Sustainability Report
Embodied carbon
A whole-life carbon calculation was undertaken, resulting in 624 kgCO₂/m², with embodied carbon at 644 kgCO₂/m². The figures were “calculated to our best ability”.
Operational Emissions / Energy
Operational emissions are reduced through a highly insulated and airtight building envelope, high-performance glazing, passive solar control with external blinds, and cross-ventilation via fully openable façades. Heating demand is reduced by the fabric performance and underfloor heating operating at lower temperatures, and the system is further supported by a biodiesel boiler using waste cooking oil, which is described as having around 90% lower emissions than a conventional gas or diesel boiler.
Service and maintenance emissions
The design reduces service and maintenance emissions mainly through its modular and demountable system. The floating structure is made up of 10 interlocking steel hulls that can be individually detached and lifted to the bank for maintenance, avoiding the need to move the entire building to dry dock. This reduces the scale of interventions and associated transport and servicing impacts. The superstructure is also designed as a prefabricated, modular kit of parts, allowing individual components to be repaired or replaced without large-scale demolition or reconstruction.
Afterlife
Circular economy principles are embedded in the connection strategy and material selection. Flitched and structural connections are bolted rather than permanently fixed, allowing components to be disassembled and recovered intact.
The building is conceived as a kit of parts, allowing both the floating substructure and the superstructure to be disassembled and reused. The steel hull is formed from 10 separate modules that can be individually detached and reused or recycled at end of life. Above this, the glulam timber superstructure is also prefabricated and mechanically connected, enabling it to be taken apart without destructive demolition.
Key products in low carbon design
