Energy, sustainability & climate changeA look at some of the facts, and what needs to be done.

InsideFocus on Health Care �Old Park Primary School �Energy Targets �

NEw OffIcE Latest on our new Grade II listed office in Stourbridge, completely renovated and sympathetically restored to its former glory.

BBLBnewSIssue 4, December 2009 Vision / Commitment / Skills & Expertise / Delivery

Meanwhile the European Union is looking for a 20% cut in total energy consumption (not just electricity) by 2020. Britain is supposed to produce 10% of its electricity from renewable sources (wind and tide, etc) by 2010, 15% by 2015 and 20% by 2020. At the moment we are managing just 4%. At the same time, it proposes a 26-32% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020, and 60% by 2050 (both against a 1990 baseline). In the UK electricity is generated by power stations from the following sources:

55% are powered by Gas �30% are fuelled by Coal (over 30% of �which are due to close in the next 10 years as they do not meet EU regulations)13% are Nuclear (80% of which will close �by 2023)2% are powered by Renewable Sources �

The UK is the World’s 4th largest producer of gas. Over the last 40 years we have produced nearly 2,000 billion cubic metres of gas and believe that there are up to 1,500 billion cubic metres still to be recovered, but production is falling at over 2% per annum. The UK used to export coal and North Sea gas but today 80% of our coal and 15% of our gas is now imported. Having access to our own gas reserves has contributed greatly to the UK’s wealth. The industry has generated tens of thousands of jobs, as well as investment and tax revenues worth many billions of pounds. It has enhanced the UK’s self-sufficiency in energy and strengthened our security of energy supply – Is this all about to change?

Currently 80% of all the EU gas supply is imported from Russia. With the UK being the last stop on the pipeline from Russia and their continuing conflict with the Ukraine (first on the pipeline) the passage of gas to Western Europe is always threatened.

consider thisIt is frightening to think that as our natural resources decline and the need for energy increases (in spite of EU looking to reduce energy consumption), the majority of power

and energy the UK requires is generated by gas; and as 4th largest producer of gas in the world we can no longer meet our own demand and rely on importing fuel from other countries at ever increasing prices.

With recent news that energy prices are set to increase by 60-70% in the next year, the prospect of ‘fuel poverty’ (where more than 10% of income is paid in energy bills) is greater than ever. Heating & hot water account for 60% of total energy costs in buildings. In the majority of existing buildings 30% of this energy is wasted through poorly insulated building fabric and inefficient heating systems.

At the EU Member States Committee in April this year a legislative report was adopted that by 31st December 2018 all newly constructed buildings produce as much energy as they consume. – Is this really achievable? But there has never been a greater need to consider how to make buildings more sustainable.

what can the property and construction industry do to help?

To avoid the potentially disastrous effects �of runaway climate change, the global average carbon footprint needs to be less than 3 tonnes per person per year. Currently in the UK, the average is 13 tonnes per person per year.Put sustainability high on the agenda and �consider what we can do to reduce energy consumption.Work closely with our clients to introduce �a sustainable approach from the earliest stage possibleConsider the full process - Sustainable �Design, Responsible Sourcing, Best Practice sustainable technologies and working with the end user to educate them how to effectively monitor and utilise their buildingPractice what we preach - be as green as �we can be in our own company operations and at home as well as how we design & build our projects!

The Old Library, Hagley RoadStourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 1QH

Telephone: +44 (0)1384 880 550

www.bblb-architects.co.ukinfo@bblb-architects.co.uk

Did you know? Based on current trends, the world will need 50% more energy in 2030 than it does today. Energy-related emissions of greenhouse gases by then will be 55% higher. These are facts!

BY Ed Baverstock Partner

We hope that you will enjoy reading the Winter issue of BBLB News.

In addition to pieces about BBLB and our projects we have also included articles about topical subjects which we hope will be of interest to you. If anyone else in your organisation would like to receive a copy please let us know.

