Existing buildings or developments that demonstrate outstanding performance in improving the health, equity and/or resilience of people in local communities.
The design of Royal College of Physicians (RCP) base build, incorporates a number of key design principles to maximise energy efficiency:
1. The systems delivering heating and power to the colleges demise, ultimately derived from landlord systems fed via a local Combined Heating and Power district energy network also known as a Heat Energy Network (HEN) that was constructed to provide power and heating to a number of buildings at the Knowledge Quarter Development. Although this was delivered at a greater initial capital cost than more traditional power and heat systems, this network maximises efficiency in energy usage across what is set to be one of Liverpool’s flagship developments and will bring operational costs down for its occupiers. The HEN reduces energy costs as waste heat from the power generation process is utilised to generate hot water to feed The Spine building.
2. Heating and cooling systems are also configured to provide close control of occupied spaces to ensure that only occupied spaces are provided with heating and cooling when required.
3. Lighting is provided via high efficiency LED light source luminaires which reduce running costs when illuminated and lighting controls are configured to ensure the majority of areas are only illuminated when occupied. These luminaires also minimise relamping requirements.
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been undertaken to quantify embodied carbon associated with fit out work for the Royal College of Physician’s purpose-built office at The Spine, Liverpool. The LCA study has been undertaken in line with BREEAM guidance to target maximum points under the MAT01 strategy of BREEAM RFO UK 2014. The as-constructed LCA shows that the fit out works have designed process materials with a low embodied carbon, circular approach and good health outcomes have been selected wherever possible. As such the LCA model demonstrates a whole life embodied global warming potential of 51kgCO2/m2 GIA.
