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Ahead of its official opening by the Queen, The Co-operative Group's new head office in Manchester has been declared the most environmentally-friendly building in the world.
The accolade comes on the day, 14 November, that Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, will tour One Angel Square and then unveil a plaque to mark the formal opening of the 14 storey building in the city centre.
The British Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), an internationally acclaimed system of assessing buildings, gave One Angel Square, built by BAM Construction, a score of 95.16% - the highest ever awarded. This month its construction won BAM's Tony Grindrod, from Chester, a silver medal at the Construction Manager of the Year Awards.
The unprecedented award comes as a result of the building’s many environmentally friendly features, which include power generated from crops grown on the Group’s farms; heating and cooling the premises by drawing air below the basement and redistributing it at the earth’s core temperature; and a double skin façade that acts as a 'duvet' to insulate the offices in the winter and ventilate it in the summer.
One Angel Square is phase one of NOMA, a major scheme to redevelop 20 acres of the northern part of Manchester city centre. The 10 year programme will create a truly mixed use district, incorporating office space, residential, and leisure facilities.
Ian Fleming, construction director for BAM Construction North West, said: "The Commitment of The Co-operative to build a truly sustainable building set us a challenge unprecedented in commercial buildings.
"To have achieved the goal with this BREEAM accolade is a testament to the genuinely collaborative approach between The Co-operative, BAM Construction, the designers 3D Reid, Buro Happold and all our partners. This synergy combined with new technology and traditional construction skills has created a world class building and a legacy for which the people of Manchester can be proud."
(CD/IT)
