Environmental Issues

BREEAM is an environmental assessment method for a range of construction projects. Tools are available for a number of standard building types, and can be used to quantify a building’s performance either at design stage, or after construction and occupation.

The BREEAM Offices 2006 tool has been used to inform and assess the design of Westport to ensure that a high standard of environmental performance is achieved. The project team are committed to achieving a Very Good rating for the building.

Key features of Westport include:

• improved lighting, ventilation and thermal designs to provide a healthy indoor environment for building users
• a sub metering strategy to allow building users to monitor energy and water use
• excellent links to public transport services
• reduced risk of water waste through application of leak detection
• re-use of brownfield land on city centre site avoids use of new land, and does not affect existing biodiversity or habitats
• non-toxic insulations materials will be specified throughout the building

Further information on the BREEAM suite of tools and assessment procedures is available at: www.breeam.org