BBC Roath Lock, Porth Teigr
About the building
BBC Roath Lock houses the new BBC Wales production studios for various programmes, including Dr Who, Casualty, Pobol y Cwm and Upstairs Downstairs, as well as any new productions in the future.
The building also includes general office space, eight studio stages, two large external filming stages and edit suites for post-production work.
The client set out a Sustainability Development Matrix from the outset to help form the design of the project. This included Energy, Waste Minimisation, Regeneration, Biodiversity by Design and many more. This matrix alongside the BREEAM assessment helped the client to measure the sustainability of the project as the building achieved BREEAM ‘Outstanding’, which was greater than the original requirement to achieve BREEAM ‘Excellent’.
Further information
Key facts
- BREEAM rating: Outstanding
- Score: 85.1%
- Stage: Post construction
- BREEAM version: BREEAM Industrial 2008
Primary sustainability features
The many features that have helped the development to achieve a high BREEAM score include:
- 300m2 photovoltaics located on the roof
- Gas fired CHP heating for the office accommodation
- Contractor (VINCI) diverting 96% of waste from landfill
- Rainwater harvesting
- Responsibly sourced materials used on site
- Early consultation with the users to dictate the design and layout of the accommodation to maximise the BREEAM score.
Project team
- Client: igloo Regeneration, the Welsh Government and the BBC
- Architect: FAT Ltd and Holder Mathias Architects
- Contractor: VINCI Construction UK
- BREEAM assessor: Ove Arup and Partners
Hoong Wey Woon, Aviva Investors igloo Fund Manager, said:
'This award is testament to the fantastic progress we’re making with this development and demonstrates the important role sustainability plays when investing in real estate.”
Rhodri Talfan Davies, Director, BBC Cymru Wales said:
'I’m delighted that our new home for BBC Cymru Wales drama is breaking new ground in sustainable building development. From the very outset, we were determined that Roath Lock should set a new design standard – that we should be as pioneering in our approach to the environment as we are in our drama production.'