If there is anything you would like more details on, or you are interested to find out more about how BBLB could assist you with current or upcoming projects, please call Debbie Ward on telephone: 01384 880550 .

Residential UpdateYMcA, Birmingham

The flagship redevelopment of the YMCA at Reservoir Road, Erdington is now underway and progressing well on site. The steel frame is well advanced and the ‘thin joint’ masonry construction has commenced.

The project will deliver both new living accommodation - to Code for Sustainable Homes level 4 - and enhanced community facilities, with the aim of providing a scheme to promote social support systems and commercial enterprise projects.

wELcOME TO ThE wINTER IssUE Of

BBLBnewS

Energy, sustainabilityand climate change

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The Old Library, stourbridgeThe former Stourbridge Design and Technical College has been renovated and sympathetically restored.

Earlier this year the BBLB Partners saw their vision become a reality when the Old Library refurbishment was completed and BBLB moved into our new Stourbridge offices. Our new office, with 24,500sq ft of accommodation, brings all the staff under one roof and provides a more central location close to rail and road networks.

The benefits to the practice have already been apparent. We are now able to have greater flexibility to resource projects across the practice and reinforce our collective strength. Staff from the two previous offices in Bridgnorth and Redditch are able to work more effectively and in closer collaboration; sharing skills, knowledge and expertise.

RenovationThe Grade II fabric of the building has been renovated and sympathetically restored to its former glory in close collaboration with the local authority’s conservation officers. Whilst many of the original materials and features have been retained, a contemporary injection

of interior design and space planning has created a stunning modern office environment.

The Old Library is one of the most important buildings in Stourbridge town centre, and having undergone a state of the art renovation the Library is once more a ‘living space’ having stood as an empty shell for two years.

historyThe Old Library was built in 1905 and financed by Andrew Carnegie, at the time the richest man in the world. He was the ultimate philanthropist, giving away $350 million during his lifetime to causes around the world, particularly for public libraries, which he saw as a means of self education for the common man.

The building does not have conventional foundations but is built directly onto the sandstone bedrock that is a feature of the Stourbridge area. In the 1930’s an extension was built to the library, including the distinctive clock tower, but it is not obvious to tell newer parts from the original structure.

“The Library is once more a ‘living space’ having stood as an empty shell for two years.”

CONSERVATION

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craven Arms community centreThe newly extended and refurbished craven Arms community centre has now been completed.

West Midlands

since the launch of the revised and updated version of BRE’s Green Guide (owned by the BRE Trust) last year, it has become clear that it has made much more impact in the marketplace than its predecessors.

This is partly because the Green Guide is referenced in the Government’s Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) and also because of the increasing profile of sustainability in all construction issues. Significantly, the CSH has a mandatory credit ensuring that no dwelling has more than two E rated elements, therefore requiring all new dwellings to be fully assessed if they wish to obtain a CSH rating.

Both the CSH and BREEAM are non-prescriptive systems that focus on the whole building’s overall sustainability performance. For the embodied impacts of materials, both the CSH and BREEAM use the Green Guide as the means to rate materials for credits.

The Green Guide is based on ISO methodologies for life cycle assessment that look at the whole life cycle of materials from extraction (cradle) to end of life (grave). It considers 13 different criteria, including global warming, water consumption, resource extraction and effects on ecosystems, which

are weighted and added up to give a score (EcoPoints). There is a range of choices within ISO, including an option to look at future uses where recyclability (cradle-to-cradle) rather than recycled content has a greater emphasis, which can produce significantly different results. No choice is ‘more right’ than any other but the selected interpretation should be transparent and based on the goal and scope of the study.

The Green Guide gives relative performances of various building elements and so a common methodology has to be used throughout. It is important to note that if different criteria and/or weightings are used in any methodology then the relative performances of materials or products could change to a considerable degree.

