IKEA Greenwich store has become the first retail unit to achieve a BREEAM UK New Construction Post Construction rating of over 90 per cent for its sustainability.

The store now joins a very select 320 buildings globally to attain an ‘outstanding’ BREEAM certification, winning the award for a design with a ‘positive impact’ on the environment and local community, and one that actively promotes healthy and sustainable living.

IKEA Greenwich incorporates a range of sustainable technologies such as solar power, LED lighting, rainwater harvesting and renewable construction materials, while maximising the use of renewable electricity with a solar array and a geothermal system supporting the heating and cooling.

Natural light throughout the store also reduces dependence on artificial lighting. The store features three landscaped gardens including a roof garden with a sedum roof to support insect life and raised beds, all accessible to customers and the community. The store is also accessible by public transport, with 46 bus services per hour directly serving the site.

Hege Sæbjørnsen, country sustainability manager at IKEA UK & Ireland hopes the design will inspire others: “This is a prolific milestone in our journey to becoming a more sustainable and circular business, and also how we hope to inspire change beyond our own business. The many new sustainable technologies and initiatives allow us to meet the needs of our customers, whilst staying within the limits of one planet.”

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