Environmental Considerations
Genesis Centre has been designed with the environment in mind and incorporates a number of sustainable features to improve energy efficiency and help reduce the environmental impact of the building.
Some of the measures incorporated in Genesis Centre include:
Ground Source Heat PumpsThe heating / cooling system utilises innovative ground source heat pumps in stead of conventional boilers. Using a buried ground loop, heat is transferred from the ground into the building via an under-floor heating system. In the summer the heat pump units can be reversed to provide passive cooling.
The heating & cooling systems are designed to allow for independent occupant control in all suites.
The architectural design of the scheme has taken advantage of the ability to naturally ventilate the building which reduces the high energy demand associated with heating and cooling via large air handling systems.
Both external and internal lighting energy consumption will be reduced through the use of intelligent controls to ensure lighting is only on when necessary and not on during daylight hours unless required.
The design of the water system seeks to achieve a significant reduction in water consumption through various initiatives including:- auto shut off taps, showers with lowered flow rates, leak detection and sanitary supply shut off to toilets via Passive Infra Red detection.
The surface water drainage system is based on the SUDS principles and incorporates underground attenuation tanks designed to hold thousand of litres of storm water which can be discharged at Greenfield run off rates.
The incorporation of these measures, into the building design has been recognised by the BRE, through the achievement of an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating.
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is the world’s leading environmental assessment method for buildings and sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design. This assessment has become the standard measure of a building’s environmental performance.