The Guide looks at a range of materials or products used in a number of elements (such as walls, floors, and roofs) and assesses their overall impact, over a 60 year study period, in

EcoPoints. It then takes the overall impact of the best and the worst results for a particular element and building type, and divides the gap between them into six equal bands, E to A+. The other results are then fitted into these bands. This is why there can be uneven distributions of scores, with some elements having most in the A and A+ bands whereas other elements may have a more even spread. Materials or products not getting A or A+ ratings in the Green Guide can still be, and already are, part of buildings achieving high levels in the CSH or BREEAM.

The Construction Products Association and the BRE Trust Group would like to move towards a system where the scores of each material/product are added up at the whole building level, rather like energy performance, ideally through the CAD system. This could be done using the EcoPoints system that underlies the Green Guide. The BRE Trust’s Envest system offers such an approach but further work is required before it fully addresses these needs. Further information available at www.bre.co.uk, the Green Guide is also available online at www.thegreenguide.org.uk

The Community Centre works commenced on site in June 2008 and comprised: New Conference Facilities, Training Kitchen, Meeting Rooms, Extended Day Nursery, New Entrance and Art Gallery, and the refurbishment of the original building.

The remodelling and new extensions have been planned and designed to improve not only the facilities but the legibility of the Centre. A profiled and cantilevered zinc roof highlights the main entrance to the centre from the A49. The covered approach into a linear gallery space leads the visitor through to the new reception and internet café. The new extension

is more contemporary in style than the original building, designed to be more expressive and provide a stronger identity for the centre. An open day was held earlier this year with over 200 members of the public visiting the centre with new bookings being made for the extended facilities. The centre has always had strong local support and the facilities now on offer should guarantee a successful future for the building.

The project was funded by Advantage West Midlands and the European Regional Development Fund via Shropshire Partnership.

The Guide looks at a range of materials... and assesses their overall impact, over a 60 year study period

statement on the Green GuideFrom BRE Global and The Construction Products Association

Residential UpdateMasons way, Olton

Proposals for a high quality residential development transforming an underused car park and existing garage site, into an attractive community neighbourhood, for Waterloo Housing Association & Solihull Community Housing.

In addition to revitalising a brownfield site, the development is a sustainable location and will also use modern construction technologies & renewable energy sources including solar energy and domestic air source heat pumps.

The contemporary design responds to the character of the local area whilst distinctive detailing creates a sense of identity and cohesion for the development. The proposals are well integrated into the existing landscape which will be enhanced for improved biodiversity.

COMMUNITY

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The Government’s Building schools for the future initiative for the delivery of new schools recognises, as we do, that successful inspirational learning environments are delivered through high quality, sustainable design and the integration of community and academia.

We understand that spaces need to be flexible and responsive to create aspirational spaces which are driven by the establishments’ aspirations for learning and teaching, and the users’ experience. The focus on pedagogy and andragogy, or in other words ‘teacher’ or ‘learner’ focused learning, depends on the age group and learning establishment. However whether it is a SEN, nursery, primary, secondary school or academy the architecture will always be the result of our People - Process - Place philosophy for delivering places for learning. It is our vision to provide excellence in education through stakeholder engagement, understanding and delivery of high quality,

Innovative design and all of our education projects are based on the following key design principles:

Site layouts that consider future proofing �and a strategy for change. Safe and defined entrance with strong �links to the wider community. Implementing principles of sustainable �design. Building layouts that offer faculty or subject �based suites of spaces. Creating learning environments within �classroom bases allowing personalised learning for all. Flexible internal and external space that �encourages interaction and collaborative learning. An inclusive approach to ICT. �Innovative architectural and considered �landscape design.

Our buildings are designed from the inside out using the creative design itself as a lever for change in educational standards and delivery.

all public sector clients, such as local authorities and Government departments, to use the framework to deliver schemes such as leisure centres, schools and social housing, that can be located on the same site as health facilities.

