ambient weather conditions are temperate, the building’s distinctive bronze blades can open and close, allowing the building to operate in a 'breathable' natural ventilation mode. Reducing dependency on mechanical ventilation and cooling equipment significantly reduces energy consumption.

Smart Airflow: Smart CO2 sensing controls allow air to be distributed according to the approximate number of people occupying each zone of the building at any given time. The ability to dynamically adjust airflow in response to occupancy hours and patterns is expected to save 600-750 MWhr of power per annum, reducing CO2 emissions by approximately 300 metric tonnes each year.

Combined Heat & Power: An on-site Combined Heat and Power (CHP) generation centre supplies heat and power in a single, efficient system with reduced carbon emissions. Waste heat generated from this process is recycled for cooling and heating and, in use, is expected to save 500-750 metric tonnes of CO2 each year.

Picture: Bloomberg’s new European headquarters building in London has been rated as the World’s Most Sustainable Office Building

 

Article written by Brian Shillibeer | Published 24 November 2017

Share


Related Articles

Mercury Rising, Straw Dogs, Hot Fuzz, Top Guns, The Crown & Vikings

We've got an FM Digest so good you'd almost want to make a movie out of it. Mercury have taken the Almac contract; Elior are eliminating plastic straws; Tenon are...

 Read Full Article
Skanska Wins Contract for 20 Ropemaker Street

Skanska has won a £240 million contract to construct 20 Ropemaker Street in Central London for Great Elm Assets Limited, in association with Old Park Lane...

 Read Full Article
X Marks The Spot Of The Tallest Tower In Town

The City of London Corporation has approved 1 Undershaft - AKA The Trellis - which will be the second tallest building in the Capital after The Shard and thus the second...

 Read Full Article
Airline Company Guilty For Unsafe Operation of Passenger Lift

Flybe, the airline company, was sentenced on 4 February 2020 for the unsafe operation of a passenger lift. Meanwhile, a number of other firms have found themselves...

 Read Full Article
A Top Ten Guide To Making Your Venue More Accessible

Eight venues have received awards from the disabled access charity Euan’s Guide for their work welcoming disabled visitors – and this prompted ThisWeekinFM to...

 Read Full Article
Tackling The People Challenge Through Technology

Report - CBRE and ThisWeekinFM recently lead a delegation of experts to provide a briefing on technology in workplace and real estate strategy. The breakfast briefing...

 Read Full Article
Net Zero Rush-Through Criticised By Lords, Forum Claims

The Global Warming Policy Forum has claimed the House of Lords has rebuked the Government for rushing through a commitment to a Net Zero economy. The Forum refutes the...

 Read Full Article
Holland Match - It's All Gone Gooee Over There

ProptTech history has been made with global M&E firm Croonwolter&dros agreeing to connect the 5,000 commercial buildings it runs in the Netherlands  to the...

 Read Full Article
'IRA' Claim Parcel Bomb Responsibility In Correctly Coded Call

A claim has allegedly been made on behalf of the ‘IRA’ for the parcel bombs that were delivered to premises in the UK - using a recognised codeword. A call...

 Read Full Article
Emcor UK Takes Insurance On TFM Contract

Emcor UK, has been awarded a contract with multinational insurance company RSA Insurance Group which is being described as a total facilities management contract. It will...

 Read Full Article