Civic Trust Awards 2005 "Mentioned"

West Oxfordshire District Council appointed Ridge as project managers for their new offices. The site is a sensitive one, on the edge of a conservation area, and the project required the demolition of an existing building, to make room for a new extension to an existing council office ‘the Gables’.

The building design incorporates many energy efficient features, and comprises the provision of office space, brasserie, visitor centre, with full disabled access and was constructed in traditional materials to blend with its surroundings. Ridge’s role included full migration management. This was done department by department and included the relocation of IT, files and furniture. We audited all equipment and files and documented this in great detail.

The design included the installation of a photovoltaic roof covering, one of the first of it’s kind to be completed in the UK

Further energy saving elements include:

• Rainwater harvesting
• Attenuation of temperatures using the building mass
• Night time heat purging
• Condensing boilers (more than 90% efficient)
• Underfloor heating
• Solar water heating
• Heat reclaim on toilet ventilation

In addition, the building is “controlled” by an advanced Building Management System. Where possible all building elements are obtained from sustainable sources.