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The BRE Trust, which operates the BREEAM assessment method for buildings, has published research showing that many projects undertaken in the public sector do not significantly reduce the consumption of energy.

Figures compiled in the study were drawn from the Display Energy Certificates of around 28,000 public sector buildings, including job centres, academies and schools.

Principal sustainability consultant for BRE Jon Mussett says: "Energy used in public buildings accounts for four per cent of the UK's carbon emissions.

"Design standards are improving, but we need to demonstrate that this is resulting in improved building performance."

The BRE Trust suggests that its own BREEAM method of assessment provides inspiration to building operators to find new ways to save energy, as well as recognition within the market for buildings with a low environmental impact.

Posted by Ian Johnson.

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Clive Bull, partner of Cushman & Wakefield, said sustainable office design is going to become a more talked about issue in the future and will become more popular with firms, as clients' call for assurances that businesses are doing all they can to tackle climate change.

He commented: "As we come out of [recession], these green issues will become more important and sustainability and everything else will start coming to the fore."

According to the Climate Change Act of 2008, the government aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050 and has signed up to a legally-binding contract to this effect.

It also signed up to a shorter-term target of a 34 per cent reduction in emissions by 2020 - with both of these targets in comparison to 1990 baseline levels.


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Business 7 reported Sky's Talent Hub is likely to achieve a BREEAM rating of Very Good, as the structure boasts sustainable office design features including cycle shelters, low energy lighting, water conservation and partial natural ventilation.

Jim Mather, minister for enterprise, energy and tourism, officially opened the facility and said: "The opening of Sky's Talent Hub is a welcome boost for West Lothian's economy in this challenging economic climate."

The development has been created to help support the broadcaster's call centre operations.

Elsewhere, the Peak office interior development in London's Victoria recently opened.

Devono reported the development offers 78,000 sq ft of modern office design space, while the ground floor of the property has already been let to HBOS, with other areas of the building being devoted to retail.


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The modern office design space of the premises recently achieved a BREEAM rating of Excellent and the judges noted this was one of the deciding factors in their decision.

Innovation Centre beat stiff competition for the award from Hope Street Hotel and the Port of Liverpool building.

Business development director Chloe Young commented: "Our innovation cluster provides fit-for-purpose, high-specification facilities and services for science and technology companies. It establishes Liverpool as an important location for the commercial knowledge sector."

Elsewhere, research carried out by Abbey and Alliance & Leicester Business Banking recently showed 80 per cent of businesses have made efforts to ensure all IT equipment is switched off when not in use, while 59 per cent have switched to using low-energy light bulbs - highlighting the efforts many companies are going to in order to improve sustainable office design.


]]> Morgan Lovell sustainable office design is needed, it has been argued.

Daily Commercial News reported the three main assessments at present are LEED in the US, Canada and Brazil, BREEAM in the UK, Netherlands and Hong Kong and DGNB of Germany.

The publication argued a single set of green building guidelines would help businesses achieve a standardised result in their sustainable office design and could also lead to a better understanding of national standards of sustainability in terms of building methods and results.

As an answer to this, the Sustainable Building Alliance is attempting to set up an international standard that incorporates the ideals of these three major assessment tools.

Elsewhere, the World Green Building Council (WGBC) recently invited BREEAM to become a full member of the organisation.

Martin Wyatt, chief executive of the BRE Group, the developers of BREEAM, said: "We are delighted to be invited to join the WGBC and welcome this move towards inclusiveness and partnership."


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The study showed 80 per cent of businesses have made efforts to ensure all IT equipment is switched off when not in use, while 59 per cent have switched to using low-energy light bulbs.

Paula Ickinger, head of business banking marketing at Abbey and Alliance & Leicester, said: "There are 1.5 million small businesses in the UK, so it is very encouraging to find that so many of them have taken steps to reduce the environmental impact of their operations, in some cases at great expense."

Elsewhere, Earth 911 recently advised businesses undergoing an office relocation to take into account sustainable office design while doing so.

The organisation claimed the most important issue is ensuring the new property a firm is moving to has good environmental credentials, as this will provide the best long-term results.


]]> Morgan Lovell office relocation project is carried out in an environmentally-friendly manner.

Earth 911 reported firms should always look to ensure the property they are moving into offers could green credentials, with sustainable office design key to reducing their impact on the environment over the long term.

Furthermore, businesses should de-clutter and not use cardboard boxes to carry out the move. Instead, they should use reusable bags or totes to transport equipment and paperwork. In that way, firms will not be left with lots of battered old boxes to dispose of after the move.

