Green light for £31m low carbon workspace

Property company Bruntwood has received planning approval for a pioneering low carbon workspace at a prominent site in South Manchester. Works are targeted to start on site in the autumn of 2023 and complete in late 2024.Based at Didsbury Technology Park, The Ev0 Building will meet LETI 2020 design targets for upfront carbon, RIBA 2025 targets for whole life carbon and the UK Green Building Council’s (UKGBC) Paris Proof operational energy use targets, making Ev0 net zero in both construction and ongoing operation. It is also targeting a NABERS 5.5 star rating, the highest level of environmental performance in use.The development’s key innovative feature is its mass timber frame, Bruntwood said. The design is centred on the use of timber because of the material’s ability to capture and store carbon, ensuring it is not released back into the atmosphere until the end of its lifespan.Ev0 will be a fully electric development, with up to 94 per cent of its energy requirement generated through photovoltaics located on the building’s roof and car park, acting as a series of mini power plants. All energy required by the development will either be generated on site or supplied by Bruntwood’s co-operative wind farm.As part of Ev0’s energy efficiency plans, the building’s esign estimates running costs at 58 per cent lower than a traditional new build, supporting future occupiers in mitigating the risks and uncertainty of rising energy costs. Bruntwood will provide sustainability guidance to Ev0 customers to help them meet Paris Proof targets for their own operational energy use, as part of a green leasing strategy.The development has employed parametric design principles to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the building, with the facade designed to minimise solar gain and overheating on the south and westerly elevations, and maximise solar gain on the north and east elevations.Ev0 will also feature a gym, cafe, customer lounge, cycle storage and event space, characteristic of Bruntwood’s approach to the provision of excellent onsite customer amenity.In 2018, Bruntwood became the first property company to sign up to the UKGBC’s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment, establishing itself as a sustainability leader within the industry.Andrew Butterworth, commercial director at Bruntwood, said: “As we continue to work towards our net zero goals, it’s incredibly exciting to gain planning approval for Ev0, a development which has been a major part of our sustainability plans for a number of years.”Property companies across the UK promote their developments as ‘best’ for various reasons, without openly releasing their supporting figures in the public domain. We have the evidence to substantiate Ev0’s sustainability credentials, and are openly publishing and updating data online to support this.”Ev0 will provide 82,549 sq ft of workspace over six floors and sit between Sir William Siemens House, Spire Hospital and Bruntwood Works’ Ohm Building at Didsbury Technology Park in Greater Manchester.Bruntwood said Ev0 was a “landmark development for Manchester”, supporting the city in its 2038 target for carbon neutrality and helping to cement the city’s reputation as a leader in sustainable development.The project is being supported by a number of strategic partners, including architect Sheppard Robson, MEP, structural and sustainability consultants Ramboll, planning consultancy Deloitte Real Estate, fire and risk engineer OFR Consultants, quantity surveyor Turner & Townsend and project management specialist Ward Williams Associates (WWA).Neal Allen-Burt, partner at Sheppard Robson, said: “Ev0 presents an exciting opportunity to ask – and to answer – the key questions that must be addressed to make zero carbon a reality. The project engages with the challenges and opportunities presented by the increasing push to reach Net Zero carbon, with our design showing there is no “silver bullet” for achieving this and we will get there by having the dexterity to apply numerous solutions.”JLL and CBRE are the lettings agents for the building.Mark Garner, associate director at CBRE, said: “This planning approval represents a big step forward for sustainable real estate, not only for The Ev0 Building but the wider regional market.”We’re receiving more and more requirements from occupiers looking to secure the most environmentally friendly workspace and Ev0 will more than cater for these. We can’t wait to see the timber frame go up, which is due to be the first of its kind in the region.”