On Earth Day 2024 Gibberd Architects take a look at projects past and present to highlight what we as a practice have been doing to protect the environment through our design work.
We take a look back at DEFRA Lion House, an office building in Alnwick, Northumberland. Gibberd Architects were appointed by DEFRA from the initial design stage. The client brief was to create a building which was an exemplary precedent for sustainability within the UK. Completed in 2008 Lion House became the first ever building of its kind to receive a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ rating and was further recognized in the 2010 BREEAM awards and received the OGC Special Award for Government Sector Achievement.
The Success of the project hinged on exceeding all previous sustainability benchmarks, key principles which the building employed included maximizing opportunity for passive building design. The building achieved a highly energy efficient envelope design, minimizing energy consumption. The building integrates renewable energy technologies, including PV panels, solar thermal collectors, wind turbines, biomass boilers and rainwater harvesting technologies.
Gibberd architects have been involved in the design and delivery of numerous BREEAM rated building over the years, from new build to retro fit, including Cambridge House for Birkbeck University, Barnet College and 55 Whitehall, through each scheme we recognise the integral role of the architect in pulling together the many strands which contribute to the success of the building as a whole.
Looking to the future the practice recently gained planning permission for the new Hematology Centre at Kings College Hospital, London, which achieves BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ at design stage. The scheme pulls together associated departments that are currently fragmented across the hospital, this rationalisation seeks to improve patient experience and be a driver for more detailed progression of the clinical needs. This has been achieved by extensive stakeholder workshops and appraisal of the existing Ward spaces to understand what works well and where there are opportunities to improve patient and staff experience.
