Dave Ferguson - 12-Jan-2007 - One of the Environment Agency’s flagship buildings has won a prestigious award at the National Energy Efficiency Awards.

Red Kite House, which is situated at Howbery Park, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, won the Construction and Renovation Category at the annual awards, held at the Science Museum in London.

Judges commended Red Kite House, which the Environment Agency leases from its landlords HR Wallingford, and singled it out as a perfect example for all offices, saying: “This is how every workplace should be – supremely comfortable, flexible and energy efficient, with bus and cycle routes right to the door.”

The awards, which are run by the UK Centre for Economic and Environmental Development (UK CEED) and EDF Energy, and supported by Defra, are presented for the successful implementation of innovative, cost-effective and transferable energy efficiency measures across a number of categories.

Red Kite House is a striking, award-winning office development with a curved shape specifically designed to capture the wind and maximise airflow. It uses natural ventilation rather than air conditioning and its rainwater collection system harvests enough water to satisfy 40 per cent of the building’s water needs – with any excess directed to a nearby pond. The building uses photovoltaic cells to generate 23,000 kwh of power per year and solar hot water panels on the roof supplement its water heating.

From the very start of the design process the Environment Agency worked closely with HR Wallingford and its team of architects, designers and engineers. The agreed aim was to construct an office that would not only meet the Environment Agency’s operational needs but would also serve as an example of sustainable office development. Architects Scott Brownrigg worked with engineers Hoare Lea and the Waterman Partnership on the design of the building, which was constructed by Moss Construction.

Lucy Smith, regional environmental management adviser at the Environment Agency, said: “We are delighted to win this award, which recognises the commitment we have to reducing the amount of energy we use.

“One of the best accolades for the building was during the hot summer we had in 2006, when several external visitors sitting in reception commented on how nice it was to visit a building where the air conditioning actually worked properly – of course the building has no air conditioning, just great design!

“It is such a simple concept, but one which makes such a huge difference to the amount of energy the building uses, helping us to lead by example in reducing our energy footprint.”

Brian Hughes, the Environment Agency’s project manager for the development, said it is proving an extremely popular working environment for its 250 staff.

He added: “Last year was a very good test for the natural ventilation – we had days where the outside temperature was 35 degrees but staff inside were still able to work in a well-aired environment where the temperature stayed below 30 degrees.

“Although the inside of the building was hotter than you’d get in an air conditioned building, we always had air flowing through, so it was still a comfortable place to work."

John Ormston, director at HR Wallingford, said: “We are extremely pleased with the energy performance of Red Kite House but it is fantastic to receive national recognition too!

“Howbery Park is set in 70 acres of beautiful Oxfordshire countryside and as we continue to develop the park we hope to be able to build similar buildings which are in keeping with the park’s surroundings and further maximise environmentally friendly technology and engineering.”

Notes:

Red Kite House is owned by HR Wallingford and forms part of the redevelopment of Howbery Park, near Wallingford, Oxfordshire. The office has been leased to the Environment Agency for 15 years and houses 250 staff. Howbery Park has detailed planning consent for a building to mirror Red Kite House comprising 35,683 sq ft (3,315 sq m) together with outline consent for an additional 73,639 sq ft (6,837 sq m).

These are the first National Energy Efficiency Awards, which were launched to recognise good practice in this increasingly important area. The awards highlight the importance of energy efficiency in combating climate change and increase the take up of energy efficiency measures among business, government and consumers.

Supported by DEFRA, the awards have been presented for successful implementation of innovative, cost-effective and transferable energy efficiency measures across a number of categories.
The awards ceremony was held at the Science Museum in London on 6 December 2006.
The full environmental enhancements of Red Kite House are:

Photo-voltaic cells generate electrical power. These clad the south-facing ‘brise-soleil’ – a canopy which projects about three metres from the roof over the front of the building and provides shade to the interior. They generate approx. 20 per cent of the estimated electricity demand of the building. These cells will reduce the amount of carbon dioxide being discharged to the atmosphere by about 12 tonnes per annum.
Solar panels provide hot water. These are installed on the roof and meet about 40 per cent of the demand for hot water.

Rainwater harvesting system collects and re-uses rainwater. This system collects rainwater from the roof for re-use within the building for toilet flushing. It meets about 40 per cent of the total demand for water.
Ventilation turbines support the natural ventilation. The building has no air-conditioning. Roof-mounted, wind-powered turbines are installed on the roof to help draw air through the windows and the upper floor of the building.

Motorised windows allow an inflow of cool air at night. The building has been designed so the ceiling acts as a heat sink during the day. It is cooled down at night when windows on each floor are opened at night via a motorised system.

Sustainable drainage from the car park. The Environment Agency is actively promoting more sustainable forms of drainage from all developments in order to reduce the impact of run-off on river systems. The car park serving the office will allow rainwater to soak through into the ground, whilst non-permeable areas will drain to a reed bed.

The annual saving in energy purchased/imported from the national grid (as a result of energy saving and energy generating features at the site) is estimated at 33,600kWh, equating to 17.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum.