Winners and shortlisted entries
Winner of the Most Sustainable Construction Award
Woodside Leisure Centre, Watford
Client: Watford Borough Council
Architect: Studio E Architects
The Watford Woodside Leisure Centre project was completed in March 2008 and involved the regeneration and extension of an existing 1970’s sports centre. It demonstrates how low-energy design can be incorporated into refurbishment projects while achieving low energy aspirations. The decision to ‘regenerate’ rather than demolish the existing centre enabled the ‘recycling’ of the existing building’s steel frame, concrete substructure and external envelope, allowing the construction of a larger and more sustainable facility.
The design principles were lean and green: energy demand is reduced through passive and best-practice measures before energy is provided from low/zero carbon sources. For example a heat transfer system recycles heat from used shower water and pool water backwash, thereby significantly reducing hot water demand. Where possible the potential of the sun and the earth have been harvested to provide as much as possible of the remaining energy needs; 42% of the overall annual heating demand is extracted from the ground, via a ground source heat pump, while rainwater harvesting has reduced the WC water demand by 60%.
Overall, resource efficiency at Watford has reduced carbon emissions by at least 270 tonnes p.a. and the building is expected to outperform building regulations by at least 35%, giving lasting energy and cost savings.
Isabel McAllister, Hertfordshire Building Futures Awards judge, said: “Traditionally leisure centres are energy-intensive facilities because of the energy needed to regulate pool temperature and air condition fitness suites. Woodside is a rare low-energy example of a leisure centre, proving that it is possible to re-think design in a way that is greener without sacrificing user comfort.”
Winner of the Design Excellence Award
John F. Kennedy RC School extension, Hemel Hempstead
Client: Archdiocese of Westminster
Architects: Perkins Ogden
The John F. Kennedy RC School identified a need for a new sports and teaching facility which would cater for music, drama, sport, art and learning difficulties. To accommodate this need a new building was constructed, together with the refurbishment and alteration of existing rooms.
Key design elements were focused at enhancing the accessibility, enjoyment and functionality of the school for its users. The immediate area around the new building and around the spinney has been upgraded, with all three of its principal entrances designed to be welcoming and easily distinguished.
The new building is unashamedly modern but at the same time low key. Timber is used both internally & externally to compliment & reflect the adjacent woodland. It has been designed to increase DCSF space standards, with several areas intended to be flexible in use, e.g. the art gallery and sports hall is the same space.
Jeremy Caulton, Hertfordshire Building Futures Awards judge, said: “The innovative dual use of space at John F. Kenny School is pleasing as it allows the school to make the most of its resources. The use of timber in the school’s construction perfectly complements its setting and ensures that its fresh, modern design blends into its environment.”
Winner of the Outstanding Commitment to Adapt to a Changing Climate Award
The Wine Society Warehouse, Stevenage
Client: The Wine Society
Architects: Vincent and Gorbing Associates
The design of this warehouse responds to the requirement for minimal heating and cooling equipment with the resultant reduction in energy consumption. This is principally achieved by the use of the exterior wall cladding material Hemcrete, which offers excellent insulation properties and maintains a stable internal air temperature throughout hot summers and cold winters. The storage of large volumes of wine (liquid) at a low temperature provides an excellent source of thermal mass which contributes to the steady-state environment.
This warehouse is the first building of its type in the UK to use off site construction techniques involving pre-formed wall panels and the energy saving material Hemcrete. Hemcrete is a mixture of hemp stalk and modified lime. It is a new product and can reverse the damaging effects of greenhouse gases by locking up harmful CO2 emissions within wall construction. The hemp is grown and harvested in the UK.
The steel truss framed building provides structural support for the large prefabricated Hemcrete panels. The distribution warehouse is naturally lit by the use of Kalwall, a glass fibre insulating panel which offers up to 50% light transmission. The combination of internal Hemcrete wall panels, exterior composite panels, Kalwall and a highly insulated roofing system provides an insulated internal space which exceeds current Building Regulations.
Professor David Strong, Hertfordshire Building Futures Awards judge, said: “This building is a trailblazer - Hemcrete is a product that will take on ever-increasing importance over the coming years if we are to hit the carbon reduction standards set by the government.”
