29 March 2007

Queen Mother Building Dons `Green Gown’

The University of Dundee has been `highly commended’ in the annual Green Gown Awards, adding to the growing list of honours surrounding the striking Queen Mother Building in the heart of the campus.

The Green Gown Awards recognise good environmental performance in buildings, courses and operations by UK Universities and Colleges. The University of Dundee was `highly commended’ for sustainable construction for the work carried out on the Queen Mother Building, which is home to the School of Computing.

The QMB, which was opened last year by the Princess Royal, is no stranger to awards. It received the Sustainability Award 2006 from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors Scotland, named the Building of the Year by Dundee Civic Trust and the National Rendering Association, and was highly commended by the Dundee Institute of Architects.

It has been highly praised as an inspiring place to work and study, as well as being highly energy efficient.

The building, which was designed by architects Page & Park, was developed with energy efficiency as a major consideration. Mechanical and electrical design engineers Harley Haddow, together with the University’s own department of Estates and Buildings developed many of the building’s energy efficient solutions. The building utilises a previously untapped `low grade’ heat source from the University’s own Combined Heat & Power plant, which means the building is heated at zero cost and prevents further increases in carbon dioxide emissions.

This saves £15k per year in utility costs and reduces CO2 emissions by approximately 100 tonnes per annum.

Local materials were used where possible in its construction to minimise transport costs, American White Oak harvested from managed forests was used for wood finishes, and carpets came from a supplier who can uplift and recycle for future use.

The QMB is designed in clusters of spaces grouped around a central services spine. These spaces take the form of circular ‘pods’.

Michael Sinclair, project manager for the QMB, said "The building’s airy feel, and pleasant working spaces, have made it hugely popular with users, perhaps even too much so as both staff and students prefer to work and study in it rather than use some of the other facilities on the campus! But we’ve certainly achieved our objective of an iconic building which enhances networking, and allows us to attract some of the best staff and students in a very competitive field."

The Green Gown Awards are organised by the Higher Education Environmental Performance Improvement project (www.heepi.org.uk)

For media enquiries contact:

Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk