Our Resources

The Better Buildings Partnership regularly publishes blog pieces, news articles, toolkits and case studies that highlight the latest sustainability developments in the UK commercial real estate industry. The resources can be filtered hereunder by topic, type and member.

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  • Office building

    Grosvenor achieves the UK's first NABERS Base Building Energy Rating

    03 July 2024

    Grosvenor's Toronto Square, Leeds, has earned a NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) UK Base Building Energy Rating of 4.5*, marking the first occasion in the UK where an existing office building has received such recognition. This is a landmark achievement for Grosvenor, one that establishes them as leaders within the industry and signals the start of an exciting chapter in which Grosvenor aims to achieve further NABERS UK ratings across their portfolio. NABERS accredited office buildings are making significant strides towards achieving Net Zero goals with Grosvenor benefitting from enhanced transparency and occupier engagement as key methods to guide future decision making.

    Topic: Energy/Carbon

    Type: Case Studies

    Member: Grosvenor

  • Federated Hermes

    Building a community of sustainability advocates at Federated Hermes’ science and technology park, Milton Park

    25 June 2024

    Federated Hermes (FHL) aims to create value by investing in projects that benefit people, society and the environment. As part of its commitment to ESG, FHL established The Greener Workspace Forum (GWPF) at one of their assets: Milton Park (MP), Oxfordshire. The GWPF addresses a wide range of sustainability issues by working with the assets’ occupiers and local communities to create positive impacts, reduce emissions and waste, increase recycling, and enhance biodiversity. Founded on the belief that collaboration can lead to unique opportunities for both occupier, owner and the local community, the GWPF inspires sustainable action and lobbies for progressive change. Achievements to date include a shift in single-occupancy private car use towards more sustainable modes of travel, with cycling rates up 4% in 2022 and bus use doubling between 2021 and 2022.

    Topic: Occupier Engagement

    Type: Case Studies

    Member: Federated Hermes

  • URW

    Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield harnesses the power of technology to build better places

    14 May 2024

    With an annual 52 million visits, Westfield Stratford City, operated by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), stands as one of the largest retail destinations in the UK. As a visionary developer and operator of sustainability-driven assets, URW strives to find innovative solutions that centre on environmentally responsible practices. With a complex heating and cooling network and ambitious energy reductions targets, URW promptly sought a digital-based solution to future proof the asset. The resulting Digital Twin has not only outperformed expectations in energy and cost reductions, but also established itself as a proactive solution to operational risk management.

    Topic: Design for Performance

    Type: Case Studies

    Member: Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield

  • Workspace Building Energy Efficiency

    Managing for Performance: reducing energy intensity at Edinburgh House

    12 March 2024

    Around 30% of the UK’s total energy-use goes to heating and powering buildings. Managing this energy effectively is critical to achieving Net Zero goals in the built environment. Situated in Kennington, London, Workspace’s Edinburgh House provides a modern, high quality and flexible work space for 78 small and medium sized businesses. Last year, an unusually high energy intensity was detected at the site. As a BBP Climate Commitment signatory and an organisation committed to achieving Net Zero carbon by 2030, this prompted investigation and the implementation of cost-effective measures to drive the energy consumption down. These measures included tenant engagement and optimising controls within the building.

    Topic: Energy/Carbon

    Type: Case Studies

    Member: Workspace Group

  • Landsec

    Landsec collaborating with office occupiers to deliver energy and carbon reductions

    04 March 2024

    In an effort to cut carbon emissions and costs while improving the experience for its office occupiers, Landsec has invested in optimising its Building Management Systems (BMS) and delivering customer energy audits across its office portfolio. As a result, Landsec expect to report an impressive 2,500 tCO2e reduction in emissions which supports positive progress towards achieving Net Zero by 2040.

    Topic: Occupier Engagement

    Type: Case Studies

    Member: Landsec

  • Derwent London Building

    Derwent London Achieves Net Zero Success at 80 Charlotte Street

    16 February 2024

    80 Charlotte Street is Derwent London’s first net zero carbon development and one of the largest all-electric schemes in London. It is heated and cooled using air source heat pumps and powered by renewable electricity from certified sources – significantly reducing emissions compared to traditional gas boilers. More than a year after the first occupiers moved in, there have been zero hot and cold complaints, reflecting the huge success of the building’s low carbon heating and cooling systems, combined with high performance fabric.

    Topic: Energy/Carbon

    Type: Case Studies

    Member: Derwent London plc

  • Picture

    IM Properties prove sustainable refurbishments are better for people, place and planet

    23 November 2023

    As the sector increasingly focuses on refurbishments to meet climate goals, The Bourn building in Coventry is a prime example of successful sustainability-driven refurbishment which reduced 14,000 tonnes CO2e compared to a new-build alternative. With a £9 million investment by IM Properties (IMP), the asset has been transformed into a modern workplace with a focus on occupier collaboration to deliver sustainability, wellbeing and community benefits.

    Topic: Retrofit & Refurbishment

    Type: Case Studies

    Member: IM Properties PLC