RY GOOD VE EX CE OD LL Case study: One angel square, E ‘The Co-operative Group’s driver was GO N T O U T to showcase their leadership on S T S A the co-operative group headquarters S N A D P I N G environmental issues by creating This iconic building is a leading example of our ability to integrate sustainable features from inception to delivery of the project, and beyond. one of the most sustainable Scored 95.53% at BREEAM Post-construction Stage commercial buildings in Europe.’ Sustainable design Tackling climate change Nitesh Magdani, This 16-storey building contains 325,000 sq ft of The double skinned façade and soaring open Director of Sustainability open plan office space and a large central atrium. atrium are key to creating natural heating, cooling Two basement floors include underground car and lighting. The atrium, for example, floods the parking, auditorium and fitness facilities. building’s interior with light which is reflected by the exposed white painted concrete coffered 300 The Co-operative Group’s vision was to floors, reducing the amount of artificial lighting lux create an iconic headquarters that would be required to light the building from 550 to 300 lux. a sustainable workplace. From the outset, the challenge was to deliver a carbon neutral building The on-site Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Reduced the amount of artificial providing a display energy certificate (DEC) A+ plant, fuelled by pure plant-oil grown by The lighting from 550 to 300 lux grade performance coupled with the BREEAM Co-operative farms, provides the majority of the Outstanding status. This was accomplished heating and electrical requirement for the new through innovative design features such as the building with surplus energy being back-fed to the twin skin façade and optimised lighting, as well national grid. 93% as a super-efficient power plant and electronic equipment. We minimised our impact during Other energy efficiency features include: construction through prefabrication and waste ■ Heat recovery from the IT systems that will Waste was diverted from landfill reduction, as well as carbon reduction measures. also help to heat the building ■ Low energy LED lighting and IT equipment We used building information modelling (BIM) to and systems create the building before any construction began ■ High efficiency passenger and service lifts 14% to highlight any logistic issues likely to arise. ■ Earth tubes to bring in cool air via a heat This prevented unnecessary wastage of materials exchanger and time, making the construction as smooth Completed: December 2012 as possible. The project used a number of initiatives to Customer: The Co-operative Head Office minimise fuel and power use during construction. Architects: 3DReid Site cabins were heated from a dedicated gas Mechanical & Electrical consultants: supply instead of inefficient electric heaters. Also, Buro Happold 14% below our a hire shop was set up on-site which provided Structural Engineer: Buro Happold construction CO target. 2 materials and tools, saving time and cost, as well Project Manager: Gardiner & Theobald as reducing fuel and CO2 emissions. Quantity Surveyor: Gardiner & Theobald | One Angel Square,The Co-operative Group Headquarters | Case study | 1 Resource efficiency Community engagement We used prefabricated elements such as chilled Driving local benefit was a key theme throughout beams and toilet units, which decreased the the project and our approach centred on training, number of material deliveries, and reduced the local employment, support for education and waste associated with assembly on site. local community groups. Our project highlights are detailed below: Waste pallets were up-cycled to create unique and Japanese knotweed was eradicated from site stylish furniture for use in the building once it was ■ 32 apprentices benefitted from on-site training occupied. The majority of the remaining waste ■ We trained over 900 people on-site with basic was recycled through waste segregation including skills and provided technical and management a can collector and cardboard compactor on site. training for 21 people 91% Cardboard collected on site was recycled at the ■ The site shop was supplied by small local customer’s recycling facilities which were located businesses adjacent to the site, helping to further reduce ■ Our local employment initiative, helped to carbon emissions and transport costs. ensure 54% of the workforce was sourced from within the Greater Manchester area ■ We engaged over 1,000 students in the Timber was from chain of custody sources Biodiversity project, which included support for two university projects The site was contaminated with Japanese ■ We volunteered over 712 hours on local knotweed, an invasive species. Working with a community projects and raised £21,500 for specialist subcontractor we ensured the building 712 local charities hours footprint was completely free of any rhizomes, ensuring the spread of Japanese knotweed was minimised. Roof top planters and Public Realm planting have been used to help enhance the Health and wellbeing local biodiversity. Health and safety was a priority throughout the project and our high standards were Volunteering by staff acknowledged through industry honours such as the British Safety Council’s (Merit) award Sourcing responsibly at the 2012 International Safety Awards, We engaged with our supply chain to ensure and two Gold awards through the Considerate they were prepared for the high sustainability Constructor’s Scheme. Gold requirements necessary for a project of this scale. x2 For example, early engagement with the supply chain for M&E, structural steel, pre-cast concrete floors and twin skin façade ensured a robust construction programme, minimising carbon Considerate Constructor’s Scheme emissions and helped the project to reach its Awards achieved strict targets. | One Angel Square,The Co-operative Group Headquarters | Case study | 2.