The Carbon Trust’s Low Carbon Workplace partnership took home the innovation award in the Built Environment category for the retrofit of Mansel Court, a 1960s office block in South West London.
Judges praised the Carbon Trust’s pioneering approach to building refurbishment, overcoming many of the barriers to realising the value in sustainability due to split incentives beween property funds, landlords, and tenants.
"The redevelopment of old buildings, while not a sexy task, is exactly where more works needs to be done. Old buildings have a big negative impact and the redevelopment of Wimbledon’s Mansel Court, into a low carbon workplace, was considered a project others could learn from and replicate."
Comment by judges
The Carbon Trust impressed judges with the implementation of innovative energy efficient technologies, with Mansel Court becoming the first commercial office building in the UK to use capillary matting for cooling, as well as the ongoing engagement with tenants on sustainability.
Mansel Court is rated as ‘Excellent’ by BREEAM, and its operational energy use is more than 50 percent more energy efficient than equivalent buildings, using industry benchmarks. This has been achieved thanks to a combination of energy efficient technologies, coupled with a support programme to engage occupiers to make sure these are used properly to make their workplace more sustainable.
The Carbon Trust created Low Carbon Workplace in 2010 in partnership with asset manager Colombia Threadneedle Investments and property developer Stanhope. The partnership now has eight low carbon office buildings in its portfolio, as part of a property fund worth more than £170 million.
