Portsmouth: Land Rover BAR makes The Camber BREEAM excellent

Land Rover BAR, the sports team and business which aims to win the America’s Cup, the biggest prize in competitive sailing, has moved its team headquarters and visitors' centre to The Camber in Portsmouth.

Part funded with the support of a £6.5 million government grant, the new 74,000 sq ft waterfront building has officially opened in time for a British Challenge for the 35th America's Cup. The building has obtained a BREEAM Excellent rating.

BREEAM has issued more than 550,000 certificates on more than 24,000 projects in over 77 countries, around the world, and over 2.2 million buildings and communities are registered for its sustainability certification. Efficiencies in time, energy and materials as a result of meeting BREEAM and BIM standards on The Camber drove a 50% saving in programme delivery which has led to significant financial savings which should turn out to be over £1m across the programme.

Designed by HGP Architects and built by Allied Developments, the innovative building embedded sustainability from the outset with 98% of all demolition, excavation and construction waste diverted from landfill, and all of the demolition concrete reused in the foundations as secondary materials. 

More than 400 solar panels cover the entire available roof space, generating 130 Mwh/yr of power, while natural ventilation is achieved through the central atrium which eliminates the need for a mechanical ventilation system. Natural and low energy (LED) lighting and rainwater harvesting has led to a 25% improvement in water efficiency over existing UK building regulation standards. In addition, the building’s fabric-wrap provides a heat-saving air cushion of approximately 4-5°C and controls the amount of sunlight that enters the building, reducing energy used for cooling and hence carbon emissions. 

BREEAM also prompted the team to think about ecology. A small garden means the site is now home to 69 new species; a roof vegetable and herb garden supplies the building’s kitchen; oysters were saved from a dredge site and relocated to a 9m² artificial reef on the team’s pontoon to help restart a viable population in the Solent.

Dr Susie Tomson, BAR sustainability manager, said: “When people visit, they can tell the building is different – it is all about design, technology and innovation which delivers sustainability on so many fronts.” 

Matthew Williams, director of HGP Architects, commented: “Using modern methods of construction - and with technologies incorporated into the design to seek carbon neutral credentials - Ben Ainslie and his team have sought to commission a team home of cascading layers linked together through a central light well that connects everyone to the heart of the team and the boat.”