→ BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating

→ 44% reduction in CO2 against Part L, surpassing the GLA target

→ 22% reduction in embodied carbon
→ 100% renewable electricity 
→ WELL v2 enabled

The Forge will be the first Net Zero Carbon development Landsec are developing. It comprises two buildings, one c.90,000 sq ft and the other c.40,000 sq ft, with a beautiful public realm courtyard.

Landsec was the first commercial real estate company in the world to have its carbon reductions target approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative in 2016. As part of this commitment, The Forge, Landsec’s new build office development in Southwark, is aiming to be the UK’s first net zero carbon commercial building. This means the building will be both constructed and operated in line with the UK’s Green Building Council (UKGBC) framework definition of net zero carbon buildings.

It is a pioneering project and the first major commercial building to be built using a platform approach to design for manufacture and assembly (P-DfMA). The project has been awarded funding from Innovate UK for its innovative design and ground-breaking construction techniques, which has the potential to act as a catalyst for change in the construction sector. This approach has resulted in a 19.4 per cent reduction in embodied carbon emissions against a typical build baseline which is being driven down further through the design development.

In order to minimise operational energy use in line with UKGBC targets, Bryden Wood have used passive design techniques before adopting the use of highly efficient electric air source heat pump (ASHP) systems to provide heating and cooling from a 100 per cent renewable electricity tariff. Photovoltaic panels (PVs) are provided at roof level to offset the annual emergency generator diesel fuel consumption resulting from ongoing maintenance operation.

Embodied carbon was tackled through lean design and the P-DfMA approach led to a componentised solution that is integrated and optimised. Offsite manufacturing significantly reduces material waste and material specifications ensure high levels of recycled content and cement replacement in main building materials. Overall, the project is achieving a 22 per cent reduction in embodied carbon compared with the baseline.

Design for Performance was used to model the operational energy of the building in much more granularity than required for compliance. An all-electric solution run on renewable tariffs was selected, minimising impact on global emissions as well as on local air quality.