We are proud to announce that Eden, New Bailey in Salford has this week achieved a 5.5 NABERS ‘Design Reviewed’ Target Rating. It is the first new build building in the UK to achieve this certification.

Developed by The English Cities Fund (ECF), Eden is a £36 million, 115,000 sq ft 12-storey office building. The project is due to complete in late summer and will set the tone for future net zero carbon buildings in the UK.

Cundall provided sustainability services to the project, in addition to consulting on acoustics, air quality and odour. We also provided the detailed building services design to meet the onerous energy performance requirements and worked collaboratively to develop Eden’s ESG and energy strategy. From the inception of the project, our sustainability team managed the NABERS UK Design for Performance (DfP) process through to the detailed energy modelling and independent design review (IDR), securing the 5.5 NABERS ‘Design Reviewed’ Target Rating.

To date, there are only 20 buildings that have been certified through the independent design review ranging from 4 to 5-star rating. Eden is one of two with the highest 5.5 star target rating, with the other building being a refurbishment.

Simon Wyatt, partner at Cundall and sustainability lead for Eden, commented:

“From the beginning we knew that Eden had ambitious sustainability goals and we were excited to work with a client that has the same vision as Cundall. NABERS UK is a relatively new and process to get it through the Independent Design Review can be demanding, but our team of NABERS assessors worked hard to achieve the target ECF wanted.”

Once complete, Eden will be enabled to run solely on 100% renewable electricity, with no gas heating or hot water, and has been designed using the UK Green Building Council’s 2030-2035 operational energy targets. Designed in collaboration with Make Architects, Eden is also a LETI (London Energy Transformation Initiative) pioneer project (a group of projects that seek to achieve KPI targets in line with LETI's Climate Emergency Design Guide).

Phil Marsden, Director of Project Management (North West), Muse, and key to the genesis of Eden, commented: “Eden’s creation was motivated purely by the ambition to build the UK’s most sustainable and environmentally considerate commercial building. We are thrilled with the result and have learnt so much; learnings we look forward to sharing with our sector to help build a brighter future, together.”

The building is due to complete late Summer 2023 when it will also hold the title of having Europe’s largest living wall which, at 3,300 sqm, will also be the second largest in the world. Eden is also one of a small number of LETI pioneer projects and is on target to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding rating.

If you want our teams to help you on your net zero carbon journey, please get in touch.