New techniques and material in the heart of the city
6 Bevis Marks is an eye-catching commercial development in the city of London, near Aldgate and Liverpool Street stations. The 16-storey building, with basement and mezzanine level, has a mixture of retail and office space.
It is rated as excellent by the BREEAM environmental assessment system.
Striking feature
Designed by Fletcher Priest Architects, the roof is made of Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), the same transparent polymer sheeting used for the Eden Project in Cornwall. This contributes to a distinctive architectural feature in the city skyline that, together with the rooftop planting, creates a striking top-floor terrace for its tenants.
Industry-first techniques
Skanska achieved an industry-first by using 3D printing techniques on a live project. The complex column/beam junctions for the roof’s supporting steel structure were formed using 3D ‘plastic’ printed cladding pieces. Assembled on site, this technique provided a considerable cost and time saving alternative to the traditional cast iron solution.
The roof’s supporting structure received a commendation at the Structural Steel Design Awards 2016.
Innovative award-winning approach
Skanska was responsible for every aspect of the project’s construction, from piling to mechanical and electrical engineering and fit-out. We are also contracted to maintain the building.
Sustainability award
We won a sustainability award from ‘Ground Engineering’ magazine for our innovative approach to piling, which enabled 66 of the piles from the previous building to be reused.
Significant savings
This dramatically reduced the impact on the environment, with carbon emissions reduced by 1,000 tonnes. The new building is 80 per cent more energy efficient than the 1980s eight-storey structure it replaced. Our client also saved around £1 million on a building delivered eight weeks ahead of schedule.
This project provides a good example of how Skanska’s industry-leading green expertise can deliver real benefits to our customers and society, in the quality of delivery and in minimising the environmental impact.
Tenant benefits
Our facilities management team has implemented a range of energy-reduction initiatives that deliver significant savings for the building’s tenants.
Energy monitoring, variable speed drives and voltage optimisation resulted in reduced monthly electricity consumption from just under 150,000kWh to 84,000kWh in around four months. This difference equates to a saving of over £5,000 a month on utility bills and £480 a month in carbon taxes, under the Carbon Reduction Commitment scheme.
The reduction in electricity consumption has reduced the monthly carbon footprint for the project by over 30 tonnes.
