17/6/2009
Showpiece Asda store achieves BREEAM 'Excellent'
New retail development targeted to emit 50% less carbon than a typical store and divert 95% of operational waste away from landfill
The new £27 million Asda store in Bootle, Merseyside has achieved a BREEAM ‘Excellent' rating and is targeted to emit 50% less carbon than a typical store and divert 95% of operational waste away from landfill.
The flagship store occupies 6,500m2 and is a timber-frame construction, which also used reclaimed bricks from Liverpool Docks in its construction.
"BREEAM provided us with a highly useful structure to tackle the environmental aspirations of the project" said Mark Orpin of Asda Stores. "Key targets were set early at the design stage to ensure the Bootle store will act as an exemplar project not only for future Asda stores but also for other large scale retail projects."
Paul Gibbon, Director of Sustainability at BRE Global said: "Achieving BREEAM Excellent is a real achievement and a excellent demonstration of a more sustainably designed store."
Key features of its design which helped achieve its high BREEAM rating include :
Waste
95% of operational waste is diverted from landfill. Asda are segregating all waste that is produced - including food waste, dry-recyclables and non-recyclable material - so that it can be sent to a purpose-built recycling centre in nearby Skelmersdale.
Energy
Great efforts were made to reduce the energy load of cold storage cabinets. Examples of this included the self-closing mechanisms and strip curtains fitted to cold storage doors; compressor controls fitted to refrigerant equipment; and low-energy lighting in cold storage rooms. Waste heat recovery is specified for at least 80% of refrigeration units and used to meet part of the store's space and water heating needs.
Daylighting
Extensive use of natural light is included into the design, which incorporates sun pipes, a translucent wall and north facing roof lights. This makes the store an enjoyable place to shop rather than a building filled with constant artificial lighting.
Water Economy
Water efficient products are specified throughout including dual flush WCs, aerated taps, passive infra red sensor urinals and low flow showers.
Ecology
A sedum roof over the store's warehouse area provides a habitat for wildlife as well as providing better insulation and improved water retention. The external landscaping includes locally sourced trees and plants that require minimal watering.
Overall the building achieved a score of 70.23% under BREEAM Retail 2006, qualifying for the ‘Excellent' rating.
Further information on BREEAM can be found at http://www.breeam.org/
ENDS
Press enquiries : SIMON GUY, +44(0)1923 664305, guys@bre.co.uk
Notes for Editors
1 BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings around the world, with over 110,000 buildings certified and over half a million registered. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design and has become the de-facto measure used to describe a building's environmental performance. Credits are awarded in eight categories according to performance. These credits are then added together to produce a single overall score on a scale of Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent and Outstanding which is also reflected in a star rating from 1 to 5 stars. The operation of BREEAM is overseen by an independent Sustainability Board, representing a wide cross-section of construction industry stakeholders. http://www.breeam.org/.
2 BRE Global Limited (incorporating LPCB & BREEAM) is an independent third party approvals body offering certification of fire, security and sustainability products and services to an international market. BRE Global mission is to ‘Protect People, Property and the Planet' and is a trading subsidiary of the BRE Trust, the registered research and education charity which owns the BRE Group. For further information please contact: BRE Global, Garston, Watford, WD25 9XX, Tel: 01923 664100, Fax: 01923 664910, Email: enquiries@breglobal.com or visit http://www.breglobal.com/
3 The building achieved its score of 70.23% as a design-stage assessment under BREEAM Retail 2006. Details of the project team are : Client - Asda Stores Ltd; BREEAM Assessor - Eight Associates; Architect - Aedas Architects; Engineer - Silcock Leedham; Contractor - Bowmer and Kirkland.