The Sustainability Hub refurbishment

Retrofitting Kirkby Lodge to the highest environmental building standards

Kirkby Lodge was transformed into the Sustainability Hub in 2019, with funding support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Every aspect of the refurbishment was designed to reduce the building's environmental impact.

Take a virtual tour of the finished refurbishment

Refurbished to the highest environmental standards

@Awarded gold SKA rating, an environmental assessment tool for sustainable fit-out
@80 square meters of green wall with over 90 plants per square meter
@4 kilowatt photovoltaics
@Reception digital energy display
@Naturally ventilated and passive design
@FSC certified sustainable timber cladding
@Energy efficient LED lighting
@Responsible sourcing for materials with a focus primarily on reuse
@Maximising natural light
@Low flush WCs

Kirkby Lodge before the refurbishment

During the refurbishment of Kirkby Lodge

Kirkby Lodge during the refurbishement

Kirkby Lodge after the refurbishment

SKA assessment

The SKA rating is an environmental assessment method and benchmark for non-domestic fit-outs, assessed by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

SKA comprises over one hundred good practice measures (GPMs) which are used to evaluate the sustainability of a building, including assessment in the areas of energy and CO2 emissions, waste, water, materials, pollution, well-being and transport.

Material selection

All building materials have been chosen for their environmental credentials, including:

'A' rated wet room flooring (BREEAM Green Guide listed for its high environmental performance).
Paints with low or zero volatile organic compounds (VOC) to reduce impact on indoor air quality.
FSC sourced sustainable NorClad Western Red Cedar cladding, left untreated to naturally weather.
Insulation material selected for its zero ozone depletion potential.
Carpet made from 58% recycled content and manufactured using 100% renewable energy.

Energy and water management

Energy use has been reduced by:

Replacing lighting with energy efficient LED lighting.
Installing energy efficient triple glazed windows.
Generating our own energy with 4-kilowatt solar panels.
Monitoring our energy use with real-time data supplied by the Building Management System (BMS).

Water consumption has been reduced by fitting:

Taps with flow and pressure control limited to 4 litres/minute up to 5 bar.
Shower with flow and pressure control limited to 8 litres/minute up to 5 bar.
Low flush WC's.
Water meter with a data feed into the Building Management System.

A living lab

The Sustainability Hub is a living lab, allowing us to carry out research into:

Behaviour patterns, using the Building Management System (BMS) data to develop novel visualisations.
Thermal conductivity and carbon sequestration of the green walls.
Novel power electronics solutions.

Spaces and facilities

The Sustainability Hub offers a range of spaces to accommodate meetings, group work, conferences and events. Equipped with a range of audio visual and web conferencing facilities, large screen displays and accessible kitchen and bathroom facilities.

Discover our spaces