Awards for the Library and Study Centre

The CIBSE Building Performance Awards is the only awards scheme to celebrate the measured performance of projects in use, while also celebrating the consultancies that are contributing to a low-carbon future.

The Library and Study Centre scooped the prize for Public Project of the Year at the awards on 24 February. The building – which was a collaboration for consultant Max Fordham with Wright & Wright architects and Price & Myers structural engineers – features an all-electric MEP design with a ground source heat pump served by closed-loop boreholes, a large photovoltaic array, natural ventilation, and low energy lighting.

Max Fordham provided engineering, acoustics and lighting design to help fine tune and optimise the building's performance. The project started in 2012, long before the climate emergency or Net Zero Carbon design were widely recognised, which the judges said made the all-electric scheme, and the client and design team's exploration of carbon neutrality, all the more commendable.

The final – and most prestigious – award of the night for Building Performance Champion was given to the Library and Study Centre by Max Fordham. This award is selected from the winners of all the other categories and is presented to the individual, team or organisation that has made the most outstanding contribution and commitment to achieving improved building performance combined with significant, measurable reduction of energy consumption and carbon emissions.

Many congratulations to all at Max Fordham!