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Monday 8 Jul 2013

New Street’s ‘lamp block’ receives the green light of excellence

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One of the greenest buildings on the railway network has been awarded a prestigious seal of approval this week by BRE (Building Research Establishment) the internationally recognised leaders of construction sustainability standards.

‘The lamp block’ building on Platform 1 at Birmingham New Street station opened last summer and has been awarded a BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) rating of ‘Excellent’ in recognition of the wealth of sustainable features it boasts including a solar thermal system to generate hot water, sub-metering for all water, heating and cooling to monitor energy consumption and an energy efficient lighting system.

Solar panels generating electricity sit alongside the building’s green roof which contains over 14 different species of plant to contribute to the area’s local ecology and reduce rainwater run off into the drainage system. This renewable technology is expected to reduce the building’s carbon emissions by 10%.

Azhar Quaiyoom, Network Rail project manager said: “The team behind the New Street station redevelopment are committed to reducing our impact on the environment and creating a sustainable station for the future so it’s a proud day for the project team to receive this recognition.”

The lamp block was delivered last summer by Network Rail on behalf of Cross Country Trains and was constructed in less than a year within a very challenging environment between a rock face and the live operational railway. The building is the base for over 450 train drivers, conductors and catering crew who run Cross Country services across the UK and sits on the site of a 19^th Century depot which supplied gas lamps to workers who maintained the railway tunnels either side of New Street station.

Cross Country’s managing director, Andy Cooper, added: “Lamp block shows the best of what can be done to construct workplaces that are both good for the environment and for the people that work there. The project was a great partnership and this recognition of the buildings sustainability is well deserved.”