Many schemes came forward to boast their green credentials - but Adam Khan and Max Fordham’s stunning nature reserve visitor centre was the clear winner

Sustainable Project of the year

Sponsored by Mitie

Brockholes Nature Reserve Visitor Centre, Preston

Adam Khan Architects & Max Fordham

Judges described this scheme as “outstanding, inspiring and an excellent example to others.” The £9m winning project has been awarded a BREEAM Outstanding status and was designed to evoke a love of nature in anyone who visited. A stunning collection of buildings, suspended - as if floating - on a large pontoon not only looks fantastic but has been designed to give flood protection despite being based right on the water’s edge. This, in turn, allows visitors to get up close to the river-dwelling wildlife. Environmental and design analysis was under taken including whole building embodied energy analysis, on-site sewage treatment analysis and low-energy catering analysis. Lancashire Wildlife Trust’s own site-specific ecologist was available throughout the design and construction of the project to advise.

Runners-up

Dogs Trust Rehoming Centre, Shrewsbury

Mott MacDonald’s BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ scheme is carbon neutral, has a 70% energy consumption reduction target, a biomass boiler, a 25,000 litre underground tank to collect rain and grey water.

Ecclesall Road store, Sheffield

This is Marks & Spencer’s second highest rated BREEAM store having delivered a 9% reduction in energy consumption compared with a benchmark store. One hundred percent of in-store heating is provided by expelled heat from its refrigeration units.

Graylingwell Park, Chichester

A joint development between Linden Homes, Affinity Sutton and the Homes & Communities Agency, this scheme will deliver 750 homes. Forty percent of these will be affordable homes and each one will use 33% less water, will have PV roof panels and high levels of insulation.

The Green, Bradford

The Green, a sustainable student village at the University of Bradford, scored 95.05% on its interim BREEAM assessment to become the highest rated building in the world. GB Building Solutions’ scheme uses a fabric-first approach and passivhaus technologies.

Houghton Primary Care Centre

The first health facility to achieve BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ status post construction, Willmott Dixon’s development is forecast to emit just 24kg CO2/m2 every year - 38% less than Part L requirements. Over the building’s life a 33% cut in CO2 emissions is expected.

Lancaster Institute of Contemporary Arts

The brief, to create a “flexible shed, strong enough to house radical design without competing for attention”, has been beautifully achieved here by Sheppard Robson, perfectly complementing its woodland setting.

Oak Meadow & Bushbury Hill Passivhaus Schools

Thomas Vale and Architype have come up with a standardised Passivhaus construction system which for these schools in Wolverhampton achieved energy savings of 80% while cutting costs and construction time.

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