One Queen Anne's Gate shortlisted for BREEAM Award
The achievement of an ‘Excellent’ rating at the Post Construction Stage demonstrates how a high-end, historically sensitive development can also be energy efficient. The shortlist category comprises ‘highly complex projects in urban contexts, all aiming to deliver homes with a focus on comfort and sustainable living’.
One Queen Anne’s Gate retains a signature Grade II listed Georgian façade and a Victorian façade of merit to create over 9,000 sqm of residential accommodation under permitted development, an upgrade from the previous 6,000 sqm of poor-quality office space. Comprising 27 apartments, the development also includes a penthouse and 12 affordable housing units.
The signature Grade II listed façade on Queen Anne’s Gate
Working with Eight Associates, the team also included Gardiner & Theobald, AKT II, Hoare Lea and Blue Sky Building who all worked together with careful management across all design and construction stages.
Not all developments target a BREEAM Excellent rating when the building is in an historical setting, as it is perceived there will be barriers preventing high scores being achieved. The development at No 1 Queen Anne’s Gate has shown that it is possible to gain a high scoring BREEAM assessment whilst also retaining a Grade II listed façade, reinstating a residential use and positively contributing to the townscape and the character of the Conservation Area.
The historic building and retained fabric elements made achieving several of the energy credits a challenge, especially considering the retained façade elements which initially had very poor thermal performance. The limited space on site resulting from the building location also made site waste and pollution management a priority, as well as maintaining the goodwill of the local residents through considerate construction practices. BREEAM provided a prescriptive framework for overcoming these issues, setting out appropriate standards to perform to.
‘We targeted a BREEAM Excellent rating because it provides assurance to potential occupiers and purchasers that the apartments will perform well, with low running costs and high standards of comfort. The inclusion of acoustic and amenity indicators are helpful, particularly in the Urban context of Queen Anne’s Gate. In a crowded market place, high-specification apartments need to stand out and BREEAM Excellent helps the development to do that.’
Miles Delap, Gardiner & Theobald (Project Manager)