There’s set to be a brand-new six-storey office at Didsbury Technology Park – Ev0 – which will be one of the most sustainable workspaces in the UK. The 82,000 sq ft timber-framed building will aim for the highest standards of sustainability, both during construction and in operation, the developer said.
Ev0 will be looking to achieve a 5.5-star NABERS rating and an ‘Excellent’ certification from BREEAM, as well as meet the LETI 2020 design target for upfront carbon, the RIBA 2025 performance targets on whole-life carbon and the UK Green Building Council’s Paris Proof operational energy use targets.
Once complete, Bruntwood aims to generate 94% of the energy required to operate the building on site, with the remaining energy requirements fulfilled by a recently acquired wind farm in Ayrshire.
Ev0 will use design to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the building, with energy generated on-site at a number of locations, including the facades, the roof and the car park – all acting as a series of mini power plants.
The development will use low-carbon materials such as mass timber and low carbon concrete in its construction. Wood will be used in the design due to its ability to capture and store carbon, ensuring it is not released back into the atmosphere until the end of its life.
Bruntwood Works also plans to open an on-site café, which will open at weekends for use by the wider community, customers and businesses.
“Sustainability runs through the heart of everything we do at Bruntwood Works and the development of Ev0 will be a major milestone on our net-zero journey,” said Ciara Keeling, chief executive at Bruntwood Works.
“Now, more than ever, it’s important for businesses to be taking affirmative action to reduce their carbon footprint. That also means being fully transparent when it comes to presenting data and assessments, so it was important to us to create an authentically net-zero carbon workspace.”
A consultation on the scheme is open now, and planning applications are expected sometime this summer, with completion slated for April 2024.
