The landlords of Urban Splash have managed to knock almost £200,000 off its power bill by by reducing consumption by nearly a third.
Working alongside its agents at GVA, the developer looked at a number of energy saving measures throughout the communal areas of the 377,000 sq ft which is home to BPM Media - the publishers of the Birmingham Post.
Measures included refraining from illuminating the non essential and non security sensitive parts of the building and splitting the surface car park into four sections as well as installing passive infrared sensors have also been installed throughout the development. In addition, water pumps, boilers and dry air coolers now all operate independently.
Guy Thompson, director in GVA Grimley’s Birmingham property management consultancy team, said: “The remodelling and reinvention of the landmark Fort Dunlop building by Urban Splash has been so successful and popular because it celebrates the original structure of the storage warehouse. By undertaking minimal internal demolition to floor slabs and columns, the mixed-use development boasts high floor to ceiling dimensions and dynamic communal areas. However, it is a constant challenge to make a redeveloped building as energy efficient as a new build equivalent.”
Claire Thomas, director of asset management at Urban Splash Commercial Properties Ltd, aded: “Our carbon reduction commitment is an essential driver to our business. Injecting new life into unloved, derelict buildings creates significant upfront energy savings, compared to demolishing existing buildings and replacing them with new ones. However, it is crucial that we continually monitor ways of introducing energy saving devices into developments like Fort Dunlop to minimise the impact on the environment.”
* In a first for the property industry, GVA Grimley’s Birmingham office has achieved the ISO 27001 accreditation, recognising the firm’s procedures for protecting confidential client information.
The ISO 27001 certification formally requires that GVA Grimley systematically examines its information security risks, taking account of the threats, vulnerabilities and impacts. It also requires that a coherent and comprehensive suite of information security controls and risk assessments are designed and implemented. An overarching management process must also be adopted to ensure that the information security controls continue to meet the firm’s information security needs on an ongoing basis.
