DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS:
BASKERVILLE HOUSE, BIRMINGHAM
Baskerville House sets sustainability benchmark for Birmingham
Sustainable comes in many shapes and guises and no more so than in commercial property. More and more buildings are laying claim to the title but in many respects it is a question of definition.
Take the current trend of companies pursuing carbon neutral status, an admirable attempt by the corporate world to offset its carbon footprint with initiatives such as tree planting. What isn’t taken into account however is the MD’s four annual trips to his Caribbean hideaway on a private jet.
And much the same can be said for the ever increasing number of commercial developments that claim to have sustainability at their very heart. It is true that a significant number of the nation’s new developments offering Grade A office space will enjoy the most ecologically sound specification money can buy but this only tells half the story.
Take into account the thousands of tonnes of landfill generated by the construction, the creation and transportation of materials to build the development and the kilowatts of energy consumed by the workforce in travelling to and from the site and you have a carbon footprint that will take a good deal of offsetting.
This is why Baskerville House, which was recently transformed in a £30 million project by Norwich-based developer Targetfollow, can rest easy in its claim as one of the most sustainable buildings in Birmingham.
The former civic centre overlooking Centenary Square had lain vacant for several years before its acquisition by Targetfollow after no longer meeting the needs of a modern office environment. Being a Grade II listed building meant knocking it down and starting again was never an option so Targetfollow knew the challenges in creating a viable office building.
And it is this combination of painstaking restoration with creating an ultra modern working environment that Ian Fox, Targetfollow Executive Property Director, believes stands Baskerville House above the rest in the sustainability stakes.
He said: “Targetfollow has a track record of acquiring and improving well established commercial buildings such as Centre Point and Wembley Point in London but Baskerville House was undoubtedly the most significant project we had undertaken to date.
“From the outset we understood the huge challenge we faced in transforming Baskerville House into a Grade A office environment while retaining much of the building’s historical core but Baskerville’s fantastic location and all round potential meant this was a challenge we were happy to undertake.
“When we decided to expand into Birmingham we could have looked at a new build scheme or renovating a more modern building but in Baskerville House we have been able to re-energise one of Birmingham’s most important buildings while creating the city’s number one business address. That for us is the very essence of sustainability.”
While being sustainable in its origins, Baskerville House also ticks all the boxes when it comes to ecologically sound internal specifications. With its state of the art of chilled ceiling system, the building boasts one of the most environmentally friendly methods of cooling a building.
As well as cutting energy consumption, they improve comfort levels by reducing draughts, improving air quality and cutting out obtrusive noise associated with traditional air conditioning systems.
The building has a raft of other environmental features such as a luminaire presence detection and daylight control system which dims lights down to 10 per cent of their maximum in response to the amount of daylight as well as a displacement ventilation system that circulates fresh air via low energy diffusers.
Meeting the green agenda certainly doesn’t come cheap, however, but it is an investment worth paying, both for the developer and occupier, according to Ian. He said: “Transforming a building like Baskerville requires a significantly higher investment than a new build but the rewards, including the environmental benefits, are plain to see.
“The benefits of this green technology for the occupier are also significant with considerably lower running costs and combine this with a service charge that is around a third less than comparable schemes in the city at less than £4 p sq ft and Baskerville House is extremely attractive in both financial and environmental terms.
“It is well understood by developers now that to ignore the green agenda is to ignore commercial realities. Occupiers have put environmental issues at the top of their check list when looking for new accommodation and it is essential for developers to rise to this challenge.”