5 Nov 2016 - Strata Tower SE1

STRATA SE1 – ELEPHANT & CASTLE TOWER

Architects: BFLS – Bogle Flanagan Lawrence Silver Ltd

Strata SE1 is 148 metre high and has 43-storey residential development that creates a dynamic new landmark on the London skyline. It is the first building in the world with integral wind turbines thus it sets a new benchmark in terms of environmental strategy. This development is also a major catalyst for the ongoing regeneration of the Elephant & Castle area in central London, its modest footprint creating additional areas of public realm at ground level.

The client’s brief challenged the design team to develop a concept that embraces energy efficiency, targeting an EcoHomes assessment rating of “excellent”. Located in one of the Mayor of London’s Energy Action Areas, Strata SE1 embraces sustainable design and the latest renewable energy technologies. The wind turbines are expected to produce 50 Mwh (Mega watt hours) of electrical power per year for the landlords supply, approximately 8% of the building’s total energy consumption.

 

Strata SE1 are designed for sustainable living. Sustainable aspects of Strata SE1 include:

– District heating system

– Bespoke high performing façade with an air permeability leakage rate that is 50% better than current building regulations

– Whole house ventilation system with heat recovery to each apartment.

– Low-energy lighting in all landlord areas and 40% of the lighting in each apartment

– Absence and presence lighting control system to all landlord areas.

– Car park lighting control provided with motion detection that reduces lighting by 50% when there is no movement

– 96% recycling of all waste material generated during the construction stage

– Independent analysis by Integrated Environmental Solutions Limited (IES) has compared CO2 emissions from Strata SE1 against the Building Regulations 2006 Part L2 targets. The result demonstrates that Strata SE1 (with the connection to the MUSCo system in place) will achieve a predicted 73.5% reduction in CO2 emissions when compared against the Building Regulations benchmark. This independent analysis also concludes that Strata SE1 is predicted to achieve 2050 CO2 target emissions.

Opinions

After making a few visit to the Strata tower, the security guards told me that the spinning blades on the top of the tower was suggested to be turned off between 11pm and 7am daily as it creates noise and vibration that objetcs the penthouse residences. Since then, the turbines could be hardly seen moving. More complaints of the tower was also concerning the towers heating in an article  “Residents hit boiling point at the eco tower where turbines don’t turn.”

Bibliography

1. Upsher, J. (2017) Two years in our Carbuncle, Building Design. Available at: http://www.bdonline.co.uk/two-years-in-our-carbuncle/5040155.article (Accessed: 3 November 2016).

2. Strata SE1, London (2017) Building4change.com. Available at: http://www.building4change.com/article.jsp?id=473#.WHti4_mLREY (Accessed: 3 November 2016).