AMA Involvement in new WWF HQ Featured in Architects' Journal

The new Hopkins-designed UK headquarters of the WWF-UK, celebrated for its green credentials, have just opened. AMA has been involved in the project at the outset.

Hattie Hartman, the Architects' Journals' Sustainability Editor, writes on the AJ website that "the brief for the office space was developed with Alexi Marmot Associates (AMA), which assisted the client with the move of its staff of 300 from its previous premises, a cellular 1960s building in Godalming. Surveys revealed that only 40 per cent of desks were occupied daily, increasing to 60 per cent at peak times."

"AMA developed three occupancy scenarios for the new building with varying degrees of hot desking. An underlying premise - and an important future-proofing strategy - was that the design should meet BCO guidelines. WWF-UK opted for maximum hot desking, which allows for 200 work stations, with an additional 30 spaces for sub-letting. Because people like to ‘belong’, team zones are retained, but staff are free to work anywhere in the building or remotely."

Read the full article here.

Photographer: © Richard Stonehouse 2014
Pictures used with kind permission from WWF-UK

Sustainability from start to finish cost-effectively.

On 10th October, Alexi Marmot spoke on a panel at The CIBSE Conference and Exhibition about 'Delivering sustainability from start to finish in a cost-effective way.'  The panel discussed and evaluated strategies to ensure sustainability throughout the lifecycle of a building. They also debated the financial aspects of different business models and the implications of new legislation on these strategies.

For more information, click here.

Learning about our unique approach to sustainable space

On 18th September, AMA led a 'Sustainable Southwark Walkabout' during Green Sky Thinking Week 2012.  This exciting initiative run by Open City explored aspects of sustainable development. A group comprised of sustainability experts, facilities managers, engineers, architects, designers and students visited two of our projects – an office building and a library – to learn how we use space utilisation analysis and targets to reduce property footprints and provide creative ways to reuse buildings better.

One visitor said: 'What was notable to the success of the sustainability was...engaging with the people who use the buildings...and what a difference the use of light and textures can make to how you feel within the building.'

For more information click here.

Copyright © Open City 2012

Understanding behaviour is central to managing sustainable buildings

Director Joanna Eley spoke at the 2012 Ecobuild conference in London on Occupant's behaviour and their ability to make the most of buildings' sustainable design capabilities on a panel which focused on ‘Buildings in use.’  Speaking to an audience of architects, engineers, surveyors and others with interest in sustainability and the built environment, this presentation focused on ensuring that users behaviour is understood and included in the management of sustainable places. Joanna commented that awareness raising - bottom-up - approaches are very important, but that as people are very varied in their perception some situations call for top-down action.