University College of Estate Management achieves BREEAM Excellent rating

The University College of Estate Management achieves highest level of sustainability with BREEAM Excellent rating.

A BREEAM Excellent rating has been awarded to the University College of Estate Management (ECEM), for the refurbishment of its new premises, showcasing the highest levels of sustainability.

ECEM, a provider of supported online learning for Built environment professionals, placed sustainability within the BREEAM assessment criteria at the centre of the plans, which saw the college receive the highest scores in the education sector, and one of the highest scores recorded under the Refurbishment and Fit Out Scheme in the UK, since it was introduced in 2014.

The education provider moved from its four decades of operation at the University of Reading’s Whiteknights Campus, into a new location in the town centre.

UCEM Principal Ashley Wheaton said: “After more than 40 years of occupation at Whiteknights we saw the move as a significant milestone in our history, reflecting our independence as an academic institution with our own degree awarding powers and progression to full university college status.”

The Principal of UCEM, agreed with his team that along with the new headquarters being in Reading, a vital brief would be to create a building that was environmentally friendly and fit for the future.

Following an intensive search, the team found a three storey 1980s building at 60 Queen’ Road in Reading, with the contracts exchanged in August 2015.

Work on the refurbishment began in January 2016.

“Even though we were up against deadlines we wanted to achieve the best in sustainable design and technology, so we looked at BREEAM accreditation as a model for achieving our goals. The next step was assembling a team that would bring all of the elements together, from sourcing materials to applying energy efficient technologies and recyclability,” added Wheaton.

The team included fit-out specialists Overbury, property programme managers Taurus, environmental consultants Hilson Moran, and BREEAM assessor and advisor Anna Scally at GVA Acuity.

The new building features a whole host of technologies from fabric improvements such as refrigerant flow air conditioning, photovoltaic panels, insulated cavity walls, time controlled LEDs and a raft of energy saving devices.

All stages of the fit-out was documented, recorded and assessed, right from the transportation of the materials from the factory to the building sight, including storage and distribution, KPI sheets confirming monitoring – the recording and reporting of transport of construction materials and waste accommodation and fuel consumption and carbon dioxide.

This was all included in the BREEAM evidence.

Joe Croft, Project Manager at Overbury, said: “With a total area of 2,118m2 the project aimed to be one of the few certified to BREEAM’s Refurbishment and Fit Out Scheme 2014 – including new aspects such as direct recycling of waste from site back to manufacturer. The client wanted to demonstrate international excellence in sustainable refurbishment to both students and academia, with the aim of influencing future best practice in industry.”

 

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