When you walk into your office, how often do you think about the emissions produced by the building and its operation? Here at Myo, we think about it a great deal. In fact, sustainability has been at the very top of our list of priorities when creating our unique office locations.
In this blog, we’re shining a spotlight on Landsec’s first (but, by no means, last) net zero carbon development, operated in line with the UK Green Building Council’s framework definition of a net-zero carbon building.
Read on for an exclusive peek behind the curtain at Myo Bankside.
A carbon net zero office space
We have always been driven to develop sustainable, environmentally friendly workspaces. So, it was a natural next step for us to design our first carbon net zero development. But what does it mean to be a carbon net zero office? Let’s take a look at some of the ways we’ve achieved this.
Renewable energy
We are proud to have obtained a BREEAM Excellent rating for our offices at The Forge in Bankside. The BREEAM assessment measures the performance of a building and evaluates the specification, design, construction and use. A key part of the design for this development was to ensure that 100% of our electricity came from renewable sources. Our building is fully electric, meaning we don’t use any fossil fuels to generate running power.
The electricity is generated from 107 solar PV panels on the building roof. The roof itself is a green roof, with bug hotels, bat boxes, and birdhouses set up to support conservation and biodiversity.
Waste
It’s estimated that, in 2021, 33.9 million tonnes of commercial and industrial waste was produced. This is a shocking statistic to read - and we are determined to contribute to this figure as little as possible. That’s why we have ensured that 100% of our waste is diverted from landfill. The Forge holds a strict no-paper policy, too, with all communications fully digital.
Energy efficiency
Our energy efficiency tools and technologies include harvesting and recycling rainwater as well as installing LED lighting throughout the building space.
We’ve also taken measures to reduce the operational energy demand and consumption of the building by implementing several passive and active energy efficiency measures. These include (but are not limited to):
- Fully electric heating and cooling systems (no fossil fuels)
- Solar control glazing
- Highly efficient thermal insulation and reduced air leakage
Due to the practices we have implemented, we have an EPC rating of B and a NABERS 5* rating, both considered excellent for energy efficiency. We regularly report on and compare our metering against predicted energy consumption in order to finetune the operation of the building and improve energy efficiency.
Circularity
The Forge in Bankside is designed for longevity, flexibility, adaptability, and planning for future disassembly. Yes, that’s correct - our building can be easily disassembled and reused.
We implemented reversible bolted connections so that the building’s steel columns can be easily removed, and all steel components are tagged with technical information to ensure the steel can be easily reused.
We followed the Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) approach to ensure waste and construction times were minimised and optimised the use of reusable and recyclable materials throughout the design. In fact, we’re pleased to have an 80% recycling rate at our Bankside development, which is nearly double the average recycling rate in England based on 2021 statistics.
The building has been designed with flexibility and adaptability in mind, which means it can accommodate different use types in the future.
Procurement
For our Bankside development, we committed to sourcing all of the main construction materials from the UK or Europe. By using this construction management procurement method, we were able to have more control over the quality and location of the materials that were used.
This allowed us to:
- Further reduce the embodied carbon throughout construction by 11% through sourcing materials closer to the development
- increase percentages of recycled content in the steel and blockwork
- Increase percentages of cement replacement
- Reduce emissions throughout construction
Intrigued by our efforts towards sustainability?
If you’re looking to make the change to a carbon net zero office space, download our brochure or get in touch with our friendly team today to discuss your requirements and book a tour.
Don’t forget to stay up-to-date with the latest news and developments by visiting our blog.
