The Green Building
Encyclopedia
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
City Centre
Manchester City Centre
Manchester city centre is the central business district of Manchester, England. It lies within the Manchester Inner Ring Road, next to the River Irwell...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The Green Building was designed by Terry Farrell Architects who aimed to create a sustainable environment on an unusual triangular plot, adjacent to Oxford Road national rail station
Manchester Oxford Road railway station
Manchester Oxford Road Railway Station is a railway station in the city of Manchester, England. The station is located at the junction of Whitworth Street West and Oxford Street, on an elevated line between Deansgate and Piccadilly stations....
. The building was constructed by Taylor Woodrow as part of the Macintosh Village development. The Macintosh Village site was formerly a Dunlop tyre factory and also the birthplace of the Mackintosh
Mackintosh
The Mackintosh or Macintosh is a form of waterproof raincoat, first sold in 1824, made out of rubberised fabric...
raincoat.
A total of 32 apartments are arranged across the uppermost eight stories of the ten-floor development. The lower two levels contain a children's day nursery, operated by Kids Unlimited, plus a commercial unit earmarked as a doctors surgery (currently vacant).
Key features
- Energy efficient thermal design encompassing renewable insulation.
- Solar thermal water heating system providing hot water for domestic plumbing and underfloor heating.
- Large full height triple glazed windows on the south facing side maximise solar gainSolar gainSolar gain refers to the increase in temperature in a space, object or structure that results from solar radiation...
. The north facing apartments have relatively small windows. - An internal central atrium interlinked with all apartments provides a passive air conditioning system. Warm air from each apartment passes into the central atrium and rises, drawing fresh cooler air in to the apartments. Computer controlled windows at the top of the atrium regulate air-flow.
- Building electrical requirements are supplemented by a 2.5 kW push-type wind power turbine.
- The cylindrical shape of the tower provides the least surface area related to the volume, further increasing thermal efficiency.
- Integrated recycling facilities for glass, paper and aluminium. A communal composting bin is currently being proposed by the residents association.
- All apartments only have showers in the bathrooms, there are no baths in the residential apartments. The taps are designed to use the minimum amount of water necessary to wash hands safely.
Performance
There are no performance figures currently available for the building. The Green Building Residents Association (GBRA) are pursuing the management company for official figures of electricity and fuel savings provided by the sustainable systems integrated into the building.Awards
In 2006, the architects Terry Farrell Associates were awarded a Sustainable Civic Trust Award for The Green Building development.Transport
Due to the city centre location of the Green Building, public transportPublic transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
links are in abundance. Because of the excellent transportation links, no car parking spaces were provided as part of the development. Instead, bicycle parking bays were supplied with both internal and external parking facilities available.
The Green Building is located on New Wakefield Street adjacent to Oxford Road national rail station
Manchester Oxford Road railway station
Manchester Oxford Road Railway Station is a railway station in the city of Manchester, England. The station is located at the junction of Whitworth Street West and Oxford Street, on an elevated line between Deansgate and Piccadilly stations....
, providing direct rail links to Manchester Airport, Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
, the Peak District
Peak District
The Peak District is an upland area in central and northern England, lying mainly in northern Derbyshire, but also covering parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, and South and West Yorkshire....
and the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
. The nearby (five minute walk) Manchester Piccadilly Rail Terminus provides direct links to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the rest of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
There are two Metrolink
Manchester Metrolink
Metrolink is a light rail system in Greater Manchester, England. It consists of four lines which converge in Manchester city centre and terminate in Bury, Altrincham, Eccles and Chorlton-cum-Hardy. The system is owned by Transport for Greater Manchester and operated under contract by RATP Group...
tram stops in close proximity to The Green Building. Deansgate-Castlefield and St Peter's Square are nearby, both on the Altrincham
Altrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
/Eccles
Eccles, Greater Manchester
Eccles is a town in the City of Salford, a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England, west of Salford and west of Manchester city centre...
line.
The site The Green Building resides on has two public thoroughfares either side of the development, both pedestrianised. The main road for vehicle access is Great Marlborough Street, which has pay and display on-street parking for up to three hours.
Macintosh Village is connected to the Manchester Inner Ring Road via the A57(M) flyover that passes 300 metres to the south of The Green Building, which provides access to the national motorway network.
Oxford Road, claimed by some analysts to be part of the busiest bus corridor in Europe, is 75 metres east of The Green Building, and provides bus links to The University of Manchester, Chorlton
Chorlton-on-Medlock
Chorlton-on-Medlock is an inner city area of Manchester, England.Historically a part of Lancashire, the northern border of Chorlton-on-Medlock is the River Medlock which runs immediately south of Manchester city centre. Its other borders roughly correspond to Stockport Road, Hathersage Road, Moss...
, Longsight
Longsight
Longsight is an area of Manchester, England, about south of the city centre. Its population is about 16,000.-History:Longsight has been known over the past for its gang related violence, similar to that of nearby Moss Side. Most of the violence came from tensions between 2 gangs; The Longsight...
, Piccadilly Gardens
Piccadilly Gardens
Piccadilly Gardens is a green space in Manchester city centre, England, situated at one end of Market Street and on the edge of the Northern Quarter...
, Manchester Airport, The Trafford Centre and many other locations across the south of Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
.