Greener Streets and a sustainable development
Sustainable Development
Our proposals will be at the forefront of sustainable design, going beyond national and local sustainability policy requirements. Reusing the structure of the existing shopping centre will save all the embodied carbon in the building.
+649% biodiversity net gain
1160 cycle parking spaces, and new routes around the centre and on East Road
22 new street trees
Saving 18,500 tonnes of embodied carbon by reusing structure
Best-practice carbon reduction measures
50% reduction in water consumption
Key to the Grafton regeneration proposal is reducing the associated carbon footprint of the development throughout its lifecycle. By using much of the existing building structure and foundations, we can already make a huge carbon reduction compared to demolition and rebuilding with new materials.
Low and zero carbon technologies will be incorporated, including a large rooftop solar power array of 1400 m2 on a south facing orientation, and air source heat pumps to provide heating and cooling.
Energy and Carbon
Cycling and active travel
While there will still be space in the multi-storey carparks at the Grafton Centre for visitors to the shops and leisure destinations, the new science space will not have dedicated staff parking, as staff will be encouraged to travel to work by bike and public transport. Over a thousand cycle parking spaces will be provided as part of the development, with secure internal parking at various locations around the centre.
A large area of new biodiverse green roof will be created alongside the rooftop solar panels. New bird nesting boxes will be provided, including homes for swifts.
At street level, new greenery will include raingardens and planters. The majority of the existing trees around the centre are in good condition and can be retained, in addition to planting 22 new street trees.
This all adds up to a biodiversity net gain of +649% compared to what is there currently.
Greening the streets and providing wildlife habitats
Water Management
While laboratories can be water-intensive, we are using the most demanding requirements for water use, representing a 50% improvement on the Grafton’s water use as a shopping centre.
Rainwater harvesting will be incorporated, greywater recycling is being explored, and flow restrictors will be installed on taps, showers, and cisterns across the development.