Meanwhile, the Birmingham Post recently claimed the city is at the forefront of sustainable office design in the UK.

The publication noted Colmore Plaza has had its BREEAM accreditation improved from Very Good to Excellent now that it has become partially occupied - a promising development for future environmentally-friendly projects in the region.


]]> Morgan Lovell sustainable office design rating scheme BREEAM.

Named the Ska Rating, the environmental tool will incorporate three stages of assessment: design/planning; delivery/construction; and post-occupancy.

Businesses will be awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze ratings depending how well they score in each of these areas.

The aim of the system is to offer a rating alternative for office refurbishment projects, not just from the initial building phase.

It is available free online and was developed by various organisations including Skansen, Aecom, Hurleypalmerflatt, Scott Wilson and Sheppard Robson.

Elsewhere, the World Green Building Council (WGBC) recently invited BREEAM to become a full member of the organisation.

WGBC noted the important role which BREEAM has played in promoting and developing sustainable office design over the last 20 years and, as such, is pleased to make the organisation its only non-Green Building Council member.


]]> Morgan Lovell BREEAM to become a full member of the organisation.

As the only non-Green Building Council organisation asked to become a member of the society, WGBC noted the important role which BREEAM has played in promoting and developing sustainable office design over the last 20 years.

Martin Wyatt, chief executive of the BRE Group, the developers of BREEAM, said: "We are delighted to be invited to join the WGBC and welcome this move towards inclusiveness and partnership."

He added the organisation is now looking forward to working alongside the council to drive up sustainable building standards around the globe.

Elsewhere, architecture business Stride Treglown's new modern office design headquarters in Cardiff were recently awarded a BREEAM rating of Excellent

Sustainable office design features of the development included the use of a biomass boiler, grey-water recycling and natural ventilation, with the firm keen to invest in environmentally friendly technologies throughout.


]]> Morgan Lovell Office interior space in Birmingham is at the forefront of sustainable office design in the UK, it has been claimed.

Local newspaper the Birmingham Post reported Colmore Plaza has had its BREEAM accreditation improved from Very Good to Excellent now that it has become partially occupied.

Mark Harris, director at building owner the Carlyle Group, said: "There is no doubt that this accreditation adds value to current and prospective tenants, as well as complementing the city's aspiration to compete on a national and international level."

He argued that the building is one of only a handful in the country that have achieved an Excellent rating.

Meanwhile, Building magazine recently reported that Belgian property developer Codic has become the first company outside of the UK to be accredited by BREEAM.

The firm's newest development - Access and Bridge - was awarded a Very Good rating by the organisation for its clever use of sustainable office design.


]]> Morgan Lovell BREEAM as a measure of sustainable office design, it has been claimed.

Building.co.uk reported Belgian property developer CODIC has had its newest office interiors - Access and Bridge - assessed as part of the BREEAM Europe for Office scheme.

The development was awarded a Very Good status and is the first in both Belgium and Europe to take part in the initiative.

Guy Degryse, assistant director at CODIC, said: "We looked at a great deal of environmental certification systems and decided that BREEAM was our best option. BREEAM is increasingly popular among European developers, as it builds on a solid experience in the UK of over 20 years."

Meanwhile, architecture firm Stride Treglown recently announced it is nearing completion on its new Coventry headquarters, with the structure achieving a BREEAM rating of Excellent.

Sustainable office design features of the building include the use of a biomass boiler, grey-water recycling and natural ventilation.


]]> Morgan Lovell office interior space awarded an Excellent standard by BREEAM.

The company has moved into new modern office design space in Cardiff which has made use of a number of sustainable office design features, including the use of a biomass boiler, grey-water recycling and natural ventilation.

Gareth Davies, director of Stride Treglown, said: "We have been seeking new offices for some time and our board challenged me to deliver a new office building in Cardiff that represented our approach to high-quality design."

Elsewhere, Simon Rawlinson and Ian Harrison of Davis Langdon recently noted that businesses looking to embrace sustainable office design should always ensure they carry out a study beforehand to pinpoint which areas could most benefit from green amendments.

The pair noted that office interior spaces which were built in the 1960s and 70s are often ripe for sustainable office design upgrades.


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Facets of the modern office design space which drew particularly praise were the building's use of sustainable materials in its construction and its commitment to helping other local businesses regenerate the area.

John Forrester, chairman of the BCO awards, said: "This year's best of the best is a project which changes the art of the possible. Once every decade or so a building comes along which alters the common understanding of what is commercially possible."

Meanwhile, Darren Johnson, chair of the London Assembly, recently stated the capital is one of the best cities in the world in which to do business and as such offers some of the most innovative and practical office interior spaces in the world.

