By Jon Robinson
At first glance, the headline numbers associated with the ‘Eden’ office development don’t seem overly eye-catching in the context of the industry as a whole.
A total of 115,000 sq ft created over 12 storeys in a £36m project is undoubtedly important to the local area but unlikely to get much attention elsewhere.
But when you take another look at this particular Salford development, the importance of what has been created in this corner of the North West comes into sharp focus.
Developed by The English Cities Fund (ECF) the building, which has just reached practical completion, features the largest living wall in Europe and is one of the UK’s most sustainable office developments.
It has been designed using the UK Green Building Council’s 2030 – 2035 standards and has the capability to run on 100 per cent renewable electricity.
The building has the highest NABERS UK Design Reviewed Target Rating for a new-build development in the UK to date and has helped transform a former derelict surface car park into what has been described as a “local and national icon”.
The ECF, which is made up of urban regeneration specialist Muse, Homes England and Legal & General, has already attracted TLT and BDO to take up space at Eden with more expected to follow suit.
Challenged by ECF to deliver the most sustainable, carbon-efficient building achievable within the budget and the constraints of the site, architects Make designed the 12-storey office development with an upfront embodied carbon rate of 664kg CO/m compared with over 1,000kgCO/m for a typical office scheme.
The design team is also aiming for the building to achieve a 5.5-star NABERS UK (National Australian Building Rating System) Energy Rating once the in-use data is available, with ‘green lease’ agreements in place to ensure that the tenants are also on board with the vision for the building.
Eden’s most noticeable design feature is its living facade, which covers over 36,000 sq ft of the building with 32 species of evergreen and perennial planting.
Phil Marsden, managing director North West for Muse, said: “Our sector must set the bar high and work together to tackle the climate crisis.
“Delivering sustainability is about doing the right thing for the environment, communities, and our partners – this isn’t a choice for us as a business, it’s what we do. We continuously strive to do better and are happy to share our experiences with the wider industry.
“Watching Eden emerge on Salford’s skyline over the last two years has been an incredible journey. What started as an ambition to build the UK’s most sustainable and environmentally considerate commercial building became so much more.
“We take our learnings from Eden onto our future projects where we strive to do even better. Everyone involved in Eden should be incredibly proud.”
Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett added: “With its pioneering sustainability credentials and incredible façade, Eden isn’t just a local legend, it is a national icon, that we are truly proud of.
“It’s a beacon of our city’s carbon neutrality commitments, it provides a blueprint for the future for the construction sector and is another bold testament to our city’s reputation for innovation.
“This unique building and the positive visual impact it has had on the city’s skyline is a reflection of the inspiration and drive we have in Salford to think differently and innovate to make Salford a cleaner, greener, healthier place to live and work.”
Retained letting agents on the building are JLL, Cushman and Wakefield and OBI.
