Read about the winner and shortlisted entries for this year’s Net Zero Award
Winner: UCL PEARL
Entered by Penoyre & Prasad
The Person-Environment-Activity Research Laboratory or PEARL at UCL is a research laboratory in which to create life-sized environments such as a railway station, high street or town square under controlled conditions. As UCL’s first net zero carbon in-use building, PEARL demonstrates the university’s commitment to lead by example and operate in a sustainable way. Built for the circular economy, the design maximises the use of recycled and recyclable materials while minimising waste through offsite prefabrication.
Runners-up
Aspen Grove, phase 1
Entered by Wates Residential / Cardiff Council
Aspen Grove is the largest project in Wates’ and Cardiff Council’s joint 1,500-home partnership Cardiff Living. It is designed to be net zero carbon ready and is the evolution of earlier fabric-first projects achieving a 17% improvement on the emissions standards of the 2014 Building Regulations. The scheme uses low carbon renewable technologies to supplement this in order to achieve a net zero carbon ready project.
Crown Buildings
Entered by Read Construction
This flagship refurbishment project in Wrexham to create an inclusive community hub has transformed an outdated and inefficient 1960s facility into a modern building with a fabric-first refurbishment that reduces energy demand and waste while maximising renewable energy. The building’s heating carbon impact was reduced by two-thirds and the energy-efficient electrical installations cut demand by 25%.
Dinton Activity Centre
Entered by Reds10 / HLM
This new £2.4m centre for the local community in Wokingham meets the highest sustainability standards and incorporates innovative, thoughtful architectural design. As the council’s first net zero carbon operational building, it showcases how the project team could push offsite, low carbon construction and energy-efficient technologies. The modular system used allows for enhanced pre-manufactured value, with 85% built offsite.
GenZero
Entered by Cundall
Funded by the government, GenZero brought together expertise from the Construction Innovation Hub, Cundall, Lyall Bills & Young Architects, Mott MacDonald, Smith and Wallwork, and Ares LA. It demonstrated the use of a range of manufactured and offsite delivery options and culminated in kit-of-parts prototypes for schools.
Going Net Zero at WSP
Entered by WSP
WSP promised in October 2020 to halve the carbon footprint of its designs and advice by 2030. When talking to clients about cutting carbon, WSP staff can now call on DAISY – its new digital design tool. By highlighting the carbon impact of the earliest design choices, DAISY is enabling the practice’s clients to opt for lower carbon designs with confidence.
Room2 Chiswick
Entered by Elementa Consulting
This project is the first whole-life net zero hotel. Lamington Group’s plan included all the carbon emissions from raw materials, operational use, and refurbishment to end-of-life stage. Following a four-year hiatus from the original concept, the project design was redevised and aimed to follow stronger sustainability principles.
Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund Demonstrator
Entered by United Living Group
For Clarion Housing Group, United Living Property Services is delivering a broad programme of energy efficency improvements to 60 properties in Tonbridge, Kent, and 60 in Wisbech, Fenland, including triple-glazed windows, enhanced insulation and ventilation and renewable energy solutions.
South Point Primary School
Entered by ISG
South Point Primary in Rhoose is the first school in Wales designed to be net zero carbon in operation. The facilities accommodate 210 pupils and a 48-place nursery. Strategic building orientation cuts heating needs and maximises solar gain; improvements to the building fabric, insulation and glazing prevent heat loss; and high-efficiency equipment minimises energy requirements.
Zero Carbon Design 2030
Entered by Cundall
This global initiative is being driven from the bottom up by Cundall team members from all regions, disciplines and levels across the practice. It covers upskilling people in carbon and sustainability literacy and the in-house development of tools that help design for a zero carbon future.
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