£1bn Express LIfT frameworkCommunity Health Partnerships (CHP) was established to deliver LIFT (Local Improvement Finance Trust), a national programme of public/private joint ventures designed “to provide clean, modern, purpose-built premises, integrating health and local authority services”. Under the existing LIFT scheme there are 47 LIFT company public-private partnerships covering around half of England’s population. Although it has generated over £1500m in investment, the scheme still

leaves many Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) without an agreement with a LIFT company to improve health facilities in their area.

The new LIFT scheme has been expanded across the rest of the NHS in England through the new £1bn ‘Express’

framework, and aims to extend access to the NHS LIFT programme to at least another 70 Primary Care Trusts. It has been designed to reduce the time and cost involved aiming to speed up the delivery of primary care facilities by reducing procurement time just a few months, rather than the years seen on conventional LIFT projects. The seven winning consortiums on the Express LIFT framework are Odyssey Healthcare (Babcock & Brown/Ashley House/GSL UK); Community Solutions for Primary Care (Morgan Sindall); Express LIFT Investments Ltd (Anagennao Ltd/Cyril Sweett/ Sutton Harbour Holdings); Equity Solutions; Eric Wright Group; Fulcrum Infrastructure Group; and Prime Plc.

The proposal is that the framework will run for two years with an option for the Department of Health to extend this for a further two years. Further information can be found at www.dh.gov.uk and www.communityhealthpartnerships.co.uk

focus on health care

Designing Buildings for Education

with Government plans well underway to bring forward small and medium-sized capital schemes as a way of kick-starting the economy, the public sector is a major focus for many in the property & construction industry. One area that has had two new initiatives is the healthcare sector.

The NHS LIFT programme is going nationwide, and aims to double its reach to all 152 Primary Care Trusts in England; and ProCure21 which currently covers publicly funded healthcare facilities could be expanded into social care, housing and education schemes under the new ProCure21+ framework.

New £4bn Procure21+ contractProCure21+ is the replacement framework to be implemented immediately after the existing ProCure21 framework comes to an end in September 2010. The existing £2.9bn NHS ProCure21 framework will be expanded to a new £4bn ProCure21+ contract and could see its workload double under plans to allow

child Development centre for the local Primary Care Trust in Telford

ProCure21 is a procurement method for publicly funded NHS Capital Schemes

BY Debbie ward Business Development Manager

BY Ed Baverstock Partner

The Avon Valley school & Performing Arts college

Pershore college

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BBLB INHOUSE

Earlier this year the Local Service Centre opened its doors to the people of Stoke on Trent providing an iconic public building at the heart of Stoke forming part of its historic heritage trail. Councillor Mohammed Pervez (Deputy Elected Major of Stoke on Trent City council) at the opening ceremony said: “Welcome to the city’s greenest building. Providing easy access to council services and boosting local regeneration.”

BBLB Architects have worked closely in partnership with the City of Stoke on Trent and the Carillion design team to help provide the city with a sustainable environmentally friendly building that demonstrates the use of low to zero carbon technology and considered passive design measures which have helped the LSC achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating from the BRE and has secured a Carbon Trust grant at design stage to help fund the project.

At every opportunity we have looked at design solutions to improve the energy efficiency of the building. Such as reducing the amount of energy needed for heating and lighting by utilising the sun through passive solar energy and incorporating canopy shading to prevent

overheating. The building minimises the demand for energy by providing natural ventilation, good day lighting and high levels of insulation.

Working with the Carbon Trust we secured additional funding for the project to incorporate a number of technologies which have helped the building achieve its ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating these include Ground Source Heat Pumps, Photovoltaic Panels, Solar Thermal Panels and Rainwater Harvesting.

Additionally Redhouse Lane are producing a series of five short films for Carbon Trust. The films focus on five different organisations who have implemented low carbon technologies. Carbon Trust are showcasing developments which have successfully applied low carbon technologies, one of which is the flagship Stoke LSC refurbishment.

