The Interface Award for Design and Architecture was presented to VolkerFitzpatrick's new corporate head office by Sustain' Magazine at their recent conference. Commending both VolkerFitzpatrick and the building's architects Black Architecture, the magazine said the building "stands as a benchmark model for the successful integration of design, sustainability and energy performance", the fifth award for sustainability which the building has received.
Commenting on the award, VolkerFitzpatrick's Director of Sustainability Ted Pilbeam said "These awards are a testament to the way we place sustainability at the heart of our business practices. Reducing our environmental impact - in particular our carbon footprint - through improving sustainability is a central to the way we work".
Mr. Pilbeam went on to explain that compared to a conventional commercial property, the building produces only one-third of the carbon emissions. Other features of the building include hot water heated through solar panels, ground source heat pumps and rainwater harvesting.
Previous awards for the building include The Sustainable Building of the Year presented by Building Magazine in November 08, Sustainable Building Development of the Year at The Sustainable Building Services Awards, also in November 08. The building also won sustainability awards at both The 2008 Brick Awards and The Institution of Civil Engineers 2008 Merit Awards.
The building contains the following energy saving features: