National Grid’s HQ on the outskirts of Warwick, within view of the Historic Castle, houses some 2800 staff. It is operational 24 hours a day, every day of the year and is a site which controls and is critical to the power distribution infrastructure in the UK. National Grids commitment to sustainability in all their undertakings has meant that the brief for a new car park on this site would always lead to something extraordinary – with the car park now finished it has literally come alive.
The new car park is a 438 space split level, prefabricated steel framed car park clad in and home to a living wall of 1009 sq.m, making this Europe’s largest at the time of completion.
The plant species have been selected to include predominantly Native and Wildlife friendly species, the majority of which are evergreen to provide coverage all year round. The planting of the green wall incorporates Mentha which is a Mint; and this acts as a deterrent for wasps. There are also plants that attract butterflies, such as Hebe pinguifolia "Pagei", others that provide nectar for Bees (Vinca minor "Bowles Purple") and others that provide good nesting properties and habitual protection for birds in Winter and Early Spring such as Buxus sempervirens. The living wall is designed to add both to the ecology and biodiversity of the area but also it will flower and bloom adding colour and variety with the seasons. Fruit bearing plants are included – strawberries for instance.
The building won 'Best new car park' in the national parking awards 2015 and has been widely published, even subject to a discussion on Australian radio.
2015
2016
The living wall is the most visible sustainability measure, others are embedded within the design and include:
• Utilising existing site levels the car park has been split in cross section to minimise excavation and spoil
• It is naturally ventilated
• The entire building is lit at night by low energy LED lighting
• bird and insect boxes are included
• porous paving is utilised at ground level
• Goldbek prefabricated superstructure construction, including all steel and concrete elements
CLIENT: NATIONAL GRID
CONTRACTOR: GOLDBEK
LEAD CONSULTANT: CUNDALL
STRUCTURL ENGINEER: CUNDALL
M&E ENGINEER: CUNDALL
ARCHITECT: ONE WORLD DESIGN ARCHTECTS
PLANNING CONSULTANT: DELIOTTE
LIVING WALL: ANS
national grid
