Embargo – 12:01 Thursday 28 May 2009
Press release issued by the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - 2009/6
Environment Centre Wales wins Sustainability Award
The iconic Environment Centre Wales building in Bangor has won the RICS Wales 2009 Sustainability Award.
Officially opened in 2008 by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the building houses Environment Centre for Wales: a partnership venture between the Natural Environment Research Council's Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) and Bangor University. The Centre enables environmental scientists from the two organisations to work more closely, providing a focal point for environmental research and training in Wales. This also presents fresh research opportunities spanning environmental sciences, to develop new sustainable approaches to managing both the land and sea.
"We are delighted that this project has won the Wales Award. The project has succeeded in providing excellent functional spaces in an extremely appealing building. There was a very strong emphasis on environmental sustainability in the building's design, construction and operation. This success confirms the project's intent to be a shining example of environmental construction," said Professor Merfyn Jones, Bangor University's Vice Chancellor.
"The project has provided a distinguished architectural contribution to Bangor’s townscape. Attractive local slate and native oak cladding from sustainable woodlands reflect the building's environment. It sits in landscaped grounds with native tree species, native grassland and wild flowers. Sustainability runs through every aspect of this building, from the science that goes on inside, to recycling," added Professor Bridget Emmett, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bangor Head of Site.
The Environment Centre Wales building will now represent Wales at the international final of the prestigious awards in October 2009.
The building was designed and built with the environment in mind. All the materials used in the building have been selected for their low environmental cost and the highest standard of durability.
The design of the Environment Centre enables around 50% of its heat, light and electricity to be generated by natural means. Photovoltaic panels on the roof generate electricity from sunlight, and a ground-source heat pump air-conditions the building using minimal energy. A combined heat and power plant increases the efficiency of the use of fossil fuels for heating and hot water. Extensive rainwater harvesting provides a constant supply of grey water to all toilets and services which do not require treated water, while passive ventilation throughout the building ensures the more effective use of heat and more efficient cooling in summer.
The design also facilitates interaction and addressed the needs and wishes of the people who work in the building for natural light and better ventilation.
Purpose built in 2007 at a cost of £5.8M, the building was designed by architects, Fairhursts Design Group, to comply with the highest environmental assessment rating from the Building Research Establishment (BRE) for its design and construction elements.
Ends
Notes to Editors
For further information contact the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology press office.
Click here to read more information about the building.
The Environment Centre Wales provides fresh opportunities for research spanning the boundaries of terrestrial, freshwater and marine sciences, to develop new approaches to managing both the land and sea in a sustainable way. Additional funding was invested by NERC to demonstrate many aspects of environmental and sustainable construction.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) is the pre-eminent organisation of its kind in the world. The annual RICS awards celebrate built and natural environment projects that demonstrate excellence in the categories: Regeneration, Building Conservation, Community Benefit and Sustainability and a commitment to value for money and sustainability.
Bangor University celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, and has a long record of academic excellence. It currently has 11,000 students and offers 500 degree programmes, with particular strengths in the fields of Environmental Science (including Ocean Sciences), Health (including Psychology, Neuroscience and Sports Science), Humanities, Physical Sciences, Business, Law, Social Sciences and Education. It is a research-led university, and the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise demonstrated that it had ‘world-leading’ research in every subject area assessed, and in Accounting & Finance was judged to have the highest-rated research in the UK. With 2,000 members of staff, Bangor University is a major employer in North Wales and a leading contributor to the regional economy.
The Natural Environment Research Council funds world-class science in universities and their own research centres that increases knowledge and understanding of the natural world. They are tackling the 21st century’s major environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity and natural hazards. They lead in providing independent research and training in environmental sciences. The Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) is a wholly-owned research centre of the Natural Environment Research Council and the UK's Centre of Excellence for integrated research in the land and freshwater environmental sciences. CEH provides National Capability based on innovative, independent and interdisciplinary science and long-term environmental monitoring. CEH has five research sites located across the UK with the site in Wales located in the award-winning ECW building in Bangor.
The BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) is one of the world’s leading systems for assessing the range of environmental impacts associated with buildings. From the outset, the goal for the ECW building was to achieve an ‘Excellent’ rating for its design, which uses ‘A’ grade materials, energy efficiency measures, natural light and renewable energy technologies.
