IQL building is awarded “Outstanding” BREEAM certification

What does this mean? In short, the building achieved a score of 94% when assessed against a number of sustainability criteria. The threshold for “Outstanding” certification is 85%, so as you can see – it’s an achievement to be celebrated. Even more so as this is the 2nd highest ever score in the UK for a commercial building (New Construction 2014 in the UK for Post Construction certificate).

Andrew Tobin, Project Director at IQL said: “We are immensely proud to have achieved BREEAM’s Outstanding award for 2 Redman Place, recognising our efforts in setting the highest standards of environmental performance in our buildings. This will have a long-lasting impact not just on the surrounding environment, but also on the wellbeing of those who move around the building; further evidence of IQL putting the health and wellbeing of its community at the top of our agenda.”

Designing in the built environment for sixty plus years of use needs careful thought towards future-proofing. Rising temperatures, decreasing air quality and extreme weather need intelligent, long-term responses, and the achievements of 2 Redman Place demonstrate these responses, setting the standard for projects both within the UK and beyond. 

Here’s a synopsis of key features from across the project which have helped the building perform so well from a sustainability perspective:

Health & wellbeing

• The building has efficiently designed heating and cooling systems that will always keep the temperature within office areas an optimal 22-24 degrees.
• All office floors have an optimal amount of natural daylight flooding in, thanks to floor to ceiling glass and automated, integrated blinds.
• Indoor ambient noise has been measured to ensure optimal noise levels across the building. 

Energy

• Triple glazing, solar panels and fuelled by the area’s district heating centre that produces combined heat and power (CHP) all contribute towards lower CO2 emissions.
• This amounts to annual carbon savings of – 304 tonnes CO2 per year, equivalent to about 3,000 fridges running 24-7.
• The lifts in the building are “Variable Voltage & Frequency Lifts” meaning they return power to the electricity grid. 

Transport

• In terms of its accessibility the building achieved 100% of available credits in this section. It actually exceeded the BREEAM requirement of 8 with a huge score of 46.73.
• Facilities for cyclists include: 170 bicycle racks, 45 folding bicycle spaces, 2 accessible Sheffield stand cycle spaces, plus 68 cycle spaces located in the nearby area. 
• Once employees have cycled in, they can enjoy one of 24 showers with changing facilities and drying rooms. 
• Those who work and live in the area, including at 2 Redman Place have a bespoke portal where travel information and sustainable transport opportunities can be shared. 

Water

• Rainwater is harvested to reduce potable water usage. This enables the building to save 18,657m3 of water per year, equivalent to 4.5 Olympic-sized pools per year

Materials

• All timber used in the construction of the building was 100% sustainably harvested and traded with FSC certification. 
• Over 77% of all sourced materials were of A and A+ ratings. This means they are produced and sourced through sustainable methods. 

Land use & ecology

• The area where the building stands, pre-development had no vegetation on-site. The addition of 1,250m2 of green roof space increased the area’s ecological value. 
• Native plants to the area were planted along the south wall which is London’s largest ‘living wall’, a 2,000 square metre natural habitat, complete with thousands of plants, birds and bat boxes. 

Pollution

• Site infrastructure work was carried out to raise the whole site and ensure there is a low risk of flooding in the future. 
• External noise pollution has been minimised through the building’s design. 

In essence, 2 Redman Place, from design to conception, and throughout the whole construction process, has been carefully considered and executed with sustainability of paramount importance to the project. To find out more about BREEAM, their certifications and what this means, visit their website.