Designing Durley Chine Environmental Hub using the latest innovative low-carbon techniques

By taking the project brief back to its essence, we designed a low-carbon building dedicated to reducing waste and eliminating single-use packaging along Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s beautiful seafront.

Every year, BCP Council removes around 2,000 tonnes of waste from Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole’s beaches. To reduce this, it needs to help local residents and millions of visitors to explore and understand the environmental impact of packaging, waste and climate change on fragile coasts and seas.

Having secured £2.4 million from the Coastal Communities Fund to build a sustainable new public education centre at Durley Chine beach near Bournemouth, BCP Council enlisted the help of WSP to ensure that the centre is built using the latest innovative low-carbon techniques. This exciting proposal, which received planning permission in November 2020, involved the construction of three buildings which are connected by a uniting roof.

We provided:

Early input on key decisions affecting carbon
Assistance appointing architect and designing the brief
Structural engineering
Building services engineering
Flood risk management

Location

England, UK

Client

BCP Council

Architect

Footprint Architects

Project Value

£2.4M

Project Status

Completed

Early engagement led to better carbon reduction

WSP was brought in early, under our existing framework agreement, which enabled us to inform key decisions that would reduce the design’s embodied and operational carbon. For example, working closely with Footprint Architects, we determined that although the hub’s education and office spaces should be built to Passivhaus standards, its toilets and kiosk didn’t have to be – and so the exhibition space could be moved outside. This reduced embodied carbon in the building’s structure and simplified the process of achieving the Passivhaus standard for the remaining components.

timber used for the exhibition space was reclaimed directly from the seafront

60%

embodied carbon achieved for the whole scheme, scoring an A+ rating (kg of CO2e/m2)

172

forecasted regulated energy loads achieved by onsite photovoltaic panels

100%

Using offsite manufacturing ensured quality

We selected a highly insulated timber-framed design for the education building, and manufactured it offsite to ensure quality and reduce the onsite program. This was a key design decision that enabled the building to meet Passivhaus standards, reducing its overall energy demands.

Following a net-zero-carbon strategy for regulated energy consumption (space heating and cooling, domestic hot water, ventilation, fans and pumps, and lighting), we enhanced performance as much as possible. This included using demand-controlled ventilation and low-energy lighting and controls. Air-source heat pumps provide the small amount of space heating required, and we built in flexibility for the future by providing for comfort cooling to be installed on the first floor. Solar PV on the building’s roof offsets the remaining CO₂ emissions by generating an estimated 18,630kWh per year.

Collaboration made innovation possible

By working together seamlessly with Seascape, BCP Council’s in-house contractor, and Suttles, the piling contractor, WSP has reduced the embodied and operational carbon in the building. The collaborative set-up of the project enabled us all to achieve a high level of innovation. A more traditional contractual arrangement could have led to some of the project’s low-carbon innovations being dropped, because they were challenging to achieve – but because WSP and Footprint shared BCP Council’s aspirations, we all pulled together to do things that no-one had done before.

Our imaginative use of old timber groynes (formerly used to protect the beach from erosion), which were being stored awaiting their re-use, had a huge impact on the project’s success. We devised a process for identifying and reusing the timber that could be salvaged from the groynes, adapting the design and sourcing a contractor who could incorporate 45 tonnes of this material into the building’s cladding, canopy, rafters and balustrade. A further seven tonnes of reclaimed wood for decking came from an old German submarine base, while the primary structure used 21 tonnes of new, sustainably sourced, FSC certified hardwood.

For the toilet and kiosk buildings, Footprint Architects wanted to create a structure that reflected the layering of the cliff behind and the beach in front, whilst being strong enough to withstand the harsh environment. This meant we had to opt for a concrete solution, but we identified that reinforcement wasn’t needed and could therefore use shallow layers of a low-cement concrete mix, adding a pigment that blended with the material found naturally on the beach. Our approach saved around a third of the carbon compared to standard reinforced concrete.

Opening in Spring 2023, The Durley Chine Environmental Hub is designed to develop in harmony with the community and adapt continually to environmental change. By using a high proportion of recycled, reclaimed and renewable materials, we have given it a high level of environmental performance.