Short listed entries
Most sustainable construction
Howe Dell School, Hatfield
Client: Hertfordshire County Council
Architect: Capita/Ruddle Wilkinson
Commended for integrating sustainability into the curriculum through the use of the school’s built environment
Commissioned by Hertfordshire County Council, the Howe Dell School and Children’s Centre in Hatfield has been designed as a carbon neutral building, with sustainability embedded throughout. It is the first eco school of its kind, exhibiting a number of firsts in the technologies used.
Officially opened in March 2008, the school features a full range of integrated sustainable and environmental principles. It is the first building to incorporate a revolutionary heating system (Inter-seasonal Heat Transfer - IHT) that captures heat energy from the sun via a collection pipe network and releases it to provide heating during the winter months. Likewise, a TermoDeck system (a specialist heating/cooling and ventilating system that uses the structure of the building to stabilise the internal environment) stores energy from cold winter nights to keep the building cool in summer.
In addition to solar thermal water heating, the school incorporates a range of renewable energy technologies: a ‘living’ sedum green roof to help insulate the building and promote biodiversity; a photovoltaic array; and a wind turbine that exports surplus electricity produced to the national grid. Internally, the building utilises a mechanical and natural ventilation strategy to improve oxygen levels and aid concentration; low energy auto-dimming lighting; rainwater harvesting; linoleum, natural rubber and bamboo flooring; sensor operated taps and sink tops and splash backs made from recycled yogurt pots.
It has been predicted that the school’s IHT system will emit just 5,000kg of CO2, compared to 11,300kg for a comparably sized heating system. Monitoring has shown that energy consumption on an average afternoon is approximately 11Kw while up to 23Kw can be generated on site. The integration of the building's BMS computer with the curriculum computer system means that students can monitor the building's performance and the energy/resources being used or generated on site.
The school has achieved Green Flag status for its environmental work, thanks to its eco-curriculum and an ‘eco squad’ that makes suggestions to improve sustainability.
Dr David Strong, Hertfordshire Building Futures Awards judge, said: “We were impressed by the Howe Dell project not only because of the imaginative and, in some cases, pioneering use of new sustainable technologies, but because of the holistic approach being taken to sustainability, right through to the monitoring systems that have been implemented so that pupils can track energy use and production on the site”.
VolkerFitzpatrick Head Office, Hoddesdon
Client: VolkerFitzpatrick Ltd
Architects: Black Architecture Ltd
This new head office building, constructed from sustainably sourced materials, is built on the site of VolkerFitzpatrick's old plant yard and nestles in a clearing cut into a mature coniferous wood. As well as being aesthetically designed, in order to blend into the surrounding forest, the building exhibits a number of sustainable features, thereby reducing carbon emissions by 70%.
The building’s energy usage is assisted by ground source heating and cooling, which supplies an intelligent power system to switch off non essential equipment outside of working hours. The building’s internal lighting has automatic daylight saving controls. Efficient external solar shading and solar thermal water heating also help to reduce emissions.
The orientation of the building achieves maximum natural daylighting to all workstations, with VRF fan coil air supply to offices with localised control ensuring maximum comfort for workers. Water saving taps cut waste, with grey water systems harvesting rain water for toilet flushing and irrigation.
Materials and construction techniques were used where possible to achieve a green guide “A” rating. During construction all excavated materials were separated, graded and cleaned for re-use in the construction process, thereby minimising waste sent to landfill.
Professor David Strong, Hertfordshire Building Futures Awards judge, said: “Bright and airy, the building has been styled to blend in perfectly among the conifer trees and makes great use of a number of sustainable technologies.”
Design Excellence
Piper’s End, Letty Green
Client: Mr & Mrs Bradbury
Architects: Niall McLaughlin
Highly commended for its imaginative design
A new dwelling in the green belt built to replace a nineteenth century property, 5 Piper’s End has a steel frame with heavily insulated concrete floors and walls to provide thermal mass. It is naturally ventilated and uses a wood pellet boiler to power the underfloor heating.
The building has been designed as a Passive Solar house and uses the sun's heat to reduce heating energy use. The majority of glazing is oriented to the south and behind the timber and glass cladding the house is constructed of heavy thermal mass materials. The canopy along the south facade prevents excessive overheating from the high summer sun.
The design of the house also seeks to minimise its environmental impact by using materials with low embodied energy and low environmental toxicity wherever possible. Timber, a carbon-neutral material is used extensively throughout the building for floor coverings, external cladding and purpose-made framing to glazing.
