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NewswireToday - /newswire/ -
Bury, Lancashire, United Kingdom, 04/12/2010 - Multi-utility connection specialist, Crown Energy is expanding. Work has started on a new headquarters building where low energy use and minimal environmental impact are key objectives.
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The 924 square metre building, housing up to 90 specialised staff, will be located on a semi-naturalised brown field site of 0.94 hectare.
Crown Energy’s Keeley Naismith is project managing the build. She explained, “As an energy business, supplying oil, reselling electricity and gas services and providing utility connections, we take our environmental responsibilities seriously. Our sister company, Crown Oil, pioneered carbon offset diesel for construction site vehicles and plant.”
“A high quality working environment is essential,” explained managing director Matthew Greensmith. “The building will have good natural daylight with a central atrium to illuminate the core. Low energy lighting throughout will supplement natural light. The predicted CO2 emissions rate for this building, calculated in accordance with Building Regulations, is lower than the target rate for a similar new building. A semi open plan layout gives a flexible office space to create the best conditions for effective team working.”
Insulation values of the new building will exceed current building regulations with the upper floors and roof clad in high efficiency composite panels. Tinted anti-glare and low emissivity glazing will be fitted throughout while the south elevation will have minimal glazing to reduce solar heat gain. Heat recovery from ventilation exhaust will return energy to the building. An advanced computerised building management system will control all heating and cooling services.
The architect, Tony Steele an associate at Campbell Driver Partnership, described the former industrial site as ‘challenging’. In addition to a partly filled mill lodge and remnants of a former railway line, the site had steep banks in need of re-grading for stabilization. Piling was required before building commenced because of the soft landfill in the former lodge.
Essential landscaping work around the building and a new access road will complete the HQ. The remainder of the site, which has been colonised by wild plant species, will be left in a natural state to preserve its bio-diversity. Respecting the sites railway heritage part of an old wrought iron railway bridge will be retained as a feature and repositioned.
High resolution images are on the web.
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keeleynaismith[.]crownenergy.co.uk 
