Unity customer and shareholder, Prospect, has been awarded an internationally acclaimed BREEAM certification (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) for transforming an old Georgian property into a modern, energy-efficient building.

Prospect – ‘the union for ambition’ – represents over 160,000 people in a diverse range of specialist sectors including energy, science and the arts.

In 2020, Prospect’s membership, mainly managers and professionals, put forward a motion for the organisation to achieve Net Zero by 2030.

Hafsa Begum, Director of Finance, Estates and Legal, said: “As well as looking at how we live and how we monitor our carbon footprint, we also started looking at our estate. We spoke to consultants and set ourselves targets.

“We sold two existing assets in Waterloo and Clapham – which were old buildings and EPC ‘D’ rated – to help fund the new refurbishment in Rochester Row, Victoria.

“It was a bit of a rollercoaster with a few sticky moments, but Richard Rose, our relationship manager at Unity, was always on the end of the phone when we needed him.

“We were making lots of payments during that time and being able to liaise directly with Richard made a big difference. The level of service you get from Unity is what sets it apart from other banks.”

Impact:

A key part of Prospect’s multi-million pound refurbishment was to keep the building’s existing shell rather than demolish and rebuild.

Gas supplies were removed and all heating transferred to electric. Solar panels and car charging points were installed outside and improvements made to thermal lines.

As well as the ‘very good’ certification from BREEAM – a framework that helps projects meet sustainability goals – the building now has an EPC ‘A’ rating.

Staff wellbeing was also a key component of the refurbishment. While hybrid working is in place, around 170 staff access the HQ each week and colleagues were canvassed for their views.

Hafsa said: “When the pandemic happened a lot of people had a fear of coming into the office, especially in London. We carried out surveys to ask what staff wanted.

“As a result, the ground floor has been designed to hold more events and there are new collaboration and breakout areas which make a difference.

“The building reflects our vision, future and growth and people are already commentating on the new buzz in the office.”