Why IQL buildings are amongst the most eco-friendly office spaces in London
Achieving the highest level of BREEAM means that our buildings are designed and constructed with a leading sustainability approach. The threshold for achieving an ‘Outstanding’ certification is an overall score of 85%. 2 Redman Place at IQL scored 94% by BREEAM which, at the time of award, was the second highest ever BREEAM score in the UK for a commercial building. Here’s why:
• The materials used were responsibly and sustainably sourced.
• Green space was installed along the south wall and on the roof to improve local biodiversity.
• Energy efficient features were installed, such as triple glazing combined with on-site energy generation from solar panels (saving 304 tonnes of carbon each year – about the same as running 3,000 fridges!).
• The building was given a rainwater harvesting system, meaning the building saves 18.6 million litres of mains water each, and every, year.
• The building was designed to maximise thermal performance and energy efficiency, including automated blinds that help to regulate internal temperatures.
• 2 Redman Place promotes sustainable transportation through the provision of showers, changing facilities and storage for over 200 bicycles.
• The building’s heating and cooling systems are powered by the Stratford Energy Centre, which is home to a renewable energy feed.
Combine this with wellbeing initiatives (achieving WELL Gold certification) and features like 100% fresh air, minimum ambient noise, collaborative design and outdoor terraces – and you truly have one of the most sustainable office spaces in London.
For more information about the remaining available office space within 2 Redman Place, visit the dedicated page.
Now fully occupied by organisations like the Financial Conduct Authority, Unicef UK and the Nursing and Midwifery Council, 1 Westfield Avenue was one of IQL’s first BREEAM ‘Excellent’ sustainable offices.
Employees enjoy 100% fresh air throughout, end of trip facilities like bicycle spaces, showers, lockers, and amazing views across Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
It’s also home to our own flexible workspace and event space, Workable.
Find out exactly how employees feel about their office at 1 Westfield Avenue by watching the video below.
The newest addition to our collection of sustainable offices, The Turing Building will be yet another workplace that’s set to be BREEAM ‘Outstanding’, with an energy rating of EPC A. What does this mean? That even during construction we are reducing our embodied carbon, by 48% in fact.
But what does an eco-friendly office mean for those using the building? Well, it means a place that considers employee wellbeing as much as its carbon footprint. This consideration is evidenced by the building working toward a WELL Gold award.
Once built, employees will enjoy a range of workspaces, including outdoor connected terraces, an active lobby, open plan offices and private booths for meeting space. An in-house boutique cinema offers dynamic meeting opportunities, or a place to unwind. The ground floor coffee shop means you don’t need to go far for a caffeine hit, and the whole building is filled with 100% fresh, filtered air. The placement of floor to ceiling windows allows natural light to flood in, while the outdoor terraces offer up incredible views over East London.
It’s all of these elements combined that will make The Turing Building an exceptional place to work. And exceptional workplaces make the return to the office even more appealing.
To find out more about available office space within the upcoming Turing Building, please visit the The Turing Building website.
The best sustainable practices don’t end with the construction of our buildings. In the public realm around IQL you’ll see our continued efforts to make the wider area of Stratford a better place to be.
Our timber Pavilion is now home to Haugen, but did you know the roof top terrace has a public viewing platform as well as bird and bat boxes to aid local populations of wildlife?
Around the development, we’ve also planted multi-sensory flowers to make sure that our plant life is accessible to all. We’ve created a moveable Orchard, filled with fruit trees that the local community can enjoy. We’ll soon welcome Crate to Plate, an innovative business growing clean, fresh produce from shipping containers based right here at IQL. Stratford grown tomatoes anyone? It means local residents and businesses can purchase ingredients that haven’t had to be flown from abroad, or even transported, by truck, from elsewhere in the UK.
Step outside of IQL, and you’re just about to enter Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park; 560 acres of rolling green space. It’s the perfect place to escape to eat lunch, go for a lunchtime run, or just sit down for a few quiet moments. It also brings with it, world-class fitness facilities like the Aquatics Centre which are open to the public for daily use.
Our aim is to create a place that people love to live, work, and play in. And that includes a public realm that’s designed with our visitors in mind.
For a more detailed run down of some of the most eco-friendly office spaces in London, visit our Workspace page.
- 1. New Construction 2014 in the UK for Post Construction certificate.