Project of the year

Winner

Buro Happold/MJN Colston – The Core at the Eden Project

This project had a real ‘wow’ factor said the judges. The Core is based on the Ethiopian tree of knowledge, a place where people travel from all around to listen to stories passed down from older generations. As such, the spiral timber gridshell of the roof forms the tree canopy, providing shelter and shade. Its copper panels shed water as leaves do while the 350 m2 array of photovoltaics represent photosynthesis. Ground earth tubes draw outside air into lecture rooms and symbolise a tree’s roots, while providing cool air for natural ventilation.

The judges were impressed with both the materials used in the building’s construction and the way the Core acts as a showcase for pioneering services.

Other sustainable features include rainwater collection for toilet flushing, a 300 kW biomass boiler, optimum thickness recycled cellulose insulation and low energy lighting.

Runners-up

Max Fordham - National Trust HQ

Highly commended

The new National Trust HQ demonstrates that a building can be architecturally interesting, an outstanding place to work and highly sustainable, with low running costs.

BDP – BBC Birmingham at the Mailbox

This is the BBC’s first flagship project to be completed outside of London. The design stood out for its imaginative use of space, and in particular the ‘gondola’ mezzanine floors, the top side of which are designed as a raised floor with power and data outlets, the underside as a flat chilled ceiling and the mezzanine itself as a fresh air plenum.

EIC – Orchard & Uplands primary schools

EIC adopted a collaborative working and holistic approach to the design of these schools, which was highlighted by a pre-design meeting with the client, teachers, constructor, other designers and specialist contractors. The buildings incorporate a raft of renewable technologies including solar thermal roof panels that reduce gas consumption by 12%.

Haden Young - York Hospital

Haden Young is a primary supply chain member of principal supply chain partner, Kier Health. Innovations introduced to reduce time and costs on the project included cable basket with quick fixings and couplings, pre-assembled distribution boards and pre-flexed luminaires.

Hoare Lea – Student Services Centre, University of Southampton

The Student Services Centre stood out because it outperforms the 2006 Part L requirements by 50%. The building also forms part of the SARA project, which aims to contribute to the development of EU energy policy and accelerate market penetration of sustainable technologies.

McBains Cooper Consulting – Gloucestershire Constabulary HQ

Just some of the things that make this building stand out are savings of 180 tonnes of CO2/year, 45% reduction in mains water consumption, plus 30-40% reduction in energy savings compared to a conventional air conditioned building.