BREEAM salutes first healthcare building to win ‘outstanding’ rating

Houghton Primary Care Centre

Houghton Primary Care Centre

Houghton Primary Care Centre

Houghton Primary Care Centre has become the first healthcare building in the UK to achieve a BREEAM “outstanding” rating, going beyond the Department of Health’s requirements for new buildings and earning a place in the 2012 BREEAM Awards.

The centre, in Houghton-le-Spring, is laid out around a two-storey atrium, and boasts a sports and leisure centre, cafe, and 24-bed rehabilitation ward, and GP consulting facilities.

Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust was the main driver for integrating sustainability from the building’s inception. BREEAM gave the building a score of 85.31%.