The Eccleshall Road branch of Marks & Spencer, in Sheffield, has won the prestigious White Rose Award for sustainability.

According to fashionpersonnel.co.uk, it was actually the architect behind the store, Lewis and Hickey, who was awarded the honour by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

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Innovative ‘living wall’

The award was given partly due to the site’s charging points for electric cars and innovative ‘living wall’, as well as the fact it was built most from reclaimed bricks. Its intelligent LED lighting has created energy savings of 25 per cent and the specialist collection system from rainwater has helped reduce water use.

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Lewis and Hickey’s managing director, John Meade, spoke out after the win:

“This is M&S’s first sustainable store, where we were able to create a new building which reflects the company’s ‘Plan A’ commitments.”

“The building takes a simple form, built from second hand bricks with new interior wall and floor finishes,” he added on thestar.co.uk.

Pushing new boundaries in terms of sustainability

What’s more, M&S proclaimed the store “pushes new boundaries in terms of sustainability and innovation; whilst the head of M&S’ Plan A scheme, Munish Datta, called the project a big milestone for the brand.

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The overwhelming success of the project and indeed the award bestowed upon its designers may encourage other businesses to jump on the sustainability bandwagon; perhaps installing rainscreen cladding or a rainwater harvesting system to improve their green credentials.

Author: Deborah Bates    Date Written: 29 June 2012