Timber Pavilion at IQL has ‘outstanding’ sustainability credentials
The Pavilion becomes IQL’s second building to achieve BREEAM Outstanding thanks to its low embodied carbon, high energy efficiency and wildlife friendly features
- 28 Jun 2021
- by
- Lendlease Author Better Places
International Quarter London’s landmark building, the Pavilion, has secured an ‘Outstanding’ score of 92% on the industry renowned benchmark, BREEAM. It is the development’s second building to achieve BREEAM’s highest level of certification. This puts the Pavilion in the top 1% of sustainable new commercial buildings in the UK.
Set to become an inclusive and inviting place to eat, drink and socialise, the Pavilion will be the home of D&D London’s latest iconic restaurant and bar concept, Haugen.
To achieve an Outstanding BREEAM rating, the team behind the Pavilion embedded sustainable practices from design to construction. This resulted in a building that encompasses each of Lendlease’s environmental focus areas: climate action, resources and materials, and nature & pollution.
Climate Action
Most of the Pavilion’s base build was constructed using cross-laminated and glue-laminated timber which has a much lower embodied carbon than traditional building materials like steel and concrete. This is because timber requires significantly less energy to extract, process and transport than its carbon-intensive alternatives.
Consequently, there is less embodied carbon in the Pavilion. This is compared to the London Energy Transformation Initiative’s (LETI) current best practice for commercial buildings.
The Pavilion is also among the project with the lowest carbon footprint within the Royal Institute of Building Surveyors (RICS) carbon database. This benchmark captures whole life-cycle carbon emissions, from the materials, construction, and the use of a building over its lifetime, including its demolition and disposal.
Contributing to this ranking is the fact that the building was designed to be highly energy efficient. It can be powered, lit, and heated in a low carbon way because it uses efficient building fabrics, solar panels on the roof, smart lighting and controls, and is connected to Stratford’s district heating and cooling network. As a result, the building achieved an Environmental Performance Certificate (EPC) rating “A”.
The Pavilion demonstrates Lendlease’s commitment to Mission Zero. Embodied carbon emissions make up the majority of Lendlease’s carbon footprint. Therefore, using low-carbon materials such as timber is critical if Lendlease is to achieve its goal of being Absolute Zero Carbon by 2040, eliminating all emissions, including Scope 3, without the use of offsets. Designing to high energy efficiency standards and installing on-site renewables is also important in helping reach Lendlease’s interim target to be Net Zero Carbon by 2025 for Scope 1, the fuels it burns, and Scope 2, the energy it procures.
Resources & Materials
When managed sustainably, timber is a renewable resource. Unlike other natural resources used to create traditional building materials, such as metal ores for steel and aluminium, which there is a finite supply of. That’s why strict protocols were put in place to ensure that all timber and timber-based products used at the Pavilion were sustainably sourced and procured, resulting in the project achieving full Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.
Nature & Pollution
Stratford’s local wildlife is benefitting from the Pavilion’s ecological interventions. Previously a brownfield site, the building is enhancing biodiversity by installing green roof terraces with native plant species alongside nesting boxes for bats and birds. The team has also planted multi-sensory flowers in the Pavilion’s greenspaces and terraces so that the plant life is accessible to all.
To find out more about International Quarter London’s approach to sustainability, and to keep up to date with the latest news, visit https://www.internationalquarter.london/