University building is BREEAM ‘Outstanding’
The first higher-education building in the UK to achieve a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating for both design-stage and post-construction review is the Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts (LICA). Hoare Lea was mechanical, electrical and public-health engineer for the project and worked closely with Lancaster University as the client and the project team, which included architect Sheppard Robson, to achieve this rating.
From the outset of this £10 million project there was a focus on passive design to reduce energy demand. Pre-fabricated and cross-laminated timber construction provides high levels of air tightness and contributes to low U-values — which were central to achieving an Energy Performance Asset Rating of 21 and a Band A Energy Performance Certificate.
Other features include solar PV and rainwater harvesting, energy sub-metering and lighting controls Sanitary fittings are designed for low water consumption, there is a 75%-efficient thermal wheel and a link to the campus CHP district-heating system.
Mike Swindlehurst, the university’s director of facilities, said, ‘We see BREEAM as the yardstick for the environmental performance of our buildings and the effect they have on the wider environment. Central to the success of the LICA project was the collaborative approach embraced by Hoare Lea and the project team. This enabled the delivery of a truly “Outstanding” building that fully meets our commitment to sustainability.’