He praised developers for the uptake of modern office design principles after London was voted the best city in which to do business in this year's European Cities Monitor.



]]> Morgan Lovell modern office design projects in the future.

Business secretary Lord Mandelson has announced a review is to be held to decide whether the construction sector is fit to meet the demands of a low-carbon future.

Lord Mandelson noted the review would "assess the strengths of and opportunities for the UK construction industry in a low-carbon economy and consider how the UK can be a world leader in this sector".

Meanwhile, multimillionaire and star of the BBC's Dragons' Den Theo Paphitis recently noted in an article for the Sun newspaper that businesses across the UK could save a combined £3.3 billion per year through sustainable office design improvements.

He argued that by replacing old heating and air conditioning systems alone, vast quantities of CO2 could be saved.


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According to Simon Rawlinson and Ian Harrison of Davis Langdon, buildings which were built in the 1960s and 70s often present a number of oportunties to embrace sustainable office design, with office refurbishment usually helping to cut both cvosts and emissions for these properties.

The pair noted: "Owner-occupier clients who are able to adapt their operations to fit with the existing building are in a better position to secure these benefits than commercial developers."

Brian Berry, director of external affairs for the Federation of Master Builders, recently said that the construction sector in the UK is now looking to come out of the economic downturn in a strong position.

In addition, many firms will be looking to carry out sustainable office design efforts in a bid to boost their green credentials and help the government achieve its targets on CO2 emission reductions.


]]> Morgan Lovell modern office design space.

Local paper the Darlington & Stockton Times reported the pair transformed Derwent Estate's 2,470-acre Woodhouse Grange Farm into new office interior space, while endeavouring to follow sustainable office design doctrine in doing so.

Redundant buildings on the site were converted into "green office" space, enabling the pair to offer office interiors to local firms that have a relatively small carbon footprint.

"[The brothers] work well together demonstrating excellence in business performance, innovation, environmental care and sustainability," Chris Bourchier, director of the rural estate at the Crown Estate, told the publication.

Meanwhile, Brian Berry, director of external affairs for the Federation of Master Builders, recently said construction companies could make considerable savings while helping the environment by embracing sustainable office design techniques.

He argued the growth in demand for sustainable office design means that buildings which are built with this in mind will be more popular.


]]> Morgan Lovell sustainable office design across the UK.

Brian Berry, director of external affairs for the Federation of Master Builders, said that the construction industry is now looking at a sustained recovery and if sustainable office design practices are embraced then this could go a long way towards helping the government achieve its goals.

"What is fundamental is that the market coming out of the recession will be different to how it was before we went into the recession. This is a clear commitment across all the main parties to create a low carbon built environment," he commented.

Mr Berry added that it is up to clients to call for sustainable office design and green construction principles, as ultimately the industry responds to a supply and demand dynamic.

According to the Climate Change Act 2008, the government has set itself a legally binding target of an 80 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions across the UK by 2050.

In addition, a preliminary goal of a 26 per cent reduction has been scheduled to be achieved by 2020.


]]> Morgan Lovell sustainable office design.

He noted in an interview for the Sun newspaper that clapped out heating, old and inefficient air conditioning and other energy efficiency losses cost businesses dearly at present and it is something which if addressed could provide significant savings in terms of both money and CO2 emissions.

Mr Paphitis stated: "Shockingly, well over half of small businesses have laid staff off without exploring the options staring them in the face - I'm talking about energy efficiency."

He added that a number of funds are now available for companies looking to embrace sustainable office design.

Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of British Eco Energy, a spokesperson asserted that sustainable office design principles could help companies mitigate the risks of blackouts, as firms are able to use less energy.


]]> Morgan Lovell office interior development in Winchester has been given a complete overhaul to make it greener and less of an eyesore, it has been revealed.

Building.co.uk reported that Hampshire council has dramatically reworked its headquarters, after 40 years of residing in a building which offered poor energy efficiency and was described as "a blunt, rectangular blob".

Sustainable office design features such as natural ventilation and rainwater harvesting have been embraced during the office refurbishment programme, with designers also incorporating energy-efficient lighting and other green initiatives into the building during its overhaul.

"We really liked the fact that it was difficult to do. It was a real intellectual challenge. And there are lots of other buildings like this around the country and we can't keep knocking them down," commented Julian Lipscombe, director of Bennetts Associates.

Meanwhile, a company in Peterborough also recently embraced sustainable office design principles when carrying out an office relocation project.

Bestdeal4baby Community Interest Company was able to make use of second-hand furniture when moving into its new property in an effort to aid recycling in the area, Peterborough Today reported.


