BAM Construction is to build a new office building in Newcastle city centre that promises to be the ‘smartest’ building in the north-east of England.
One Strawberry Lane, which is being built in the St James’ area of the city, is the first building in the region to go for SmartScore certification.
The accreditation is the highest rating a building can achieve, and to date, fewer than 100 in the world have gone through or are going through the process.
SmartScore signifies best-in-class in smart buildings, which deliver an exceptional user experience, drive cost efficiency, meet high standards of sustainability, and are proofed against the future.
To achieve SmartScore accreditation, a building must pass 60 certification levels, including everything from disease prevention to predictive maintenance.
This new certification adds to the building’s existing WiredScore certification, which certifies and improves digital connectivity.
One Strawberry Lane has already achieved the highest WiredScore rating (Platinum) for its planned digital technology.
Most of the 70,000 sq. ft space be used as the new head office for housing association Home Group.
Commenting on the development, Nathalie Baxter, head of workspace at home group, said: “Achieving WiredScore and SmartScore certification isn’t about having blingy tech in the building – it’s about tailoring the SMART technology that’s out there to support our own user activities and environmental requirements in order to provide an exceptional experience in the building for our colleagues, tenants, and customers.
“Achieving these accreditations means we know we have produced a building that can be effectively programmed, utilised, and monitored to respond to the ebb and flow of hybrid working which will support sustainable outcomes both now and in the future.
“For organisations, it offers greater collaborative working, increased productivity, along with improved health and well-being for their workforces.”
One Strawberry Lane is due for completion in 2022.
Image: Neil Mitchell/Shutterstock
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