Press Releases

1960’s Office Building Short-listed for Most ‘Green’ Building in UK

Wednesday 6th February 2008

A refurbished ‘green’ office interior – carried out in a typical 1960’s designed office block - has reached the finals of a prestigious award to find the most sustainable building in the UK.

Carried out by office designers Morgan Lovell, the renovation to their headquarters in London’s Soho has been recognised in the City of London Corporation’s Sustainable City Awards - dubbed “The Green Oscars”.

The refurbished ‘green’ interior includes kitchen surfaces made from recycled plastic bottles, entrance mats from recycled car tyres and reflective paint to cut lighting bills.

Despite achieving such high-profile success, the interior itself looks remarkably normal – and that’s what designers Morgan Lovell set out to do.

Carpeting, ceiling, paints, fabrics and furniture have been sourced with a high recycled content and the ability to be recycled in the future. All wood used in the refurbishment has been certified under the Forest Stewardship Council scheme.

The office also uses infrared movement sensors to deploy lighting in zones only where people are working - spelling an end to fully illuminated buildings housing just a few workers - while dimming units automatically adjust to the natural lighting conditions outside, so less energy is used on sunny days.

The award, run in association with the BRE and The Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors recognises and rewards excellence in sustainable design for new build and refurbishment.

“What is significant about this project is the successful ‘green’ refurbishment of a typical 1960’s designed building - the type which up until now - would have been considered an environmental write-off”, says Morgan Lovell managing director David Henderson. “It demonstrates that older buildings can be made green, without costing the earth.”

The project also includes one of the latest, most efficient heating and cooling solutions on the market, zoned across the office floors, using a heat-recovery system to reduce energy consumption.

This allows different areas of the office to be accurately controlled, eradicating the wasteful practice of heating and cooling a whole office to the same temperature.

Car parking spaces have also been given up in place of bike racks and green energy, from wind, wave and solar sources, is purchased to power the office.

David Henderson added: “The cost of the refurbishment was not much more than if we had undertaken a more conventional route. In addition, we expect to reduce our energy bills by a third as a result, so there will be a quick return on investment.

“Most companies in the UK are housed in older buildings. This project proves that you don’t have to build a new structure to go green.

“This refurbishment is a big step in reducing the massive carbon footprint currently pounding the UK from office buildings.”

Find out more about sustainable offices at www.morganlovell.co.uk/sustainability

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The project has reached the finals in the City of London Corporation, Sustainable City Awards, Sustainable Building category. The category is run in association with the Building Research Establishment and The Worshipful Company of Chartered Surveyors - and open to all organisations based in the UK. The RSA-accredited award recognises and rewards excellence in sustainable design for new build and refurbishment. The winner of the award will be announced on 13th February 2008 at a ceremony in London’s Guildhall.