Sustainability Reflections / 1

Our M&S Cheshire Oaks project is a highly innovative and sustainable retail environment, completed in 2012.

Pushing planet and people focused design objectives over 10 years ago with a timber roof, hempcrete walls and earth tubes, it is also still winning over customers and staff with its healthy blend of welcoming volumes, daylight and fresh air.

Following M&S’s own Plan A for sustainability, our design focused on water, carbon, waste, biodiver­sity, community, materials, travel and access to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating.

• 50% reduction to energy consumption
• 50% reduction in CO2
• 50% energy generated on site
• Energy balance from ‘renewable’ sources
• Zero waste to landfill through construction
• Remediation on site
• All materials from sustainable sources
• Material ‘end-use’ evaluation
• Community benefit

At completion, the building was recognised with both the RIBA Regional and National Awards, the RIBA Sustainability Award (North West Region), the British Council for Shopping Centres’ Gold Award for Sustainability, and the Building magazine ‘Test of Time’ Award two years later.

It was also CIBSE ‘Carbon Champion of the Year’ and the practice was chosen as winner of the Marks & Spencer ‘Plan A Award’ for Most Sustainable Architect.

Full details on the project can be found here 

Project Team:

Client – M&S
Developer – Simons Group
Architect – Aukett Swanke
Structural Engineer – Aecom
Mechanical Engineer – Sustainable Design Solutions,
Project Manager – David Evans Project Services