The Greenhouse Building Fact Sheet Why an L-shape The Greenhouse is L-shaped to make the most of the sun's light and heat. The orientation of both the building and the lake were also planned to enhance the local area and reflect the aesthetics of the immediate surroundings giving particular consideration to the existing wildlife lake adjacent the development. Heating the building Consideration has been given to the energy consumption within the building. High efficiency condensing boilers, a ground source heat pump and under floor heating maintain a steady temperature inside the 32,000 square foot building. The heat pump is a geo-thermal heating and cooling system which operates on a slinky system, with over 1500m of plastic pipe laid under the pond and car parks. The heat pumps absorb heat from the ground via the horizontal slinky loop pipework and are able to provide 80kw of heating and 20kw of cooling. The building is split into zones and each zone is provided with local control via a room thermostat. Natural air conditioning Natural light is harnessed as much as possible and instead of air conditioning a passive ventilation system draws in fresh air from outside. The building utilises a combination of windows, and roof mounted chimney terminals all of which integrate within the building. The power of the environment The Greenhouse generates all its own electricity. The 35metre high turbine has blades measuring 15 metres long and harnesses wind energy to generate 225KW of electricity. It is the main source of electricity for the development and all surplus power is sold back to the national grid. The Danish-built turbine was transported from Cumbria and is re-used at The Greenhouse site. Solar panels are installed south facing on the flat roof area mounted at an angle to maximise the annual thermal yield. Heat is transferred from the solar panels into the mains pressure hot water tank.

Other Sustainable Features The building is constructed from materials that have been reused, recycled or have come from sustainable sources. In addition local labour and suppliers were utilised in the construction of The Greenhouse and are still used for maintenance work, stationary and catering. Alternative roof covering and cladding panels manufactured from 100% recycled and recyclable Aluminium. Outside, traditional asphalt is replaced by crete for the car parks and roadways, providing surface drainage and allowing grass to grow through the surface. Rainwater recycling system Rainwater is collected from the roof and filtered before being collected into an underground storage tank. Rainwater is recycled for the toilets and showers. Presence detection systems are installed in the male WCs linked to the urinal flush control devices to minimise urinal flushing water consumption. A mains water supply pipe is installed to the tank which automatically feeds mains water into the tank during dry spells of weather to prevent it from running dry. In periods when rainfall exceeds rainwater usage the excess rainwater overflows into the lake. BMS The BMS system records data on the contributions and efficiencies of the individual natural elements such as wind, solar and geothermal which are being harnessed by the renewable technologies used in the building to power The Greenhouse. Education The Greenhouse Education Programme aims to increase knowledge of sustainability and biodiversity amongst community groups and young people by using the site as learning tool. Groundwork work in partnership with schools, businesses and local authorities to develop fun and informative half day education sessions.

The Greenhouse Landscape Fact Sheet Art features There is an abundance of art features in the grounds of The Greenhouse. We have tried to give every day features such as the cycle rack at the back of the building and the fencing surrounding the lake an artistic feel. The artwork at The Greenhouse was created by Graham Hopper with Design input from the local community. There is also a sea serpent with its stone tale sitting on the banks of the lake and its willow head resting on the island in the middle Greenhouse lake The Lake area in the ground of The Greenhouse is for wildlife which is naturally filled by rainwater that drains from the roof of The Greenhouse and surface water that leaches through the paving stones. The lake was planted with all native flora at a planting day with Groundwork staff and The Greenhouse’s tenants in May 2006. Now the lake is fully established with flora and fauna it has been used for outdoor education sessions with local school. The area also has two run off pools which water filters into once the lake reaches capacity, one of these areas is planted up as a reed bed and acts as a filtration system before water drains into the wet woodland. Biodiversity The grounds of The Greenhouse have been designed to promote biodiversity. All of the planting at the site is native and compliments the area’s natural vegetation as much as possible. As the grounds have matured, they have become an ideal habitat for a range of wildlife. The Greenhouse boasts pond, wetland and woodland habitats, with a range of new planting that forms an extension to the existing woodland. Amongst the species at The Greenhouse you can see ash, hawthorne, common reed mace, common water soldier and a range of wildflowers forming a meadow area around the building. There are also protected species such as the great crested newt living in the wetland.

The Greenhouse Landscape Fact Sheet Dry stone walling and willow weaving Dry stone walling and willow weaving surround the greenhouse site, these materials were chosen as they form a more natural and attractive perimeter than a normal brick or concrete wall. The dry stone wall and willow walls were constructed by the groundwork green Team and the willow wall forms a living barrier along the back of the site. Cycle path The Greenhouse is in close proximity to both the local and national cycle network and there is a cycle rack at the back of the building for those who wish to ride their bike to work. Training The majority of the soft landscaping and some of the hard landscaping were undertaken as training for intermediate labour Market employees, who were previously unemployed. Willow weaving, planting and other tasks were used to help trainees gain new and transferable skills. The site and the building will continue to provide training and employment opportunities, particularly in the field of catering, business management and grounds maintenance. Greencroft Woodland Greencroft Woodland is a Site of Specific Scientific Interest that sits adjacent to The Greenhouse and is owned by Groundwork North East, who maintain its biodiversity and recreational potential. It has become an outdoor classroom and enhances the services that The Greenhouse can offer. The Woodland is one of the few wet woodlands left in Derwentside. Greencroft Wood is a 65 acre site made up of an abundance of flora and fauna which include birch, oak, bilberry and heather.