BRE, headed by chief executive and edie awards judge Dr Peter Bonfield, yesterday (June 27) signed a deal to work with Vanke on a 450,000 m2 site in Beijing called the ‘Green Building Park’.

Vanke and BRE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of the Chinese premier Wen Jiabao, British prime minister David Cameron and energy secretary Chris Huhne.

The MoU sets out the future collaboration between the two organisations on key areas of research which cover low carbon construction technologies, indoor environment and healthy homes.

BRE will create the masterplan for the site’s Innovation Park, taking inspiration from its own park near Watford, with the aim of creating low energy construction products and using the most sustainable technologies for green homes.

Vanke will also use the site to showcase a range of its own demonstration homes which are built to the Chinese Government’s Green Star environmental standard.

Dr Bonfield said: “This represents a huge opportunity for UK companies to showcase their services and products in the world’s largest growth economy where millions of new homes are required in the coming decades.

“BRE will drive the best of British showcase on the Innovation Park with real ambition, promoting the opportunity to British companies and encouraging organisations to come on board and collectively create global export growth for Britain.”

A key feature will be a green parkland which will be open to the general public for leisure pursuits and educational purposes – it will be the only park in the city that is free for use by the whole community.

Luke Walsh

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