InterContinental Hotels Group

Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), one of the world’s largest hotel chains, had outgrown its head office. Our challenge was to make their new building sustainable: a big job as it was their flagship office, with facilities like meeting suites, a gym, a restaurant and full-size hotel rooms.

We sourced materials from sustainable suppliers, like timber from forests managed according to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) guidelines. And, wherever possible, we used materials from less than 500 miles away, as recommended by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Extra green features included solar panels, energy-saving lightbulbs, and movement/daylight sensors on the light fittings. And we built recycling points into the design to continue the good things they were already doing.

The result was a carbon-neutral design, proving that big buildings don’t have to be bad for the environment.