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03/03/2010 - UPP Leeds Metropolitan University Development Becomes UK’s First PassivHaus Student Accommodation Scheme & wins UK BREEAM Award
UPP's innovative Eco Residence at Leeds Metropolitan University has today (3 March 2010) been selected as the UK 2010 BREEAM Award winner in the Multi-Residential category. The BREEAM Awards recognise buildings which demonstrate sustainable design and utilise innovative solutions to minimise environmental impact. Part of the scheme has now been certified as meeting PassivHaus criteria, marking it out as the UK’s first student accommodation facility to achieve this standard of sustainable design.
Carnegie Village, a £26 million 479 bedroom student accommodation scheme, received a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating earlier this year and was built using UPP’s pioneering Eco Residence model. UPP created the Eco Residence model in response to the need for improved environmental performance alongside affordable rent levels. Carnegie Village, on Leeds Metropolitan University’s Headingley Campus, leads the way in sustainable campus infrastructure and was designed by GWP Architecture.
One townhouse block within Carnegie Village achieved Passivhaus certification yesterday (2 March 2010), which is a landmark project for the sector. This building was designed and built using innovative energy efficiency techniques, meaning that conventional heating systems are not required. PassivHaus buildings are widely recognised as meeting the world’s leading standards in energy efficient construction and have been shown to typically achieve an energy saving of 90% compared to existing housing. Initiatives such as this, which reduce carbon emissions, are increasingly relevant for universities because the Higher Education Council for England (HEFCE) has set out that future capital funding for universities will be linked to carbon performance. HEFCE, Universities UK and GuildHE have now established HE sector-level targets to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, and by at least 34% by 2020 (against a 1990 baseline).
Sue Holmes, Director of Estates at Leeds Met, said:
"It is a fantastic achievement to have the national BREEAM Award as well as notification of Passivhaus status for parts of the village. The university is extremely proud of the standard of accommodation on the campus and the feedback from students and conference delegates is that they think it’s fantastic too. It was great a team effort and we’re all delighted with the finished product."
Sean O’Shea, Chief Executive, UPP commented:
"We are delighted that our sustainable student accommodation scheme, created in partnership with Leeds Metropolitan University, has won this prestigious award and achieved PassivHaus certification. UPP constantly strives to drive new innovation and industry best practice through our Eco Residence developments, making use of the latest techniques and sustainability measures. We will continue to play our part in helping the HE sector achieve its target of reducing carbon emissions by 80% by 2050."
Martin Townsend, Director of BREEAM for BRE Global said:
"Carnegie Village was one of the highest scoring BREEAM certified buildings last year. BREEAM is used throughout the world to provide visible recognition of a building's sustainability and the development will be a tremendous asset to the site. UPP, Leeds Metropolitan University and the project team have done an exceptional job."
John Wybor, Director of GWP Architecture commented:
"We are very pleased to work with University Partnerships Programme and University partners who are committed to delivering exemplar student residential accommodation which successfully addresses the key issues of sustainability and affordability."
Students living in Carnegie Village can monitor their energy usage by using digital monitoring systems installed in the residences. This technology provides students with the opportunity to manage and improve their own energy efficiency and, in doing so, save money. The Eco Residence is built off-site using sustainably sourced timber, and features high levels of insulation, air tightness and innovative mechanical heat recovery ventilation systems, which help to ensure a low carbon footprint.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Carrie Braithwaite in the News and Media team, Leeds Metropolitan University
Tel: +44 (0)113 812 3022
Email:
Fran O’Leary, Martha Dalton or David Reilly, Jefferson Communications
Tel: +44 (0)20 7256 8912
Email:
Notes to Editors
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University has 30,000 students and over 300,000 associate students through its partnerships with 24 colleges.
The University has achieved its best ever Research Assessment Exercise results. Sports-Related Studies is in the top 6 institutions in the country with research rated at the highest levels of 4* and 3*.
The University scored highly in the Times Higher's Student Experience and was ranked 2nd in the category 'Good library and library opening hours'.
Leeds Metropolitan University won the 'Coaching Environment of the Year’ award at the sports coach uk 2008 UK Coaching Awards and was announced as the home of the UK Centre for Coaching Excellence.
The University is home to The UK Centre for Coaching Excellence.
Leeds Met Carnegie is the primary partner of rugby league’s Carnegie Challenge Cup.
The University’s new iconic Rose Bowl building was awarded Best Commercial Property Development in the 2009 Yorkshire Property Awards.
http://www.lmu.ac.uk/
UPP
University Partnerships Programme (UPP) is the trading name of UPP Group Holdings Ltd and its subsidiaries. It specialises in funding, developing and operating student accommodation and campus infrastructure schemes as well as delivering asset management services. It has invested almost £1 billion in the Higher Education sector and plans to invest a further £1 billion over the next two years.
www.upp-ltd.com
GWP Architecture
GWP is a practice of architects, healthcare architects, space planners and interior designers. Founded in 1980 the practice has offices in the UK, Czech Republic and Abu Dhabi.
www.gwp-arch.com/
BREEAM
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design and has become the de facto measure used to describe a building's environmental performance.
The BREEAM Awards recognise and reward those involved in the design and construction of the highest scoring buildings certified under BREEAM that year. A BREEAM ‘EXCELLENT' rating is a pre-qualification, so the winners truly represent the UK's top examples of sustainable design. The awards are not subjective as each development has been independently assessed and certified.
In order to win an award, each building must have excelled in every environmental category within BREEAM (e.g. from Energy to Ecology) and therefore winners represent a holistic approach to delivering environmental sustainability.
www.breeam.org
PassivHaus
The term ‘PassivHaus’ refers to a voluntary, ultra low-energy construction standard first developed by Dr Wolfgang Feist of the Passivhaus Institut Germany.
PassivHaus dwellings are the worlds leading standard in energy efficient construction; are designed and built using a step-by-step approach; use efficient components and a whole house ventilation system to achieve exceptionally low running costs and are comfortable, healthy and sustainable.
PassivHaus dwellings typically achieve an energy saving of 90% compared to existing housing.
www.passivhaus.org.uk
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