Local services centreThe greenest building in Stoke-on-Trent!

staff Profiles

favourite piece of ArchitectureFalling Waters by Frank Lloyd Wright. A cliché perhaps but for a good reason. A powerful, romantic integration of Man and Nature to create an iconic “home” and not just a sterile “house”

hobbies and InterestsSquash, reading and cricket.

why I joined the IndustryFailed physics and took a job which fitted my qualifications. Ultimately a happy and serendipitous coincidence.

favourite piece of ArchitectureThe Museum of Contemporary Art, Barcelona by Richard Meir. A great building by a great Architect in the most unlikely part of Barcelona. I would also love to visit the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao by Frank Gehry.

hobbies and InterestsAll racket sports, golf & cycling. I am music mad, going to as many gigs as possible. I also love football and rugby when I get the opportunity.

why I joined the IndustryI have always enjoyed drawing and art from an early age. Coming from a family of builders, gas engineers, electricians and carpenters I was encouraged to stay off the tools and pursue my love for drawing and design.

Mark cowley, Associate

Terry Bolton, Partner

SUSTAINABILITY

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Enfield Power station

Dronfield foundry

BBLB has worked with E.ON to provide two buildings on site at Enfield Power Station in North London.

A new steel two storey office building has been designed and linked to existing accommodation to provide additional offices and meeting rooms with a new entrance to the whole office facility.

In addition to this, a new contemporary gatehouse building had been designed which reflects the style of the new office building in order to welcome visitors whilst providing security, meeting and exhibition space to the power station.

A new £15 million foundry for Willliam Lee Ltd has been completed at Dronfield near Chesterfield to compliment the existing 3 foundries already operating on the site.

The new building consists of 5200m² of foundry space together with 1040m² of office and ancillary accommodation with ‘state of the art’ machinery being imported from Germany.

This scheme was set up as a fast track project and all parties signed up to the ethos with the result that commissioning of the furnaces took place in some 10 months from start to finish.

This timescale could not have been met without meticulous planning which included pre-ordering the steel frame to importing ‘state of the art’ moulding lines and furnaces from Germany.

corporatesocial Responsibilityharris houseBarnardo’s Harris House provides support to families who have disabled children with very specific needs and who require intensive care.Currently, Harris House offers professional advice and support as well as the use of a fully equipped sensory room and toy library facility.

BBLB, Turner & Townsend, Fitzpatrick and WYG committed to raising enough money over a twelve month period (summer 08 - summer 09) to pay for a bespoke playground which meets the specific requirements of the disabled children who will access the new facilities at the Harris House site.

The team at BBLB have assisted with raising funds for Harris House through ‘Jeans Fridays’, coffee mornings and raffles and two of our team, Gary and Ryan, also got stuck in to some gardening and clearing work on the Volunteer Day.

COMMERCIAL

COMMERCIAL

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The development comprises 156 dwellings made up in the main of houses together with some apartments. The key design driver was the site’s long canal frontage.The main access road is positioned to permit both canal and road frontage and is designed on home zone principles.

A cross axis at mid point introduces a wide boulevard leading to and opening up vistas to the canal with integrated parking bays, formal tree planting and fronted both sides by terraced three storey town houses framing the vista.

The development responds to current thinking promoted by CABE and Manual for Streets. The scheme secured Outline Planning Approval at the recent planning meeting.

Brettell Lane, Brierley Hill

BBLB architects llp www.bblb-architects.co.uk Printed on 50% recycled paper

EDUCATION

RESIDENTIAL

Old Park Primary school, MalinsleeAmalgamation of two schools, designed to accomodate 450 pupilsOld Park Primary school was a new facility following the amalgamation of Langley street st Leonards Primary and Malinslee Primary school.

The school was designed to accommodate 450 pupils and has a circular central hall and

dining facilities and four wings forming a cross in plan.

Three of the wings accomodate teaching spaces and administration and the final wing has a nursery and community facilities which includes a small sports hall. External spaces

were very important and there is a number of stimulating environments. Part of the external space is protected by a membrane canopy for all year round use of the space.