]]> Morgan Lovell BREEAM score in the UK.

Situated in Bristol, the new modern office design space of the organisation was awarded a BREEAM score of 85.06 per cent, with the topping out ceremony for the building taking place last Thursday (September 3rd).

Sustainable office design features of the structure include a ground source heat pump, rainwater recycling and the use of recycled materials throughout the construction.

Paul Leinster, chief executive of EA, commented: "This achievement demonstrates how organisations can work with developers to build exceptional offices which meet their needs whilst reducing their impact on the environment."

Meanwhile, Peterborough Today recently reported that Bestdeal4baby Community Interest Company in Peterborough has used sustainable office design techniques when setting up their new modern office design space.

The firm made use of recycled furniture to cut down on the environmental impact of its office interior space.


]]> Morgan Lovell sustainability could help to mitigate the risk of blackouts for British businesses and domestic electricity users, it has been claimed.

Speaking on behalf of British Eco Energy, a spokesperson asserts that overcoming blackouts is just one reason why more education on sustainability issues could be a good thing.

Other advantages to wider uptake of green technologies include the opportunity to move closer towards the government's targets for carbon reduction.

"If awareness is not raised significantly then the chances of them meeting those targets are very slim," the spokesperson comments.

Meanwhile, the autumn months are due to see businesses given new protection in their energy contracts by industry regulator Ofgem.

Announced in April, the measures aim to help businesses to escape long-term contracts on unfavourable terms.

Eliminating the rollover of these fixed-term contracts could help to allow companies to make the switch to more sustainable forms of energy.

]]> Morgan Lovell sustainable office design, as well as being suitable for use in the home.

Tom Gribbin, senior campaign manager at climate change website Together.com, explains that modern energy-saving bulbs can be used almost anywhere.

Only heritage buildings with older light fittings are likely to face a problem, which could make the bulbs an ideal part of sustainable office design.

"Manufacturers are working hard at the moment to ensure the quality of the light is as good as the other bulbs," says Mr Gribbin.

"It's improved massively over the last three or four years."

He adds that this means the light offered by energy-saving bulbs is now close to being on a par with that thrown off by an incandescent bulb.

Businesses could find their energy bills reduced as a result of moving to the new bulbs, as Mr Gribbin adds that the typical domestic user can save around £50 each year by making the switch.

]]> Morgan Lovell sustainability options are being encouraged to consider biomass.

The Business Environment Partnership (BEP) explains that there are numerous benefits to adopting the alternative form of fuel, including its sustainability.

Communications manager Jo Paulson says: "Biomass is sustainable, reliable and a developing sector."

"One of the things we can help with is advice on energy efficiency, which can deliver significant cost savings to businesses," she adds.

The BEP is now working with the Forestry Commission to help advise businesses in the north of the UK on installing biomass boilers, whether in urban or rural environments.

Guidance includes visits to residential properties that have already adopted alternative energies such as biomass and solar panels.

The Forestry Commission also recently staged an event in Lincolnshire highlighting the advantages of timber as a fuel source for homes, schools and offices.

Spokesperson David White called the county's trees its "greatest untapped resource".

]]> Morgan Lovell sustainability by the Big Lottery Fund.

Organisations are offered access to online guidance on issues of sustainability in the form of a downloadable document entitled Sustainable Development: an introduction.

Dharmendra Kanani, Scotland director for the Big Lottery Fund, says: "Sustainable development should be a public value for all modern 21st-century organisations."

With sustainable development among their plans, the Fund adds that companies can prepare for "a better future".

The document explains that sustainable office design can help to reduce costs by minimising future expenditure on areas such as energy, waste, water and transport.

However, it adds that employee health can also be boosted by reducing illness and encouraging a more positive frame of mind among workers, as well as reducing individuals' impact on the environment.

"A good building can be a delight and should enhance a community or organisation," the Big Lottery Fund concludes.

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Ruth and Kevin Bell - founders of the business - were able to make use of second-hand furniture and equipment when setting up their modern office design space, helping reduce the amount of old furniture which is sent to landfill.

The company was aided in its quest for sustainable office design by the Peterborough Environment City Trust's website Eastex.co.uk.

Ms Bell commented: "Eastex allowed us to save a huge amount of money on buying new things, it also meant useful but unwanted items didn't end up in landfill."

In other sustainable office design news, the Northwest Regional Development Agency and Northwest European Regional Development Fund have been working together to deliver a new modern office design development in Liverpool city centre.

When completed, the £8.8 million St Paul's Square will offer in excess of 250,000 sq ft of office interior space to businesses looking to move to the north-west.


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