A newly designed building in the centre of London has won the biggest accolade for its
green energy usage in the industry.
The design of 7More London, which is part of a complex that sits on the south bank of the River Thames, near Tower Bridge, has been labelled outstanding according to the BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) standard.
BREEAM is widely accepted as the method of scoring offices on how low their environmental impact should be. The score of an 'outstanding' mark requires 85 per cent.
The method for measuring the impact of business energy is now used across the world, albeit in different guises such as the Green Star in Australia.
In this case 7More, which is set to house one of London's biggest companies in PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), uses waste heat energy to control the temperature of the building.
Even the concrete used to build it contains 80 per cent recycled aggregates in its make up.
The project's developers BDP and its chairman of environmental engineering Bob Spittle believe it is a major achievement and that it owes much to the "sheer determination of PwC to set a new standard in office design".
Mr Spittle admitted that the project team was initially aiming for the excellent standard - one beneath its eventual rating - but the opportunity arose during the design to aim higher.
He added: "You have got to be determined to set and achieve these new standards; involve people early on and make sure the support of your developer, contractors and design team matches the vision of your clients."
The changes in office design to make them more environmentally friendly could not have come at a better time for Mother Nature.
Green energy office design specialist Morgan Lovell has said that 45 per cent of the UK's carbon emissions come from homes, public buildings and business energy.
PwC will move 5,000 of its staff into its new eco-friendly complex early next year
