Market Sector : Commercial

T Clarke have a wealth of experience of Commercial Projects. Working on all types of developments from refurbishment, new build and Design Build Projects.

Client: Environment Agency and HR Wallingford

Architects and Masterplanners: Scott Brownrigg

Main Contractor: Moss Construction

Consultants: Hoare Lea

The new 30,000sq ft offices at Howbery Park, Wallingford. Red Kite House has been designed to achieve BREEAM 'excellent' rating with carbon emissions 26% below that defined in the Department of the Environment's 'Energy Efficiency in Offices' guidance figures.

The office is used by the Environment Agency to promote best practice and showcase sustainable 'green' building for the 21st century.

The design has been specifically determined to allow for environmental factors and each element within the design performs a function to either passively cool the building or reduce energy consumption.
   
Several best practice environmental features are incorporated in the building:

• Photo-voltaic cells generate electrical power. The cells clad the south-facing brise-soleil which projects about 3m from the roof over the front of the building and provides shade to the interior. They generate approximately 20% of the estimated demand of the building for electrical power. These cells reduce the amount of carbon dioxide being discharged to the atmosphere by about 12 tonnes per annum.
• Solar panels to provide hot water. Installed on the roof, the panels and satisfy about 40% of the demand for hot water.
• A rainwater harvesting system collects and re-uses rainwater. The system collects rainwater from the roof for re-use within the building for toilet flushing. It satisfies about 40% of the total demand for water.
• The main office lighting system is linked to a system of photcells and occupancy sensors which switch off lighting when area are not in use and regulate the fluorescent lighting to compensate for ambient lighting conditions.
• Motorised clerestory windows allow an inflow of cool air at night. The building has been designed so that the solid ceiling beams act as a heat sink during the day and need to be cooled at night. 100 clerestory windows on each floor are opened via a motorised system to facilitate this.
• Sustainable drainage from the car park. The car park serving the office allows rainwater to soak into the ground, whilst other non-permeable areas drains to a reed bed. This feature is in line with the Environment Agency's active promotion of more sustainable forms of drainage from all developments in order to reduce the impact of run-off on river systems. 

Link to Scott Brownrigg Website

Link to Environment Agency Website

Link to Hoare Lea Website

Link to Moss Construction Website