Tuesday, May 02, 2023
Keppie designed Scottish Natural Heritage office achieves highest BREEM rating ever
The new £13m Scottish Natural Heritage office in Inverness, designed by leading Scottish architect's Keppie Design, in partnership with the Robertson group, has been awarded the highest ever design and procurement rating in the UK for environmental buildings.
Now nearing completion, the SNH Building in Inverness achieved a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) score of 84%. The Building Research Establishment has confirmed this to be the highest score ever achieved by any building in the UK since the system was introduced in 1998.
Keppie Design and Robertson Property won the 6000sqft, passive environmentally designed office tender in October 2004 following an extremely detailed environmental and sustainability brief from SNH.
In addition, showers and gym are also provided on site to encourage employees to cycle to work as a measure to reduce pollution. The new SNH library roof has even been turfed and rainwater is harvested to ensure the building is as resource and environmentally friendly as possible.
A major challenge has also been to provide new accommodation for the protected Pipistrelle bats, previously living in the nurses home, demolished to may way for the new building. The new design incorporates two centrally heated bat roosts.
SNH is due to take possession of the new building next month and, following some operational fit-out work, will start to move staff in during the month of June. Full occupation is expected by the end of July.
Now nearing completion, the SNH Building in Inverness achieved a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) score of 84%. The Building Research Establishment has confirmed this to be the highest score ever achieved by any building in the UK since the system was introduced in 1998.
Keppie Design and Robertson Property won the 6000sqft, passive environmentally designed office tender in October 2004 following an extremely detailed environmental and sustainability brief from SNH.
In addition, showers and gym are also provided on site to encourage employees to cycle to work as a measure to reduce pollution. The new SNH library roof has even been turfed and rainwater is harvested to ensure the building is as resource and environmentally friendly as possible.
A major challenge has also been to provide new accommodation for the protected Pipistrelle bats, previously living in the nurses home, demolished to may way for the new building. The new design incorporates two centrally heated bat roosts.
SNH is due to take possession of the new building next month and, following some operational fit-out work, will start to move staff in during the month of June. Full occupation is expected by the end of July.
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