Practical examples

The refurbishment of an existing office building in the heart of London for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), as their headquarters. Defra does of course have responsibility for many of the sustainable initiatives and therefore wanted to be leading the way on sustainable refurbishments. Completed at the end of 2005, it included:

• combined heat and power plant at roof level, reducing electricity demand by up to 50%;
• materials removed from site, such as carpets and timber, sorted and recycled;
• new materials from sustainable sources - sheep's wool used as insulation, timber from certified sustainable sources;
• refurbishment of existing secondary glazing;
• water-based paints;
• linoleum floor coverings;
• an 'Excellent' BREEAM rating is anticipated.