High-Performing Buildings – August's Roundup

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05 August 2021 | Updated 01 October 2021

As building owners look to attract employees back to workplaces with enhanced amenities and flexible office space, there is renewed interest in high-performance buildings and what they can offer the workforce.

Here are some examples of new buildings that have achieved excellence in wellness, smart technology and sustainability

 

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Middlecap’s Southworks 

 

Southworks by MiddleCap in London is the first building to be evaluated in the UK using the Smart Building Certification framework. 

 

Picture: a photograph showing the interior of Southworks. Image credit: Middlecap

 

Smart technology can help buildings improve on sustainability as well introduce other benefits that include promoting health and wellbeing and enable agile working.

The Smart Building Certification, which has been developed to promote wellbeing, sustainability, performance, innovation, and health and safety in the built environment, recognises buildings that have smart tech infrastructure in place to evaluate a building’s behaviour and performance. The first building awarded Platinum Smart Building Certification was EDGE Olympic Amsterdam.

 

"A Core & Shell building with this extensive of an IT infrastructure is quite rare. We rarely see a Core & Shell building go this far to improve health, performance, sustainability, indoor environment, and a user’s ability to interact with the space. Hopefully Southworks is a look into the future of what we can expect from new builds and that progress is worth celebrating.”

–Nicholas White

Head of Operations and Strategy, Smart Building Certification

 

Southworks, a 70,000 sq ft office scheme, has achieved Platinum certification for Core & Shell for the complex’s build phase. 

Nicholas White, Head of Operations and Strategy at Smart Building Certification, said:

“We are proud to award Southworks with a Platinum Smart Building Certification. A Core & Shell building with this extensive of an IT infrastructure is quite rare. We rarely see a Core & Shell building go this far to improve health, performance, sustainability, indoor environment, and a user’s ability to interact with the space. Hopefully Southworks is a look into the future of what we can expect from new builds and that progress is worth celebrating.”

Sensors are a central part of the building’s environmental credentials. A single ‘digital backbone’ – created through applied bGrid technology – links a series of sensors to the Internet of Things, which connect, measure and deliver feedback to building users. The sensors will be plugged into the HVAC system and lighting controls, and will also measure other environmental variables such as density, occupancy and noise levels. The data generated by this network is fed into the building management system, optimising the environment and ensuring it becomes completely demand-driven.

 

Picture: a photograph showing the exterior of Southworks. Image credit: Middlecap

 

Bauhaus Manchester

 

Manchester’s Bauhaus has become the UK’s first refurbished building to be awarded WELL Gold status.

The WELL Building Standard is a well-recognised roadmap for creating and certifying spaces that advance human health and wellbeing. 

 

 

Bauhaus Manchester is an impressive Grade A office building with floor to ceiling windows providing excellent natural light.

The roof terrace provides a communal space for tenants, providing the perfect place for exercise and social events. Brand new VRF air-conditioning system and additional filtering also provides excellent air quality. Additionally, energy-efficient LED lighting with PIR sensors throughout the building adds extra security.

 

Picture: a photograph of the interior of Bauhaus Manchester Image Credit: SAS International

 

The Carnegie School of Sport

 

The Carnegie School of Sport building at Leeds Beckett University has been rated BREEAM Excellent.  

The £45 million building is a major new sports centre for the university, and has been praised for its layout that promotes an active lifestyle.

There is a covered rooftop 60m sprint track for performance training and analysis, five lecture theatres and around 40 research laboratories.

The 90,000 sq ft building also houses two environmental chambers, which can mimic different altitudes and environments. The chambers are capable of achieving temperatures of between -30 Degree C to +50 degrees C, extreme humidity and altitudes up to 8,000 metres.

The complex is EPC A-rated, and has been built using sustainable materials from the Green Guide to Specification.

Picture: a photograph of the exterior of The Carnegie School of Sport building at Leeds Beckett University

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 05 August 2021

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