Member Article

Construction group unveils carbon neutral office

International construction group Interserve have unveiled their new Leciester office, a cutting-edge eco-friendly design.

The £1.5 million project is the first Passivhaus carbon neutral commercial to be built in the UK, and recognises Interserve’s emphasis on sustainability.

Passivhaus design principles have already been broadly accepted and acclaimed in the UK house building industry, helping developers to achieve superior energy efficiency ratings as part of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Building to these standards within the commercial sector is in its infancy, and the firm are striving to be at the forefront of implementing the construction method across a variety of public and private sector projects around the UK.

Gordon Kew, director of regional building for interserve, said: “New premises were needed to replace the company’s increasingly outdated existing offices in the area, which were energy hungy and had become dispersed among various buildings.

“One of the company’s core business values is improving our performance through continual learning and innovation.

“Sharing our knowledge and the design concept of our new building reflects these values through its simplicity, elegance and efficient energy use.”

The new premises are located at Watermead Business Park, and construction has been made in partnership with park developer, Raynsway Properties.

Around 60 staff are housed in the two-storey, 6,000 sq ft office, which runs at 10% of the energy usage of such a building constructed conventionally.

Triple glazing, super insulation and reinforced concrete walls mean the requirements for space heating and cooling are reduced.

Ventilated air passes into the building from an earth tube system, making the most of ground warmth in the winter, and low ground temperatures in the summer.

Interserve are now applying Passivhaus standards to the building of a new primary school in Leeds, which will be one of the most energy efficient schools in the world upon completion next year.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .