Project Overview

The Living Planet Centre is the headquarters and visitor centre for WWF UK and opened in 2013. The project aimed to created a state-of-the-art building with minimal environmental impact, through the smart use of design, materials and technology.

Highlights

  • Rated BREEAM Outstanding (score of 90%)
  • 42% embodied carbon reduction across the whole life of the building
  • 99% of construction waste diverted from landfill
  • Energy use was less than 162kWh/m2 in 2018

Approaches Used

  • Enhanced daylighting coupled with daylight control for artificial lighting
  • Glass around the building optimises natural light with external shading to block unwanted heat gain
  • Energy efficient appliances and LED lighting are used where required
  • Mixed-mode ventilation with heat recovery in winter, openable windows and wind cowls for natural ventilation
  • Concrete around the building and ‘Energain’ insulation in the roof capture heat during the day and release it back into the building as it cools.
  • On-site 100 kWp photovoltaics (PV) and ground source heat pump (GSHP) with zero ODP refrigerant provide 150kWp of cooling and 160kWp of heating. The PV and GSHP provide 53% carbon reduction and on average the PV panels generate 15% of the electricity.
  • Ground-air heat exchanger (GAHE) of six concrete pipes, 0.9m diameter buried 1m below car park, with lengths that vary from 60m to 90m. Total length approximately 450m.
  • Off-site electricity supply from ThamesWey Energy’s local combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Woking.
  • Offsetting energy use and business travel using the Gold Standard accredited offsetting scheme.
  • Whole life carbon analysis was produced and the project used advanced carbon accounting in construction. Every RFI had to include embodied carbon impacts for evaluation against cost and technical assessment

Related members

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