October 1st marked World Habitats Day. CIWEM celebrated the importance of this year’s theme ‘changing cities, building opportunities’ with the construction of its new headquarters, conference and members’ facility which will meet the ‘BREEAM Excellent’ standard and feature a brown roof and other renewable and energy efficient technologies.
In urban areas where land is valuable and development and planning challenges are considerable, the inclusion of quality brown and green roofs within urban development is important in helping to achieve multi-functionality through reduced run-off, insulation, reducing the urban heat island effect, and should be widely encouraged and adopted.
CIWEM’s new headquarters, conference and members’ facility in Saffron Hill, Clerkenwell, London will attempt to do just that and provide an excellent example of sustainable design and construction. The ‘BREEAM Excellent’ redevelopment of an existing Victorian building will feature a green and brown roof with the use of vegetation. The addition of a brown roof has led to the inclusion of specifically designed invertebrate habitat in an otherwise barren urban landscape. Increasing biodiversity in such a setting has many benefits, including an improvement in air quality and ecological status and value.
The roof will comprise of locally sourced materials such as gravel and stone, and will play host to a range of native plant species. Alongside this birds and invertebrates are encouraged, with the installation of ladybird boxes, bee nests, and the installation of logs and perches to offer shelter.
CIWEM’s Executive Director, Nick Reeves OBE, said: “CIWEM’s new headquarters will be an exciting and shining example of sustainable building design and construction in a heavily populated and property-dense part of London. CIWEM is putting its own green policies into practice with this development and will do all it can to encourage others to follow our lead with their own projects and developments.”
The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) is an independent professional body and a registered charity, advancing the science and practice of water and environmental management for a clean, green and sustainable world www.ciwem.org
CIWEM's new Headquarters will be developed at 106-109 Saffron Hill, London and is designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent rating. The construction and fit out contractor is 8Build Limited. The project will provide enhanced facilities for CIWEM's staff, members and stakeholders and is scheduled to be complete in August 2013.
Specification of the new roof of 106-109 Saffron Hill was designed by Johns Associates www.johnsassociates.co.uk
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