Queen to visit Co-op HQ – the world's most environmentally friendly building

Today the Queen will visit the Co-operative Group’s headquarters which has just been declared the most environmentally-friendly building in the world. The 14 storey Angel Square building in Manchester is […]

Today the Queen will visit the Co-operative Group’s headquarters which has just been declared the most environmentally-friendly building in the world.

The 14 storey Angel Square building in Manchester is powered by a generator under its ground floor from crops grown on the Group’s farms.

It is heated and cooled with a natural ventilation system which draws air below the basement and redistributes it at the earth’s core temperature.

A ‘double skin’ façade on the building acts as a ‘duvet’ to insulate the offices in the winter and ventilate it in the summer.

That’s why the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), an internationally recognised system of assessing buildings, has given One Angel Square a score of 95.16% – the highest ever awarded.

Euan Sutherland, The Co-operative Group Chief Executive said: “From the outset the Group set very high aspirations for the green credentials of the new building but for One Angel Square to be recognised as the most environmentally friendly building in the world is a truly remarkable achievement.

“The visit today of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh symbolises the completion of the building and one of the most significant UK construction projects in the past five years.”

Gavin Dunn, Director of BREEAM, BRE Global said: “The Co-operative Group and their project team… have created a highly sustainable, extremely low carbon space. An excellent working environment with deep green credentials.”

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