Sustainable design award for Defra office

Office design news from Morgan Lovell

Published on 03-06-2009

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (Defra) new office in Alnwick, Northumberland has been named the winner of the 2008 BREEAM awards.

Green Building Press has reported that Lion House received a score of 80.2 per cent for its green features and was subsequently awarded a BREEAM rating of "Excellent".

Sustainable design initiatives carried out at the site included rainwater harvesting, low water use fittings for toilets and sinks, sanitary supply shut offs and leak detection technology.

In theory, it is believed that the sustainable aspects of the office will save its owners up to £800 million per annum and the building also benefits from a 12,000-litre underground water storage tank.

Meanwhile, Ask Development's One First Street in Manchester has been awarded an "Excellent" BREEAM rating for its sustainable design by the BRE Group.

Crain's Manchester Business reported that the structure features a green roof and walls and a water-cooled VRF air conditioning system.