Member Article

Kinrise bolsters sustainability credentials with Gold SKA rating

Canada House, a restored textile warehouse on Chepstow Street, has been awarded a “Gold” SKA rating – the highest accreditation that can be given.

Conceptualised by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in 2009, the SKA rating scheme is an environmental certification system that evaluates commercial fit-out projects according to a set of sustainable ‘good practice’ criteria.

Buildings are judged on more than a hundred measures, covering areas such as energy, CO2 emissions, waste, water, materials, pollution and wellbeing.

The news comes off the back of Kinrise’s recent announcement that it is to use sustainable materials such as sheep’s wool to insulate its buildings going forward.

George Haddo, Co-Founder at Kinrise, said: “All of our buildings are sustainably designed, and centre human, social, environmental and financial capital at the heart of each refurbishment project.

“Our intent to create spaces that will enable the community and the environment to thrive is evident throughout – from building a relationship with tenants that is fair and equal, to sourcing furniture and materials from local craftsmen.

“To have RICS recognise this via its SKA rating is a great feeling.”

Kinrise is renowned for its sustainable, tenant-first approach to construction and design, and Canada House’s refurbishment has been no different.

The fund partnered with Joseph Studios – a furniture manufacturer which uses new and recycled materials – to design and build a moveable kitchen unit for the building’s co-working space.

Kinrise was drawn to Joseph Studios thanks to its commitment to a social impact strategy of transforming the lives of local people through coaching and up-skilling.

Other notable Canada House features include a sustainably-sourced ‘U-Build’ modular pod, installed in the co-working space in lieu of a traditional meeting room.

The innovative installation was created by London-based architects Studio Bark, which has an ethos ingrained in environmental and ambitious design.

Rainwater harvesting systems have also been installed in Canada House, and are connected to the existing pipework to save on water use throughout the building.

Kinrise is also trialling the installation of air quality sensors for the scheme, which would track the levels of humidity, Co2, chemicals, temperature and fine dust – ensuring that air quality can be improved for tenants and that productivity of occupier businesses can be prioritised.

George continued: “We’re very conscious of workplace wellbeing and want to know that our tenants’ experience of working in our buildings is the best it can be. Air sensors can pick up when levels of CO2 are too high and help avoid any unpleasant side effects by prompting tenants to open windows, for example.

“We have a great responsibility in delivering the best we can to make the spaces we create for people work well for the environment too. We don’t believe in a supply chain that is single use or throwaway – we want to build communities and environments that will thrive for years to come.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Emily Hallinan .