IKEA Greenwich was designed and built with sustainability at its core, reflecting IKEA’s people and planet positive ambition

IKEA Greenwich is the highest scoring BREEAM building Envision has been involved with. The achievement is thanks to the vision of the client and the determination and commitment by the contractor and design team.

BREEAM Outstanding (90.4%)
Version:
New Construction 2011 – Retail
Architect: SRA Architects LLP
Building Services: Waldeck Associates Ltd
Assessor Company: Envision
Developer: IKEA Properties Investments Ltd

Why did this building undergo BREEAM Certification?

All IKEA developments worldwide are committed to demonstrating cutting edge sustainable design and construction, BREEAM ‘Very Good’ is the minimum standard all IKEA projects must achieve. However, BREEAM ‘Excellent’ was a planning requirement stipulated by the local authority in Greenwich. In addition, the design and store teams at IKEA Greenwich were dedicated to improving existing sustainability targets for the project, therefore BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ was the focus.

“IKEA Greenwich is the highest scoring BREEAM building Envision has been involved with. The achievement is thanks to the vision of the client and the determination and commitment by the contractor and design team. This was a truly fantastic project to be involved in.” Simon Rainsford, Director, Envision Sustainability and Energy

 

 

Green Strategy and Environmental Features

IKEA aim to have an overall positive impact on people and the planet and contribute to protecting vulnerable communities and biodiversity, as well as striving for sustainable resource use. IKEA Greenwich utilised the following list of technologies and environmental features in the design and
construction:

‐ Solar PV: A 850 kWp solar array supplements the store’s energy requirements and reduces the energy dependence from the grid.
‐ Water Efficiency: Two rainwater harvesting tanks alongside low water use fittings reduce the store’s water consumption by up to 50%.
‐ Evaporative Cooling Units: Evaporative cooling help reduce energy demand from the stores air conditioning system.
‐ Ground Source Heating: Ground source heat pumps provide the store with 88% of the annual heating and cooling demand.
‐ Biodiverse Green Roof: A green roof consisting of various substrate and habitat areas provides fantastic new and varied habitat for local wildlife.
‐ Sustainable Transport: Various public transport links, cyclist facilities and provision for EV vehicles give IKEA staff and store visitors sustainable transport options when travelling to the store.
‐ FSC Certified Timber: The store incorporated 100% FSC in the timber constituents of the build.

BREEAM helped achieve the environmental objectives on site by giving the design team pragmatic targets in areas where value and impact could be added to the project’s sustainability strategy. When targeting ‘Outstanding’, the BREEAM assessment process allowed the design team to implement the necessary environmental objectives without hindering wider design ambitions.

Overall IKEA Greenwich scored exceedingly well within all areas in BREEAM, however significantly good scores were achieved in such areas as Low and Zero Carbon Technologies, Water Consumption and NOx
Emissions.

“IKEA Greenwich aims to take sustainability to the next level, not just in its design and architecture, but by inspiring and enabling Londoners to live a more sustainable life at home.” Helen Aylett, Store Manager, IKEA Greenwich (2019)

 

Achievements

Targeting BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ the following achievements were successfully reached:
‐ During construction of IKEA Greenwich, the construction scored 42/50 demonstrating ‘beyond
compliance’ in the Considerate Contractors Scheme assessment of the site’s considerate construction attributes.
‐ The biodiverse roof achieved compliance with the Green Roof Code, enhanced ecological
features on site, and has featured as an exemplary case study in the new London Green Roof Report.
‐ The building achieved an innovation credit for the inclusion of evaporative cooling with rainwater harvesting from the roof.

“The minimum aim for this project was to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’, but early on we came together, worked hard and stretched the boundaries to reach ‘Outstanding’. This achievement is definitely a reward to all parties involved in this project.” Miguel Bonina, Construction Project Manager, IKEA Construction

 

IKEA Greenwich store opens.

 

The scheme demonstrates exemplary energy performance throughout. The building implements zero carbon technologies such as PV and GSHP. Small power and refrigeration equipment were assessed against industry standards and have
demonstrated a reduction in energy consumption. Expert studies were carried out into the energy efficient transport systems at IKEA Greenwich.

IKEA Greenwich utilises 100% LED lighting that performs above industry standards. The acoustic performance and thermal comfort at the store are exemplary, both meeting required standards that optimise conditions for the building user. Indoor air quality has been designed inline with best practice, air quality monitoring was performed during the final construction and fit‐out phases.

IKEA Greenwich has benefited from the installation of a biodiverse green roof and
planted garden areas surrounding the store. Features that help enhance ecology and the gain of species on site are various substrate areas on the green roof including log mounds and sand mounds, bird boxes and bat boxes situated in the ‘woodland’ garden area and green roof bike shelters that incorporate insect habitats.

During construction of IKEA Greenwich the project was managed in accordance with best industry standards informed by BREEAM in a sustainable manner. A BREEAM AP was appointed for the project. A Life Cycle Cost analysis was carried out to improve and inform design for the future use of the building.

IKEA Greenwich boasts outstanding public transport links to London bus routes, rail links and tube stations, as well as providing cyclist facilities for staff and the public. The store is also within 500 meters of key public amenities. A sustainable travel plan is at the heart of the building’s philosophy.

Water saving initiatives at IKEA Greenwich include the installation of low flow
sanitary ware with the addition of shut off valves for taps and toilets. The stores grey water is harvested from a rain water harvesting (RWH) tank, in addition RWH is also used for evaporative cooling in air handling units. Leak detection connected to the Building Management System ensures the store is as water efficient as possible.

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