A Willmott Dixon Primary Care Centre is the first healthcare building to achieve BREEAM Outstanding, Construction Enquirer reported.
BRE Global confirmed the Houghton-le-Spring centre, built in partnership with Sunderland Primary Care Trust, achieved a score of 85.31 per cent. This exceeds the Department of Health’s requirement to achieve Breeam Excellent for new buildings, Construction News reported.
John Frankiewicz, CEO of Willmott Dixon Capital Works said the centre would provide a template for what health care projects around the country can achieve. “This centre shows just what can be achieved to reduce running costs and will be a blueprint for future health projects around the country,” he said.
The centre is projected to see a 33% reduction in CO2 emissions by using technologies including solar thermal panels to heat water, photovoltaic panels to generate electricity, an 18m high wind turbine and ground source heat pumps to supply natural heat from the ground to the entire building.
A ventilation system designed by Breathing Buildings, a rainwater harvesting system to meet WC flushing demand and electric car plug in points in the car park are also among the innovations.
Architect P+HS and Willmott Dixon’s in-house Sustainability arm Re-Thinking helped to deliver the rating. Other partners included Mott MacDonald as M&E engineers, Cundall as structural engineer, Southern Green as landscape architect and LJJ as building services contractor.
The challenge laid down by the primary care trust was to ensure the interior temperature of the building remains below 25°C for all but 100 hours a year to ensure patients and staff are kept comfortable, Construction Enquirer reported.
The design team met this challenge with a low-carbon solution for summer cooling through the use of natural ventilation and thermal mass.
The Primary Care Trust has a minor injuries unit, diagnostic facilities, a 24-bed rehabilitation unit, accommodation for retinal screening, outpatient clinics and healthy living services and wellness studio and café.
Sunderland Teaching Primary Care Trust estates director Steve Naylor said the success followed on the heels of Willmott Dixon’s BREEAM Excellent Blaydon Primary Care Centre project. “The Trust wanted to push the boundaries further and target a Breeam rating of ‘Outstanding’ for the Houghton Primary Care Centre project,” he said.
