Providing advice to achieve high environmental benchmarking standards

The Catalyst, Newcastle University

Home to Newcastle University’s teams from the National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA) and the National Innovation Centre for Data (NICD), The Catalyst brings together business, academia, and the public to collaborate and support the research and development of new ageing and data products and services.

Working collaboratively with GSS Architecture and Bowmer and Kirkland to bring this project to life, our Environmental Benchmarking team was appointed at an early stage to help achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating.

Balancing a striking exterior presence, the internal layout focuses on highly flexible and easy to configure spaces offering exhibition and conference space and flexible office space. Spaces include huddle rooms, a theatre designed to provide an intimate cinematic experience with seating for 175 people, a boardroom, and a workshop which acts as a large event and product demonstration space.

Our team was involved early, and by playing an active role within the project design team, our specialists achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating—later supporting the ambition to stretch to achieve Outstanding. With the building complete and a district heating network on site, the Outstanding rating was successfully confirmed in February 2020.