A new Milton Keynes leisure building designed by Holder Mathias has been recognised with a prestigious award for its sustainability.
Bletchley Leisure Centre has been recognised with a BREEAM Award in the Bespoke category at the 2010 BREEAM Awards, held at the Ecobuild Arena in Earls Court, London on 3 March. The centre beat off competition from several other top–rated sustainable buildings across the UK to scoop the prize, and was one of only 16 developments to receive an award at the ceremony.
The BREEAM Awards recognise and reward those involved in the design and construction of the highest scoring buildings certified under BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method). The awards form part of the three-day Ecobuild conference, which is the largest event dedicated to sustainable buildings in the UK.
The £18m leisure centre, completed in January this year, scored a 79.6 per cent BREEAM rating, which not only gave it a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, but put it into contention for the awards.
The top-rated buildings are then independently assessed and certified and, in order to win an award, each building must excel in every environmental category – from energy to ecology – to represent a holistic approach to delivering sustainability.
The Holder Mathias-designed centre, which is 9,572m² and features a swimming pool, fitness centre, function suite, and multi-use sports halls, was recognised for incorporating sustainable features such as biomass-fuelled boilers, rainwater harvesting and natural ventilation.
Carol Atkinson, BRE Global Chief Executive, says: “This state-of-the-art facility will bring a great deal of pleasure to the residents of Bletchley and surrounding areas for years to come and it is a tribute to Holder Mathias and all those involved in the project that they have achieved such an excellent standard.”
Peter Gamble, managing director of Holder Mathias, says: “I’m delighted that the hard work and commitment put in to make this project as sustainable as possible has been recognised with a BREEAM Award.
“As we continue to strive for sustainable architecture, this reward represents a major success for Holder Mathias. I’d like to congratulate the whole design team involved as it is through their determination and rigour that the scheme has achieved this accolade.”
04/03/2010