A 142-room hotel in Exeter has become the first in Western Europe to achieve BREEAM Outstanding, the highest possible sustainability rating for buildings.
voco Zeal Exeter Science Park, which is also IHG’s first branded net zero carbon hotel, received the accreditation at the final assessment stage.
The hotel was built to Passivhaus standard and is 100% electric, utilizing advanced building fabric, adiabatic cooling systems and heat-reversible heat pumps.
Tim Wheeldon, founding director of Zeal Hotels, declared: “Since the conception of the voco Zeal Exeter Science Park it has been our ambition to achieve the coveted BREEAM Outstanding rating.
“It is a testament to the hard work of our team and that at RED Construction Group, who have innovated across both construction and operations.
“Achieving a BREEAM Outstanding rating reflects our long-standing commitment to reducing carbon emissions and supporting the hotel sector reach net zero by 2050.”
The hotel was also the first in the UK to utilize Solarlab vertical photovoltaic panels as a complete rainscreen cladding system.
Graham Sturge, chief executive and founder of RED Construction Group, added: “Securing a BREEAM Outstanding rating following almost a year of operational efficiency is a milestone moment.”
RED Construction Group worked alongside sustainability consultants SCS (Sustainable Construction Services) on the project.
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