The iconic “Walkie Talkie” building has been recognised as one of London’s most sustainable buildings…
The iconic building at 20 Fenchurch Street, London, has been assessed by the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) as being one of the most sustainability buildings in London.
Standing at 38-storeys high it gained notoriety in 2013 when it melted a car in the heat. In a bid to reduce its carbon footprint, the building has had a number of measures enacted, including undertaking thermographic surveys, installing 50KW solar PV panels on its roof, and sourcing its timber from Forest Stewardship Council-certified sources.
The building is also set to become the first in the City of London to install a hydrogen cell for energy. According to the developers, Canary Wharf Group and Land Securities, it is expected to provide 300KW of electricity to heat, cool, and power the building. This will reduce carbon emissions by at least 270 tonnes per year.
Martin Gettings, group sustainability manager at Canary Wharf Contractors, said: “Our total project approach to ‘making sustainability real’ has resulted in one of the most sustainable buildings of its type in Central London.”
Post-construction the building gained a rating of 80.2 per cent from assessors at BREEAM, giving it an “Excellent” stamp of approval.
Caroline Hill, head of sustainability (energy and environment) at Land Securities, said: “We’ve worked hard to find innovative ways to enhance the building’s sustainability credentials, and we’re proud that the finished product is having as positive an impact on the environment as it is on our office customers and visitors to the Sky Garden.”
The Sky Garden was opened to the public in January. This landscaped garden stretches across three floors.
The proposed Lime Street Tower and the Saw Swee Hock Student Centre at the London School of Economics and Political Science have also been awarded BREEAM accreditation.