Green Gown Awards 2014 - Construction and Refurbishment - Coleg Gwent - Finalist

The BGLZ Campus

The aim of the project was to build on the lessons learnt from previous projects and further embed sustainable development principles into the new development at the Blaenau Gwent Learning Zone (BGLZ).

The BGLZ occupies an area of 14,139m2. The design had to meet the future needs of the College by providing flexible teaching facilities, improved space utilisation, encourage the use of local supply chains during construction and ensure that the sustainability aspects were instrumental in the whole process. The Masterplan for the site was developed through a series of key stakeholder workshops and public exhibitions, which considered a wide range of assessment criteria, including the protection and enhancement of wildlife, habitat connectivity within and outside of the site to benefit the ecology and landscape of the areas.

As a result the design was awarded the BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) standard of ‘Excellent’.

Top 3 learnings

1 Ensure your new design includes the future needs of the college
2 Ensure sustainability are core principals of the design
3 Ensure that your design team are experienced and share your
sustainable vision.

Videos

• The BGLZ Campus (click to hide)