Pall Mall

A deep retrofit of a Grade II listed building in Manchester City Centre targeting a 74% reduction in Energy Use Intensity.
Climate Change Adaptation Climate Change Mitigation Health, Wellbeing and Social Value Advancing Net Zero Circular Economy Case Studies

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Project Overview

*This case study is featured in UKGBC’s report, Building the Case for Net Zero: Retrofitting Office Buildings

Pall Mall is located on King St and sits in the heart of Manchester City Centre. Originally constructed in 1969, it is Grade II listed and was acquired by Bruntwood in October 2021 having sat mostly vacant for four years.

Once retrofitted, the property will include 85,000 sqft of office and hospitality space across three interlinked tower blocks. As part of the redevelopment, the glazing and building services are being replaced alongside a complete internal refurbishment to upgrade the building to modern sustainability standards, attract tenants with strong sustainability credentials, and increase the rental value.

Initially, the planning application to upgrade the glazing on the listed building was refused, however, following comprehensive energy modelling and the development of net zero targets, building consent was successfully obtained. The terms of the consent mean that the replacement curtain walling must replicate the existing layout and the mosaic tiling on the cores must remain untouched, resulting in a slightly compromised building fabric performance. However, a significant reduction in energy demand is still predicted to be achieved resulting in a  74% reduction in Energy Use Intensity (EUI), an EPC rating from G to A, a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating, and a +100% increase in rental value

Whole life cycle carbon was a fundamental driver for the retrofit. The decision to retain the building and perform a deep retrofit was determined through a detailed assessment, balancing operational and embodied carbon. The following graphs show the outcome of the decision-making process.

Company name

Bruntwood, Sheppard Robson, Ramboll, Deloitte, Dragonfly

Location

UK

UK availability

Yes

Date added

Jan, 2024

Completion date

Early 2025

Project partners

Client: Bruntwood Architect: Sheppard Robson MEP & Sustainability Consultant: Ramboll Planning Consultant: Deloitte Main Contractor: Dragonfly

Project status

Construction

Project size

85,000sqft NIA

Case Studies submitted by

Bruntwood
Sheppard Robson
Ramboll

Key sustainability objectives and outcomes

Operational energy performance

The key sustainability target for Pall Mall was that it is net zero in operation with low energy consumption. The aim was for all electricity supplied to the building to be derived from renewable sources, and intelligent building management technology will also be incorporated throughout to ensure energy use is optimised.

A switch from gas heating to hybrid variable refrigerant flow (HVRF), with an air source heat pump (ASHP) serving domestic hot water and air handling unit (AHU) coils will dramatically reduce the overall carbon emissions and set the building on a trajectory for zero carbon as the grid emissions reduce. Note that achieving the ‘Paris Proof Targets’ as set out in UKGBC guidance was not possible due to the existing nature of the building and the listed status, as certain elements of the fabric were required to remain, however, a 74% EUI reduction is predicted. A focus on air tightness and façade replacement, within the constraints of the listed building status provided a significant energy consumption improvement.

Resource use and circular economy

The fit-out uses circular economy approaches by utilising recycled and reclaimed furniture and materials for timber partitions and reclaimed raised access floors. Through retaining the existing structure, Bruntwood has avoided the need to rebuild which is estimated to have resulted in approximately 7,900 tonnes of additional carbon emitted – equivalent to around 16,000 flights from London to New York.

Climate change adaptation

The new façade and glazing system has been designed to limit the solar gain to the building and thus limit the energy required to cool it. At the same time, it will allow the building to respond to increasing external temperatures over time.

Health, well-being and social value

The site contained an existing external area of public realm that was under-utilised and a target for anti-social behaviour, therefore the space was redesigned to create a vibrant amenity area and linked to the retail space within the building.

Lessons learnt

  • Significant reductions in operational carbon can be achieved for Grade II listed buildings despite planning constraints
  • Retrofitting results in much lower embodied carbon compared to new build in this scenario
  • Having data on operational carbon and a clear net zero strategy can assist in gaining planning approval
Copyright: Architype/Jack Hobhouse
Copyright: Architype/Jack Hobhouse
Copyright: Architype/Soren Kristensen
Copyright: Architype/Soren Kristensen
Copyright: Architype/Soren Kristensen

Related members

Bruntwood

Sheppard Robson

Ramboll

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