Project Details

Virtus acted as Project Manager, Quantity Surveyor and CDM Client Adviser for our longstanding client Cherwell District Council (CDC) for this highly acclaimed Zero Carbon project to create a local office  space for individuals small businesses in a highly sustainable building, with its location chosen to ensure occupants can travel to work in sustainable ways, on foot, by bike or public transport, to help reduce the use of private cars. The 1,400 sqm building with three floors is designed to accommodate up to 125 people is located at Elmsbrook on the north west of Bicester.

The Elmsbrook Eco Business Centre is a one-of-a-kind workspace, the first office building to achieve PassivHaus Plus status – with bright open spaces and offices that open out into a shared atrium. The plan for the Eco Business Centre is to build a community of more than 100 companies, with serviced offices of 4 to 14 desks and co-working membership.

Cherwell District Council Video: An introduction to the Eco Business Centre from Jonathan McWilliam of Cherwell District Council

The design of the centre needed to provide value for money whilst not compromising on the sustainability of the building and creating an attractive and healthy working environment. The centre uses the latest technology to generate its own power and preserves heat and cool air, resulting in its exceptional energy efficiency rating. Anyone working in the building can be sure they are operating in the most environmentally sustainable way.

Working with CDC under the Scape framework, Virtus provided project and commercial oversight for the project, shaping the final design and requirements to align with the project budget.

The building is an exemplar in sustainable architecture and construction, by architect practice Architype, that has been designed to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating with the highly sustainable building meeting the standards of the pioneering Eco Town’s master-plan.

The roof of the energy efficient building will feature solar panels, with the smart design helping minimise energy and water consumption. The well insulated building will reduce heat loss during the winter, but will provide natural ventilation and daylight throughout the summer months.

The true zero carbon building achieved in being the first non-domestic building in the UK to achieve the new Passivhaus Plus, a rigorous standard for energy efficiency, developed by the Passivhaus Institute in Germany.

Launched in 2019, it is the UK’s first PassivHaus Plus workspace, and is an iconic building based at the nation’s first eco village.

It has also been designed to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating, the world’s leading sustainability assessment method for master planning projects, infrastructure and buildings.

Contact us to find out more about this project