Lancaster University

Lancaster University asked IES Consulting to help them achieve a BREEAM Outstanding certification for its Engineering Building.

key-facts

• First project IES Consulting used IMPACT Tool
• BREEAM Outstanding Certified
• 2 exemplar credits achieved within MAT-01
• 2015 RIBA Award Winner

IES Consulting performed a detailed LCA analysis to help the university achieve a BREEAM Outstanding certification for its engineering building.

Designed by internationally-renowned architects John McAslan + Partners, the state-of-the-art engineering building opened for business in December 2014. The building provides a world-class environment with specially designed workshops, teaching laboratories and office areas. The two-winged development with a central atrium houses mechanical workshops and laboratories on the ground floor, electronics and chemical engineering on the first floor with levels three and four providing academic office space, study areas and meeting zones. The building succeeded in achieving a BREEAM Outstanding rating.

To do this, the University sought the help of IES Consulting. BREEAM assesses a buildings sustainability performance through a range of criteria, one of which is Life cycle assessment (LCA, or Environmental Impact). This is covered under the Materials category and specifically within MAT-01. The Virtual Environment IMPACT compliant suite allows assessment of the environmental impact of the proposed building and also allows attainment of 2 exemplar credits within BREEAM MAT-01.

Following an in-depth Environmental Impact study of the Engineering building using the VE IMPACT compliant software suite and, following the guidelines of assessment by BREEAM Credit MAT-01 for the attainment of the 2 available exemplar credits, IES carried out a thorough data gathering exercise to build up the constructions layer by layer and reviewed the Quantity Surveyor’s data for construction volumes.

The benefit of BIM enabled whole-building assessment is that the calculations are based on real design data and accurate quantities, rather than generic specifications for particular building elements. IMPACT compliant tools also allow users to accurately model the life cycle performance of primary structures and substructures, which are not covered by the Green Guide to Specification.

“Using the IES IMPACT compliance tool and, as a result of the life cycle analysis, the design team were able to make an informed decision on the construction material to use and the overall effect these had in terms of EcoPoints and CO2 Emissions.”

Tracy Keegan
Project Lead Consultant, IES