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Green Architects Win Queen's Award

Posted: 26/09/2006

The Queen's representative, Lord Crathorne has visited the offices of Eco Arc, in Harton, North Yorkshire to deposit the famous cut glass bowl, and confer the Queen's Award - the ultimate industrial award. The firm earned the accolade for "continuous achievement in CO2-neutral sustainable building design and development". It will now be entitled to fly the coveted Queen's Award flag and display on letter headings and in advertising the award winner's emblem.

Eco Arc's work over the past 16 years has included a host of new builds and conversions of housing, leisure and health buildings which turn them into energy-efficient units, producing their own water and power. Architect Andrew Yeats, who co-founded Eco Arc chartered architects, at Harton Old Village School, with Lucy Nelson and Eric Parks, said he hoped the award would raise the profile of green architecture for the whole nation.

He had noticed how the client base had changed over time. Previously the practice tended to be confined to serving enthusiastic individuals or small community groups, but now clients are more mainstream, including The National Trust, the Royal Horticultural Society and local medical practices.

One of Eco Arc's recent successes has been the renovation of Gibson Mill, near Hebden Bridge for the National Trust. The mill had never been connected to mains services and the Trust wanted to continue in the same way. The new facilities for visitors are being established following a rigorous environmental design strategy employing local non polluting renewable energy sources available on the site. These renewable technologies include:

*Extensive use of on site hydro systems to provide electricity and some space heating

*Solar evacuated panels and solar photovoltaic panels to provide hot water and electricity

*Woodland management system linked with highly efficient bio mass boiler and thermal mass wood burning stoves for cooking, hot water and space heating

*Local spring water extraction, collection, filtration and distribution for drinking and washing purposes

*Dry compost toilets and grey water reed bed systems to deal with waste streams generated by the new facilities

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