SPELLER METCALFE CELEBRATE WIN AT 2013 GREENBUILD AWARDS

Speller Metcalfe are celebrating a win for their Small Works Eco Vicarage project which has just won at the Greenbuild Awards in the Domestic New Build category. The win was announced at a celebratory dinner, hosted by TV celebrity Patrick Kielty, at Manchester’s grade II* listed Midland Hotel during Greenbuild Expo 2013. The Greenbuild Awards 2013 recognises excellence in sustainable buildings, with a particular focus on projects that can illustrate an understanding of the importance of building performance in use. Speller Metcalfe were against some big industry names, but the two new build eco vicarages, the first ever UK combined Passivhaus and Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) Level 6 properties built on behalf of the Diocese of Worcester aiming at helping to reduce the Church of England’s carbon footprint, outshone the competition. As well as being zero-carbon, both properties have met the highest Government standards for domestic buildings which take into account factors such as energy and water use, materials, pollution and ecology. Judged by a panel of distinguished industry leaders including Kerry Mashford, Chief executive of National Energy Foundation (NEF), the judges felt the Passivhaus standard, coupled with the challenging waste and water reduction targets of the eco vicarages, illustrated what can be done with a holistic green approach. Judge Kerry Mashford, chief executive of NEF, commented: “It has been an absolute pleasure to judge the Greenbuild Awards again this year and we are pleased that so many great projects are raising the profile of creating truly sustainable buildings. ” EcoBuild Manager, Adrian Speller says “We are really pleased to have been recognised for this project. The win gives everyone who worked so hard on this project the acknowledgement they deserve and an opportunity for us to showcase our sustainable construction practices.”