Step by step guide

Embarking on a green office project

Any construction project that seeks the more "sustainable" tag must show that it was necessary.

In the case of an office move, this involves asking questions which challenge any assumptions behind the stated need. For instance:

• If the building is deemed to be too small, has the possibility of freeing up space by promoting flexible working (for example working from home) been considered? Alternatively, what about extending the building or modifying the internal layout?
• If the building is assumed to be in the wrong location, have the full implications of alternative locations been evaluated? This would require an evaluation of the travel habits of staff and visitors. What will the impact be on local businesses which may have become dependent on the existence of the office?

WWF Scotland, which is already committed to flexible working practices, had an increasing requirement for office space that could not be accommodated in the old building at Aberfeldy, so a move was on the cards at the end of the lease in Aberfeldy, if not before. We wished to remain loyal to Highland Perthshire but as sustainable transport is an important strand of WWF's climate change campaign, a new office would have to be more accessible by public transport than the one in Aberfeldy. Therefore, when an opportunity in Dunkeld appeared (which offered a direct rail link to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness), we decided to chase it.

Deciding to lease a building

Any method of acquiring new premises presents its own challenges with regard to a more sustainable building. With leasing, these challenges can, at first sight, seem intractable. For example:

• the differing needs and priorities of the landlord and the tenant: the landlord may have little interest in sustainability;
• the short to medium term nature of a typical lease negates some advantages of sustainability measures which could be beneficial over many decades. It may result in the tenant having to rule out good proposals on the grounds of cost.

The heart of the issue is that some aspects (but by no means all) of more sustainable construction and refurbishment come with an added cost up front. Who is to pay that cost - the tenant who desires it and benefits from it in the short term or the owner who benefits from a more valuable asset?

This question is, of course, a matter for negotiation. If the values of the two parties have nothing in common, then the hurdle may be too high and it would be better to look for a different building. However, it may be possible for the tenant to explain the benefits of a more sustainable construction in such a way that the landlord recognises that he has a more valuable, and lettable, property.

As WWF is financed by voluntary contributions, close control of expenditure is very important. During a period of inflated (and possibly unsustainable) land and property prices, it did not seem appropriate that WWF seek to purchase an office (or the plot of land on which to build it). Furthermore, this would have diverted funds away from essential work which is needed now. Therefore, the decision was taken to lease an existing building.

Feasibility study

Having concluded that agreement with the landlord is possible, a feasibility study into the proposed conversion or refurbishment is the next step.

In one sense, this might be more straightforward than preparing a brief for a brand new building - which starts with a blank piece of paper. However, existing buildings all have their own characteristics - some of them hidden from view - which require investigation.

At this stage, the tenant should be planning how the building should work for them, and setting out priorities for a sustainable refurbishment. This might involve setting specific targets (for energy consumption, for instance) as well as outlining the values that should be reflected in the project and working out what that would mean in effect.

Ogilvie Ross, specialists in timber re-use and office furnishing, assisted WWF in determining that the building was suitable for its long-term needs and, later, with detailed space planning. And Thirdwave carried out a feasibility study while negotiations were ongoing with the landlord. Starting the process early enabled momentum to build up behind the concept of the more sustainable office, so that by the time construction work started, everybody was fully supportive (including all members of the client group, its agents and the contractors).

Appointment of agents, consultants, contractor

In order to keep costs down because of the limited lease, WWF opted to keep the modifications as simple as possible, thereby avoiding the requirement for architects, structural engineers and, wherever possible, the building conservation specialists that one might prefer to involve in a project of this nature. The process was handled by chartered surveyors DM Hall who have experience in office conversion and Thirdwave was recruited to advise on the sustainability of proposed changes - providing research on alternative options where appropriate.

Selection of contractor

The contractor (i.e. the builder) selection process involved interviewing potential contractors about their environmental credentials. Since WWF sought a local contractor rather than a household name, the objective was to find an organisation with the flexibility and willingness to adapt to WWF's sustainability agenda.

The resulting contract required that the contractor:

• stick to the precise specifications supplied;
• practice good environmental management on the site.

This approach is likely to require some compromises, as smaller contractors are quite likely to be less familiar with the latest guidance and best practice that some of the larger ones will be aware of.

Also, they are less likely to have slick PowerPoint presentations on the subject to hand: but this can be an advantage if the contractor can still demonstrate a willingness to learn and to seek out opportunities for more sustainable practice.

Specification

Specification documentation covers the details of building, electrical, plumbing/heating work, etc. Where items, whether procedures or materials, have sustainability implications, then extra detail will be required to ensure that an 'industry standard' solution is not specified.

Procedures need to be agreed as to what to do when it proves to be impossible to stick to the specification (for instance, if a named supplier proves unable to deliver within the required time).

The final specification of the Dunkeld office was based on:

• WWF's requirements for a functioning office, with DM Hall's proposals;
• Thirdwave's initial feasibility study into a more sustainable refurbishment;
• an evolution of ideas covered in the feasibility study to take account of more detailed knowledge about costs and benefits.

Construction

The construction phase began with a pre-start meeting involving WWF, its agents and consultants, and the contractors and key sub-contractors.

At this meeting, the ethos of the project, and its relevance and importance to WWF, was explained. The contractors were keen to see the point: several commented on the improved health and safety situation for themselves (for example relating to the use of natural insulation rather than mineral or glass fibre) and they suggested innovative ways of rising to the challenge - saving stripped-out electrical sockets for re-use and hiring a container on-site for a short period to store anything useable that was stripped out.

Commissioning and post-occupancy evaluation

Proper commissioning and post-occupancy evaluation is a step that is often skipped, even in major construction projects. The objectives are to ensure that to begin with:

• systems are tested;
• any defects are identified and corrected;
• building managers and occupiers understand how to use the controls that they have access to, and how such use will impact on energy consumption and on comfort;
• building managers are supplied with all the necessary documentation regarding operation and maintenance of the building.

Then, after the building has been occupied, the process of fault identification and fine-tuning of systems continues. This should take place over a year so that heating and cooling systems etc are tested during all seasons, and should involve consultation with the building users. At the same time, the performance of the building relative to energy consumption and other targets can be checked; if there is a discrepancy (as there often is), then explanations should be sought and corrections put in place.

Lessons learned

Given the fact that WWF Scotland is leasing the building rather than purchasing it, some of the decisions on sustainability reflect this. Several additional and more costly sustainability features were investigated but could not be justified from a financial perspective in the time-frame of the 20-year lease.

Timing and ordering

One of the main problems relating to the sustainability objectives concerned the extra lead times associated with materials that are not common in the construction industry. There might be a lead time of over a month on a more sustainable alternative to something that is readily available on the shelf of any builders' merchant. This means that you need to start planning - and ordering - your paint, FSC timber, natural carpets, water-efficient fittings, etc, much earlier than you would for a 'normal' project. For more complex systems involving grant funding, plans need to be put into operation months in advance.

On the positive side, it was much easier than expected to engage the contractors and sub-contractors with the sustainability objectives of the project. Many could see the positive impact that this would have on their working conditions and, if replicated more widely, on their health. It may be that in future, working with contractors on such issues will make it considerably easier to deliver more sustainable solutions.