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SCIENCE AN ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY BUILDING
Neil Fisher was the project manager of one of the most interesting commercial developments in the country when Wessex Water, needing a new operations centre, wished to create a building that was both environmentally friendly in its design and construction, and also sustainable in its maintenance requirements. They had the advantage over other developments by both owning the site and building as well as commissioning the design and construction, and so they could make decisions that favoured the longer term, and provided good commercial payback. They bought the site on Claverton Down in October 1997 and with the aid of the architects Bennetts Associates created a design that has won the highest scores from the Building Research Establishment for its environmental assessment and now sets the benchmark for environmental performance. No detail was overlooked, from the careful placing of the building on the site to minimise the impact on residents and the view from the valley it overlooks (and yet obtaining outstanding views from the building), to using the stone from the rock that was on the site to construct the surrounding walls. The concrete soffits were made off-site, a more efficient technique than doing it on-site, and they were shaped to give increased surface area to
obtain the best heat balance in both cold and hot weather. The thermal mass exposed concrete slab soffit and the surface area of the building has been designed to mitigate summer temperatures and retain heat in the winter. It is the shape of an `E', with the spine arranged to shelter the arms from the worst of the sun's heat. Inside, the office wings have no air-conditioning. Instead, natural ventilation provides the necessary air flow and cooling. Solar panels are used to heat the water for the normal office services, and rain water is used to flush the toilets, as well as water the gardens. Although the office space is all open plan with a few `break-out' rooms for spontaneous casual meetings, the noise levels have been kept low by specially designed panels on the lighting rafts and acoustically absorbent material in the desk screens. The lighting generally around the building is automatically controlled from proximity detectors, and the office lights also have daylight sensing to further reduce the running cost of the building. The comments from staff regarding the standard and facilities in the building are very positive, and although Wessex have only been in full occupation since the end of September 2000 indications are that this will reduce turnover and encourage new staff to join the company. In all, it appears to be a very successful model for others to examine. Andy Pepperdine
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