News - Sustainable Mastery: The Green Revolution of 1 New Street Square

Green Building

1 New Street Square

The 1 New Street Square project is a shining example of achieving a sustainable vision and creating a campus for the future. With a priority on energy efficiency and comfort, 620 sensors were installed to monitor environmental conditions, and multiple measures were taken to make it a healthy, efficient, and sustainable workplace.

It is a commercial construction/refurbishment located at New Street Square, London EC4A 3HQ, covering an area of 29,882 square meters. The project aims to improve the health, equity, and resilience of local community residents and has obtained the WELL Building Standard certification.

The successful aspects of the project success are attributed to early engagement and the leadership's understanding of the business benefits of a healthy, efficient, and sustainable workplace. The project team collaborated with the developer on base-build modifications and worked closely with the design team, consulting stakeholders extensively.

In terms of environmental design, the project employed performance-based design, prioritizing energy efficiency and comfort, and installed 620 sensors to monitor environmental conditions. Additionally, an Intelligent Building Management System was used to improve the efficiency of operational maintenance.

In reducing construction waste, the design emphasized flexibility, used prefabricated components, and ensured that all redundant office furniture was recycled or donated. To minimize plastic pollution, KeepCups and reusable water bottles were distributed to every colleague.

The project's health agenda is as important as its environmental one, with multiple measures taken to improve air quality, enhance mental health, and promote activity.

Project features include

Rigorous assessment of products from material, furniture, and cleaning suppliers to improve indoor air quality.

Biophilic design principles, such as installing plants and green walls, using timber and stone, and providing access to nature through a terrace.

Structural modifications to create attractive internal stairways, procurement of sit/stand desks, and construction of a bicycle facility and gym on campus.

Provision of healthy food options and subsidized fruit, along with taps offering chilled, filtered water in vending areas.

The project's lessons learned emphasize the importance of integrating sustainability and health and well-being goals into the project brief from the outset.

This helps the design team to incorporate these measures from the beginning, leading to more cost-effective implementation and better performance outcomes for the space users.

Additionally, focusing on creative collaboration means the design team considers a broader scope of responsibility and engages in new conversations with the supply chain, catering, human resources, cleaning, and maintenance.

Finally, the industry needs to keep pace, with both design teams and manufacturers considering health metrics like air quality and the sourcing and composition of materials, thereby supporting manufacturers in their progress on this journey.

For more on the 1 New Street Square project, which describes how the project achieved a healthy, efficient, and sustainable workplace, see the original article link: 1 New Street Square Case Study.

Post time: Jul-10-2024