A new £1.4 million Construction and Automotive Green Technology Centre at Kidderminster College offers students state-of-the-art facilities, and access to the latest technology, enabling them to gain practical experience and knowledge in a stimulating environment.
From a regulatory perspective, the Approved Document Part L 2021, which covers the ‘Conservation of fuel and power Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellings’, is the regulation that drives improvements to the thermal performance of the building fabric. From a business perspective a refurbishment can be an opportunity to carry out repairs, fix faults, upgrade the performance of the fabric, and refresh the look of the building. It may also be the time to consider extensions to increase business capacity or add other benefits to the site.
Taking a holistic approach to building envelope design ensures that the walls and roof of warehouses work together to meet the criteria of LETI, LEED and BREEAM, which not only results in a cost effective, energy efficient and environmentally conscious design but also facilitates an effective goods delivery and logistics facility that is adaptable to future climate changes.
One of the key challenges was speed of construction, with the importance of sustainability in our current world it was key that the facility was up and running as soon as possible to help identify new and innovative ways of reducing carbon emissions from aircraft which is vital to helping reduce the UK’s carbon emissions. The aim is to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