Jeremy Caulton, Hertfordshire Building Futures Awards judge, said: “Visually arresting and set in a beautiful location, this “grand design” of a building is both startling and spectacular.”
The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead
Client: Hemel Snowcentre Ltd
Architects: Sir Robert McAlpine Design Group
Highly commended for a well considered, integrated and imaginative design
The Snow Centre is an indoor recreational facility built around the concept of real snow, with 10,500 m2 of floor space made up of 7,400 m2 of indoor ski slopes, 2,300 m2 of amenity space and 800 m2 of retail space.
The cold side snow facility includes two ski slopes; a large recreational slope with two button lifts and a smaller training slope with two rope tows. A high level service gantry running up the centre of the building holds snow making guns, blast coolers, ventilation air and lighting. At the rear of the training slope, a two storey section contains a storage facility for special ski jumps and equipment, garage facilities for the large snow grooming machine and the mechanical and electrical plant rooms. The cold side is externally clad with profiled steel sheet with contrasting curved column covers and fascias to create texture and shading to break up the facade of a very large building.
The warm side amenity building contains an entrance hall and a retail shop for Snow & Rock on the ground floor. On the first floor, the main operational facilities are located, including some management offices, ticket sales, equipment rental, and changing facilities. The warm side is externally clad with untreated larch, colour changing rock fibre panels and blue tinted glass in the windows and curtain wall to give the building a unique appearance with a limited palette of materials. A sedum “green” roof covers the entire building and extensive planting covers the site.
Barry Shaw, Hertfordshire Building Futures Awards judge, said: “The Snow Centre is an impressive structure, with a number of outstanding features that make it a strong contender in this category. The external use of fascias and contrasting columns to break up the profile of what is a very large building is extremely effective.”
Hatfield Police Station & Custody Suite, Hatfield
Client: Hertfordshire Constabulary,
Architects: Vincent and Gorbing Associates
Commended for the successful reuse of the listed art deco buildings
The redevelopment of the Hatfield Police Station & Custody Suite involved the refurbishment of two existing listed 1930s art deco buildings, and the linking of the two to provide the new main entrance to the police station.
The main principles of the design involved fully utilising the existing listed buildings as part of the overall development requirements, and fully restoring and sensitively adapting these building so they conform to modern day standards and requirements. A new focused entrance and link area has been provided between the two listed buildings (the administration and canteen buildings) and the new T-shaped Detainee Area and Police Station accommodation are positioned at the rear of the site.
The removal of the poor quality landscaping, restoration of mature trees and the reinstatement of an extensive area of grassland enable the new design to benefit from a mature landscape foreground as originally conceived.
Barry Shaw, Hertfordshire Building Futures Awards judge, said: “All of the judges were very impressed by the careful restoration of these two striking 1930s buildings. The link area, whilst modern, compliments the art deco buildings on either side. A sustainable approach has been achieved, through the repurposing of an existing building, without compromising on modern design.”
Outstanding Commitment to Adapt to a Climate Change
Eco house, 10 Broad Green, Bayford
Clients: Mr & Mrs Neilson
Architect: Dennis Sharp Architects
An extension and renovation of a 1940’s semi-detached house, this scheme goes further than building regulation standards to conserve energy and fuel and reduce CO2 emissions. An integrated design approach makes spaces dramatic, maximising on the potential of the site in terms of views, orientation and context. The eco house has been recognised for its design excellence by the Hertfordshire Association of Architects.
The project showcases many different design features including an external cork insulation on the ground and first floor extension, cavity 'warmcell' insulation in the timber frame on the upper floor, underfloor heating on the ground floor, a super-insulated roof construction and triple glazing throughout the building.
Other design features include glazing with calculated overhangs for passive solar gain. This was tested last year during a power cut for over 24hrs with sub-zero temperatures - the house reached 20 degrees at mid day and did not get below 16 degrees at night.
Solar hot water, the use of recycled timber and the collection of water in water butts for reuse, all also feature in the building.
Isabel McAllister, Hertfordshire Building Futures Awards judge, said: “It’s always good to see existing buildings “recycled” in this way. The project shows that with modern, innovative techniques a building can be equally sustainable and aesthetically pleasing.”