Construction Approval Granted to U.K.’s Greenest Building

NORWICH, Norfolk, U.K. — Construction on the approximately $12.2 million Norwich Enterprise Centre at the University of East Anglia in Norwich is officially scheduled to begin in the next couple of months after Norwich councilors approved the project, dubbed “the greenest building in the U.K.”

Designed by London-based Architype, it will be the first commercial building in the U.K. to receive both Passivhaus and BREEAM Outstanding ratings. The Passivhaus standard focuses exclusively on energy conservation, while BREEAM uses a more holistic approach, looking at carbon emissions, water consumption, management processes, and materials, among other things. The project team consists of London-based Morgan Sindall, Manchester-based BDP Engineers and Twickenham-based Churchman Landscape Architects.

The new center will house the Centre for the Built Environment, which will provide research and testing suites for the development of advanced building materials, as well as classrooms, offices and a large lecture hall. It is designed around an entrance courtyard in the middle of the site, with wings on the north and south ends. A pavilion, featuring social areas, exhibition and demonstration spaces, links these spaces together. A rammed chalk lecture theatre and exhibition garden, which will be used to test new construction advances, are also included in the design.

The university required the building to be as carbon neutral as possible, with a lifespan of 100 years. It will feature an advanced HVAC system, triple-glazed windows and ultra-low embodied carbon. The project will be made of local natural materials and products such as Thetford timber, Norfolk straw and heather, chalk, lime hemp and flint. Plus, a timber panel and Brettstapel (massive timber panels that use no glue, nails or screws) structure will feature a rain screen of prefabricated thatch panels.

The construction project is scheduled for completion in January 2015.