The 74,000 sq ft building on the Camber Quay waterfront in Portsmouth is believed to be the first BREEAM Excellent building to play home to a British sports team. The building’s rating – which was acknowledged last week – was the final piece of the sustainability jigsaw for BAR, which has achieved the “Olympic-inspired” ISO 20121 across all of its activities.

Commenting on the accolade, BAR’s exclusive sustainability partner, 11th Hour Racing’s president Jeremy Pochman said: “We are proud of Land Rover BAR’s achievements and progress across the board of their sustainability strategy, which is highlighted in the team’s headquarters. The team’s base is a true testament to innovation, technology, long-term vision and sustainability – all elements that are integral to the mission of 11th Hour Racing.

“By investing in such a progressive structure, Land Rover BAR have demonstrated how smart sustainable design and construction can lead to enormous gains in terms of efficiency – not only as far as energy, but also at a competitive and sporting level. For 11th Hour Racing, this milestone of BREEAM excellent standard represents an unprecedented success story, and a legacy that will inspire the next generation of sailors, engineers, architects and fans across the world of sport.”

The building, which opened in June 2015, consists of a 432 solar roof array that generates 20% of BAR’s energy needs with the remaining electricity supplied from renewable sources. A natural ventilation system through the central atrium, which also sources natural sunlight, eliminates the need for mechanical systems and artificial light. A “heat saving” fabric wrap also coats the building’s façade that reduces energy use for cooling by controlling the amount of sunlight and heat entering the building.

Quality or quantity

The Camber Quay building is another first for UK buildings, after the University of Hertfordshire secured a BREEAM Outstanding rating for the UK’s first True Zero Carbon accredited student accommodation building.

The BREEAM standard is currently used in more than 70 countries, with more than 530,000 certificates issued on more than 24,000 projects. In total, 2.2 million buildings and communities are registered for certification.

However, London has been warned that the global rise in green buildings is providing proof that cities shouldn’t be “trapped and weighed down by aging infrastructure”. The capital’s quantity over quality approach could eventually threaten its position as a leading mega city, according to recent reports.

That view has been echoed by AECOM’s director of sustainability and building engineering Ant Wilson, who claimed that policies are “getting in the way” of green building designs.

Matt Mace

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