The one-storey building is being built to a ‘very good’ BREEAM rating to reflect the high environmental credentials of the project.
A team from Focus has been involved from the initial consultation and design stages and will continue to play a key role now that work has started on site, and through to completion by early Summer 2013.
Associate and BREEAM assessor Jason Redfearn said: “Focus is very pleased to be working directly with Nottingham Trent University for the first time. The university has really considered the approach to BREEAM and how best to integrate it successfully into the new library, creating an energy efficient building that minimises its environmental impact.”
The library at the campus near Southwell in Nottinghamshire will feature sustainable materials in construction, energy efficient heating, photo-voltaic panels on the roof, high levels of insulation and will link in to the existing biomass heating system on site.
BREEAM - the Building Research Establishment’s Environmental Assessment Method - is the world’s foremost environmental assessment method and measures a building’s green credentials. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable building design, construction and operation and has become one of the most comprehensive and widely recognised measures of a building's environmental performance.
Focus, which is based at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, and has offices in Leicester, London, Boston and Aubourn near Lincoln, was appointed as BREEAM Assessors at early design stage for the Brackenhurst scheme.
The firm was then appointed to undertake design stage assessment and post-construction stage assessment.
Focus BREEAM assessor Jessica Bullers, based in the Princess Road East office in Leicester, is driving the project for Focus.
The Energy Carbon Sustainability team at Focus Consultants offers a range of services to support sustainable development, including low carbon consultancy, environmental assessment methods and regulation compliance.
The company also specialises in creative approaches to securing funding packages and delivering high quality projects across the Midlands and the UK. Focus has secured more than £800 million of grant assistance, and delivered more than £1 billion of projects and programmes since 1994.
www.focus-consultants.co.uk
Issued by Nottingham PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk
