Housebuilder’s £40m london HQ receives “state-of-the-art” sustainability upgrades

Volume housebuilder Weston Group has taken further steps as part of its “going green” agenda to update its “state-of-the-art” 49,000 sq ft headquarters near London’s Stansted Airport.

The building’s new eco-features include solar panels for power, a new fleet of electric company cars and a new parking facility with electric vehicle parking-and-charging bays: part of the brand’s commitment to sustainability.

To support the energy needs of the headquarters, Weston Group has installed 717 solar panels across the vast roofs of the HQ, which will make a substantial contribution (25 per cent) to the electricity generation and usage of the complex.

Weston Group, which employs over 500 people, is also shifting the group’s company car fleet to become fully electric. Now 90 per cent through this changeover, every member of the Group Board and most of the wider business employees are now driving electric vehicles.

Once completed, there will be over 150 electric cars in the corporate fleet with electric vehicles. To power this electric fleet Weston Group has built an additional 127 new electric vehicle parking bays with electric charging points in the HQ parking facility, which are in addition to the 70 existing electric vehicle parking bays already in place.

Bob Weston, chairman and CEO of Weston Homes, commented: “Weston Group is committed to sustainability and the business has been making far reaching changes across the entire company in order to reduce our carbon footprint.

“We are rolling out eco-friendly construction and specification features across our current and pipeline developments and have now turned our attention to our headquarters and we will continue to search for further measures that can be taken to contribute to this mission.”

The headquarters building itself was financed from the HSBC Green Loan scheme and the HQ building has a BREEAM rating of VERY GOOD.

Providing Grade A office space, the headquarters has an on-site brasserie restaurant, convenience shop/café and gymnasium, all provided for staff and visitor health and wellbeing, and also to try and reduce car travel and commuting/energy use.

Founded in 1987 by chairman and CEO Bob Weston, Weston Group has a £2.13bn portfolio of current and pipeline developments across London and the South East, which will deliver over 7,500 new homes.

By Matthew Neville – Senior Correspondent, Bdaily