Archives building aiming to be exemplar in re-use and retrofitting

WHAT is believed to be the first building to comply with a new ‘carbon standard’ – applicable to public sector buildings – is to be readied in the Midlothian town of Bonnyrigg, to become the store for archives managed by the Scottish Government agency, Historic Environment Scotland.

To be called Archive House, the already existing building is to be re-used and retrofitted in the hope of becoming an exemplar for others to follow.

The archive, says Historic Environment Scotland, stretches back 5,000 years and the converted building is expected to be operational – in what is being described will be a “world-class facility” – in three years’ time.

Says HES, here: “With overall project management by Gleeds, design by Oberlanders and with specialist engineering input from Buro Happold, the project aims to be the first public building to be designed implementing the new Scottish Government Net Zero Public Sector Building Standard. This takes into account not only the carbon emissions of the building while in use, but also the carbon emissions associated with the building materials and maintenance.”

The NZPSBS is a non-mandatory public sector standard applicable to all buildings across the public sector estate.

Picture credit: Oberlanders

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