Introduction

The project is situated just east of the scientific area of Oxford University on a campus near the city centre. Local bus services are available, but not frequently. A railway station is within a mile. Linacre is a graduate college of Oxford University, with approximately 270 students from fifty countries reading for higher degrees in both the sciences and humanities. Despite its small grounds and limited finances, the College has undertaken a project which impressively achieves its objective of providing much-needed student accommodation, while meeting the College’s other major commitment to the environment: the renovation of the student accommodation block Abraham Building. The site was relatively small with an existing student residential building built in 1985. The building needed to fit in with the existing character of the site and meet high environmental credentials.

Objectives and target audience

By comparison with an equivalent Building Regulation standard building, Linacre College’s project expected to produce:

• 35% reduced gas consumption
• 25% reduced electricity consumption
• 31% reduced carbon dioxide emission
• 36% reduced water consumption

Financial Resources and Partners

Linacre College.

Process

The building has won the “Green Building of the Year Award”, which is organised by the Heating and Ventilating Contractors Association in association with Independent Newspapers.
The building achieved a BREEAM-score excellent.
The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) provides a comprehensive tool for analysing and improving the environmental performance of buildings from design through to management. Conceived as a tool to encourage a market for more environmentally friendly buildings, it is now widely accepted and used both as a property specification tool, a design tool and as an environmental review tool in environmental management strategies. The method covers a range of standard building types with assessment being carried out by a network of registered assessors.
Energy conservation measures were taken:

• Passive solar design principles;
• High thermal insulation;
• High thermal mass;
• Double glazing with low emission glass;
• Condensing boilers
• Heat recovery;
• Low energy lighting;
• Gas appliances;
• Daylight and sunlight good in south facing rooms (19 out of 23);
• Passive stack ventilation system;

Other Environmental features are:

• Structure and all materials based on embodied energy analysis;
• Recycled or natural insulation material;
• Recycled copper;
• Timber from sustainable sources;
• Avoidance of CFC´s/HCF´s;
• Organic or water based paints;
• Recycling of household waste;
• Natural fibres, organic or water based paints, timber surfaces;
• Interesting shapes, bold colours, stained glass, individuality and flexibility;
• Good provision for cycling;
• Grey water recycling.

Results

The actual performance of the buildings’ systems are being monitored over the first two years of occupation, as the College wishes to ensure that the projected energy savings are being achieved.
The specific environmental features have added approximately 3.7% to the building costs, compared to a similar building of standard design. However, the savings made by the building in terms of energy efficiency, etc. will recoup these costs in well less than six years.

Critical Success Factors / Challenges