Low energy building of the year

The judges chose this affordable block of flats in Brixton, south London as the winner despite the fact that it has no photovoltaic cells and no wind turbines. But then it emits 18.1kg of carbon per square metre each year and costs only £98 to heat a flat, so why not place it on top of the pile? St Matthew’s sits there rather proudly with its 14 solar thermal panels that provide hot water all year, backed up by a nothing more than a 24kW biomass boiler. The whole scheme is stuffed full of insulation turning it into a huge storage heater. Just in case that isn’t enough for residents, there is always the option of adding that wind turbine and PV panels if they really want to.

Runners up

Max Fordham

A key demand by client the National Trust was that its Heelis headquarters maximise energy from the sun, whether for heating or lighting. The Trust wanted the best from its building, and it pretty much got it. Max Fordham ensured that two-thirds of the 76,500ft² building could be naturally lit and added 1300m2 of photovoltaic cells to generate 15% of the scheme’s electricity.

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If there were an award sponsored by Frodo Baggins then this would probably be the winner. The Honingham earth sheltered model dwelling is essentially a hobbit-hole for humans – it relies almost entirely on earth for insulation and makes full use of land and vegetation to make life pleasant for its occupants. Where it differs slightly from Bag End is in its zero carbon emissions. Oh, and it is just a tad larger.

Short & Associates

Although this scheme now houses the School of Slavonic and East European Studies at University College London, it is undoubtedly something that the Romans would have identified with. Short & Associates was told to develop a naturally ventilated heating and cooling system but without having any opening windows. Sadly, however, there are no communal baths in the basement.

Studio E Architects

Perhaps Studio E was conscious that this building would be used by people from all walks of life, or perhaps it was just showing off. Whatever the reason, the Burgess Park Community Sports Centre in south London has got something for anyone. Photovoltaic cells and slashed carbon emissions your thing? Check. Boreholes and heatpumps to heat all the water for 96 showers? Check. Naturally heated and cooled ventilation system? Well what do you think …? Check.

Tesco

Thanks to Tesco we all know that every little helps, but its new store in Diss, Norfork, did a little and helped the environment a lot. By introducing energy-saving measures across the store, such as reusing cool air from fridges, or having five wind turbines on the roof, Tesco cut energy use by 29%.