Excellence award for Boho One.

Byline: Iain Laing

THE new pounds 10m Boho building which is at the centre of a Teesside enterprise scheme has won a top prize - only a fortnight after opening.

The Middlesbrough building designed by Newcastle architect Xsite has won a Local Authority Building Control Building Excellence Award 2009 for the North East region.

The building won the award for the Best Sustainability Project. The judges said that Boho One stood out because it was designed to reduce to a minimum the need to call on energy sources, and the two areas of renewable energy sources that will significantly contribute to the reduction of the building's grid consumption.

Tim Bailey, a partner at Xsite architecture, said: "This is definitely the most exciting project we have worked on, and we believe that the vision demonstrated by all parties involved in Boho One has been translated into a building that the region can justifiably be proud of. It's a phenomenal concept demonstrating advanced ideas of how the workplace can function differently, and we are delighted not only to be part of this, but to be continuing with the next phases of the scheme and other spin-off projects as well.

The use of natural light for working is maximised with large windows and exposed concrete soffits and raised floors promote thermal storage and heat reuse.

A building management system controls heat and lighting use in an energy efficient way, makes use of the natural ventilation system and heating / cooling cycles and recycles heat emissions from the computer hardware used in the building.

The Boho One project also used two areas of renewable energy sources that will significantly contribute to the reduction of the building's grid consumption.

Two 100m boreholes drilled at each end of the site provide a closed loop ground water source for space heating/cooling through a heat pump and feed to fancoil units running in the raised access floor void throughout all office areas. The concourse area uses an underfloor heating system in concrete for that floor.

The pump is titanium for longevity in use and reversible to allow flushing of the system for lime deposits. Borehole water is used for irrigation to planting around the building and on the roof terraces, and is held in a storage tank at the head of the lift shaft. It is used for flushing wcs and other sluicing and cleaning purposes.

In addition, three vertical axis wind turbines each provide up to 6kw at peak use and operate on a damped brake to allow smooth running but nearly permanent power.

The digital enterprise centre in which One North East has invested over pounds 7m, is designed to house the region's new digital and creative companies.

It is already 70% pre-let to the target industries with the eventual aim being to house 27 businesses and 283 workers, while supporting the regeneration of a key site between Middlesbrough town centre and Middlehaven.

The Boho Zone complements the wider Middlesbrough DigitalCity initiative which boasts the Institute of Digital Innovation and the Centre for Creative Technologies.

Erimus Housing is developing the second phase of the development, which will provide specifically designed live-work accommodation for digital and creative professionals, called Bohouses.

The third has seen the completion of artists' studios comprising 300 sq m of refurbished Victorian buildings in the Middlesbrough railway station complex.

CAPTION(S):

AWARD-WINNER Tim Bailey, partner at Xsite architecture, outside the pounds 10m Boho building.