Having been developed without the benefit of the definitive accommodation strategy, the concept for Haringey Civic Centre was struggling to meet the brief and budget. Consarc swiftly produced a brief and successfully advised on the steps necessary to bring the project back into scope with a radical efficiency drive, leading to a significant redesign.
Triggered by the cost overrun, the reduction in size of the new-build extension has had the welcome effect of reducing the carbon footprint of the Civic Centre redevelopment over its lifecycle. Whilst the operational carbon is much the same and proportional to the number of building users, the embodied carbon is much lower due to the smaller built volume, leading to a reduction of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions (CO2e) of ca. 3,000t over a 60-year lifetime. That is a surprising 25% improvement of Stage 3 over Stage 2, despite the campus only being 15% smaller – achieved by key design moves recommended by Consarc at Stage 2+. This demonstrates the importance of “right-sizing” and the value of a client advisor in achieving strategic targets.
You can read more about our involvement in this project here.