PwC HQ achieves highest sustainability score ever awarded

Professional services firm Pricewater-houseCooper's (PwC) newly refurbished headquarters has surpassed all BREEAM scores to date for both new build and existing structures.


PwC’s nine storey headquarters at One Embankment Place in London has achieved a 96.31% Outstanding score under internationally acclaimed system of assessing buildings, Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM).

The firm’s score exceeds the Co-operative’s score of 95.16% for its head office in Manchester. The Co-operative Group’s new head office was declared the most environmentally-friendly building in the world last month, after BREEAM awarded the building the highest sustainability score ever given.

Beating the Co-op to the top spot, PwC’s project involved a complete office refit and refurbishment as well as full central plant replacement in the basement areas, roof and terraces whilst some 2000 staff remained in occupation.

The refurbishment programme included installation of biofuel combined cooling heat and power (CCHP) with adsorption chillers using biofuel sourced from locally collected and refined waste vegetable oil.

Through a knowledge transfer partnership between PwC and London South Bank University, the biofuel is ‘certified to EN14214’ making it a clean carbon neutral resource with A rated energy performance.

The building also includes ‘green’ walls and landscaped garden planting; waterless urinals and low flush toilets; responsible sourcing of 95% of materials used within the construction, with an ISO 14001 certificate as a minimum.

BREEAM director Gavin Dunn said: “The impressive BREEAM score for this iconic building shows just how much can be accomplished”.

“The project is a fantastic testament to PwC’s determination to achieve a high rating and to the project’s innovative and highly committed delivery team,” he added.

Leigh Stringer

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