Paul Stanley, Technical Director, Workman’s Project Management team, said: “The complex refurbishment and retrofitting of large office buildings is a growing theme, as investors seek to improve the ESG performance of their holdings and avoid carbon-intensive knockdown-and-rebuild strategies. 10 Brindleyplace is a beacon of best practice for this effort – having transformed two smaller outdated office spaces into an industry-leading workspace that sets the bar for both Birmingham and the wider UK office market.”

Nick White, Director, CBRE Investment Management, said: “The refurbishment of 10 Brindleyplace has always been about creating office space fit for today and the future needs of our occupiers. Its certifications align with our focus on sustainability, wellness and technology and we will be delivering office accommodation that sets new standards in the Birmingham office market.”

The Situation

Nearly two-thirds of the nation's annual waste, totalling 200 million tonnes, stems from construction, as highlighted by the Architects’ Journal’s RetroFirst campaign. To tackle this growing problem and in their pursuit of achieving quality sustainable buildings, Workman’s Projects explores all avenues for retrofitting, aiming to utilise existing assets to support a carbon-positive future.

Working on behalf of BBP Member CBRE Investment Management (CBRE IM), Workman’s Projects has project managed the retrofit of 10 Brindleyplace – one of Birmingham’s largest office refurbishment schemes. With a focus on sustainable design and occupier wellness, the building successfully meets Net Zero targets in operation, and has achieved EPC A rating, BREEAM rating of Excellent, Fitwel 2 Stars and WiredScore Platinum.

Actions

Completed in 2023, 10 Brindleyplace was developed in collaboration with various industry experts where Workman’s Projects utilised extensive ESG expertise from across the wider Workman business. At the feasibility stage, Workman’s ESG team contributed to the scheme’s design and ongoing operation strategies. The team created and implemented the Net Zero Asset Plan with the aim to review the building performance post-occupancy.

Workman’s Projects ensured Net Zero targets and industry leading accreditations were kept as a key focus through the construction plan. The following actions were taken to deliver the scheme to a high standard: 

• Sustainability Champions were appointed both in the design phase and throughout the monitoring process, ensuring continuous adherence to the project's ESG criteria and targets. BREEAM-compliant methods were employed to conduct life cycle assessments and determine elemental life cycle costs.
• The project team pledged to fulfil relevant criteria on energy consumption, water usage, transportation of materials to and from the site, and on-site waste management. Throughout the project duration, all construction waste was diverted away from landfill, either for reuse in other projects or recycling.
• The project's design gained BREEAM points across diverse criteria, encompassing an indoor air quality plan, low carbon design elements, energy-efficient lighting solutions, creation of safe pedestrian routes to public transportation hubs, provision of cycling amenities, and implementation of efficient water usage strategies.
• Measures to minimise biodiversity impact were implemented through a comprehensive five-year landscape and habitat management plan, incorporating features such as a green roof and vegetation aligned with ecologists' guidance. 
• Timber utilised in the redevelopment project adhered to the UK government's timber procurement policy, ensuring legality in harvesting and trading practices to promote sustainability

Benefits

10 Brindleyplace has been successfully transformed into an attractive location for occupiers all whilst retaining the existing building’s foundation, basement and structural frame. As a result of implementing retrofit strategies, savings of almost 60% on embodied carbon compared to creating a new development have been achieved.

10 Brindleyplace has been designed with a 53% carbon reduction compared to the building pre-refurbishment, with no reliance on fossil fuels and using an all-electric heating and cooling system. The redesign has incorporated thermal insulation, optimised glazing ratios, and specific glass specifications aimed at minimizing heating and cooling requirements. This strategy not only conserves energy but also reduces operational costs and carbon emissions.

Additionally, a new energy-efficient external façade, featuring brick slip cladding, was introduced significantly enhancing the building's EPC rating to an A. As a result of these design and operational features, the building will achieve a 65% annual energy saving compared to a typical office of equal size.

Furthermore, the implementation of smart building technologies facilitates real-time energy management by harnessing data from smart meters, which are monitored through a digital twin. This enables continuous performance monitoring, aiding in sustaining reductions in energy and operational costs once fully occupied, while also supporting occupier comfort through contactless lighting and indoor air quality management.

Embedding health and wellbeing design features into the building, 10 Brindleyplace now boasts six roof terraces, a bouldering wall and fitness studio, EV charging spaces, 100 spaces for cycling storage, and facades to give a fully tech-enabled user experience.

Workman

Workman is an independent commercial property management and building consultancy firm located in the UK. Workman operates from a nationwide network of 12 UK offices and two in France with more than 800 staff.

CBRE Investment Management

CBRE Investment Management is a real assets investment management firm, stiving to realise potential in investments and people in innovative ways, every day. Their team is responsible for more than $144B of assets under management as at the start of 2024.

Resources

- Project Management Showcase - Workman

- Why sustainable retrofits like 10 BrindleyPlace attract investors

- Introducing RetroFirst: a new AJ campaign championing reuse in the built environment (architectsjournal.co.uk)

- https://ukgbc.org/news/the-choice-between-demolition-or-reuse-developer-insights/

- WKM Net Zero Asset Plans (adobe.com)

- https://www.workman.co.uk/esg-services/

- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/timber-procurement-policy-tpp-prove-legality-and-sustainablity

- https://www.cbreim.com/

- https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/introducing-retrofirst-a-new-aj-campaign-championing-reuse-in-the-built-environment