DOGS TRUST SHREWSBURY CENTRE ACHIEVES BREEAM OUTSTANDING RATING THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH INBUILT

Inbuilt, the RES Group company offering renewable energy and buildings sustainability advice to public and private sector organisations, has confirmed the completion of a state of the art re-homing centre for the Dogs Trust, based at Shrewsbury and a design stage BREEAM (Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method) 'Outstanding' Rating for the centre. 

Inbuilt worked closely with the Dogs Trust to design the centre buildings to the highest possible levels of sustainability in order to achieve the BREEAM 'Outstanding' accreditation.  Work is now progressing to achieve BREEAM accreditation on the post construction stage.

Just some of the design features of the re-homing centre include:

• Air tightness - the centre has been designed to minimise cold and hot air loss, and therefore minimise the heating and cooling demands of the building, achieving an air tightness value of2.5m3/hr/m2@50Pa
• Solar energy - photovoltaics utilise the most abundant energy source on the planet - the sun. A 30.55kWp PV System has been installed at the centre, made up of 130 PV panels providing a large proportion of the centre's energy needs
• Rainwater harvesting - the centre features a system that collects rainwater that falls on the roof of the main Rehoming Building and uses it to supply water for washing down kennels, watering the green roof, for use in the Rehoming washing machine and the WhoopsieAway (the system used to transport dog sewage to the Sewage Treatment Plant)
• Ventilation - natural systems have been harnessed throughout the building wherever possible, particularly daylight and ventilation, to reduce the electrical load on the building during its operation
• Green roof - the centre includes a green roof totalling 750 sq metres, featuring native plant species and contributing to the building's insulation.

Matthew Taylor, Property Director, Dogs Trust, said: "We have invested significantly in our new re-homing centre which, through the life of the building, will significantly reduce our operational expenditure.  With the BREEAM Outstanding rating, we are one of only a very small number of developments in the UK to receive such an accolade. As well as the financial and environmental benefits, the new centre will be a more welcoming and comfortable home for our 130 dogs and puppies."

Commenting from Inbuilt, Rachel Shore, Senior Sustainable Design Consultant, said: "The success of the Shrewsbury Re-homing centre is very much based on the considered selection of materials chosen for their low environmental impact from the initial design stage. Materials were selected based not just on cost alone, but also ease of installation, environmental impact, sourcing and life cycle costs. Inbuilt is delighted that the centre has achieved a BREEAM Outstanding rating for its design stage and we are now focused on certification for the post construction stage."
 
Inbuilt worked with Dogs Trust from the initial design and planning stages, helping them to integrate sustainable design principles from the outset.  Inbuilt has developed a specific risk management tool, i-DREAM, to identify why and where gaps in the performance of the building could occur and to formalise a process for addressing and reducing these risks. i-DREAM was used throughout the design and construction stages at Dogs Trust Shrewsbury.

Inbuilt also utilises the Soft Landings* framework on its projects.  As part of its Soft Landings Service, Inbuilt will be revisiting the centre at six and 12 month intervals to assess the performance of the building against the operational targets set during the design stage.
 
Ends
Notes to editors:

The RES Group is one of the world's leading independent renewable energy project developers with operations across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific. At the forefront of wind energy development for over 25 years, RES has developed and/or built more than 5GW of wind energy capacity worldwide. The RES Group is active in a range of renewable energy technologies including large-scale biomass, solar, wave and tidal and on-site renewable installations. For more information, visit www.res-group.com

Inbuilt is the consulting division of the RES Group in the UK focused on sustainable buildings advice and renewable energy consulting. Inbuilt works with its clients in the UK and internationally to ensure that they get maximum benefit from their sustainability focused activities. We work closely with our clients to ensure that any installation is valued, a good investment and delivers a real business benefit.

Soft Landings
*The Soft Landings Framework is a joint initiative between BSRIA, the Usable Buildings Trust (UBT), and the originator of Soft Landings, Mark Way. Its purpose is to provide the structure for project teams to stay engaged after practical completion, hand-holding the client during the first months of operation to fine-tune and de-bug systems and ensure the occupiers understand how to control and best use their new work environment. The Soft Landings process is designed to extend up to three years post-completion and remove the gap that so often occurs between design intents and building performance.

CONTACTS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:

Kimberley Huggins
Group Communications & Media Relations Manager, RES Group
D +44 (0)1923 299 490
M   +44 (0)7990 514 780
Kimberley.huggins@res-ltd.com

Jennifer Blaber / Hannah Macey
The Dog's Trust
T +44 (0) 20 837 006
pressoffice@dogstrust.org.uk