The National Trust headquarters in Swindon opened in July 2005, and is proving successful in achieving a design brief which centred on the need for excellent environmental performance and a high level of sustainability. Extensive use has been made of natural ventilation, thermal mass and renewable energy in the form an 80kW photovoltaic array, making the development almost carbon neutral. Whilst this is clearly a prestigious HQ building, surprisingly it was built by a commercial developer within the budget for a typical speculative office of a similar size.
Courtesy of The Concrete Centre and the British Cement Association