Energy Travel and Sustainable Buildings: A Case Study of Bruntwood City Tower
Funding
EU FP7 Grant (Science in Society): Project number 217701.
Lead researchers
Researchers: Simon Guy, Chris Hewson, Dana Abi Ghanem, Tracey Crosie.
Summary
The City Tower project assessed how the sustainability of an existing commercial building can be increased. Using Bruntwood City Tower as a case study this project focused on operational energy efficiency and transport choices.
The City Tower is an EcoCities related project.
The project focused on two key facts:
- That office and retail buildings are the most energy intensive of all non-domestic buildings, and they represent a significant opportunity to reduce energy consumption within both the public and commercial realm
- That those who work within office and retail buildings must travel to work, and transport is a major source of ‘greenhouse’ (CO2) emissions, as well as a major factor in localised environmental disruptions such as congestion, noise pollution and poor air quality
This project recognised that a range of place specific solutions should be considered, with policy responses formed through an understanding of the tangible practices of energy consumption and work related travel, alongside the arrangements and decisions that organise these practices. In turn, this allows us to suggest that travel practices should assessed in tandem with other ‘energy consuming practices’ within commercial buildings.
Utilising a case study approach of organisations based within the City Tower, the research presented explores three ‘spheres of practice: the practice (s) of building design; the practice of ongoing building operation and maintenance; the everyday working (and travel) practices of those occupying the building in question. The City Tower project aimed to provide ‘sustainability focused’ recommendations in three key areas: building redevelopment and operation; energy consuming practices within City Tower; travel practices undertaken by the building's occupants.
The aims and objectives of the City Tower were to:
- provide an introduction to the practical and theoretical scope of the research
- consider the history of the City Tower, and how this has shaped the context within which our respondents operated
- provide an analysis of energy management and sustainable redevelopment with the City Tower
- assess energy and everyday working practices, particularly how energy consuming practices (ECPs) are comprised of specific configurations of behaviours, technologies and structures
- examine the travel choices and patterns evidenced at the City Tower, considering how sustainable travel policies might emerge as a result of both structural and behavioural policy actions
Contact
Email: Chris Hewson