The light, spacious and energy-efficient accommodation replaces what were outdated, dingy and poorly insulated offices. PBA’s work has also opened up the building to river views and created newly landscaped gardens and an orchard.
The building’s energy performance rating has risen from G to B, earning it a BREEAM excellent rating. PBA has also installed 146 sq m of photo-voltaic panels on the roof that can generate 14.5 kW of power, contributing a 25 per cent reduction in electrical power consumption.
The building is home to 240 staff from PBA’s buildings, civils, transport, energy, geotechnical, ecology and water management teams as well its support services. It also provides room for more people as the practice continues to expand.
Staff are already enjoying the building’s new features which include the café which serves free and healthy breakfasts, the balcony seats overlooking the river, quiet working zones and the reference library. The meeting and café spaces can be hired by community and business groups. PBA also runs extensive in-house and external training schemes from the offices, developing the next generation of planners and engineers.