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Wolseley to build a national showcase for sustainable building products.

28 September 2006

Wolseley UK, the country’s leading distributor of construction materials, has unveiled plans to develop a national showcase for sustainable building products and construction methods.

The 6,800 sq ft, £2.9m Sustainable Building Center (SBC) is the first of its kind and will be a living, breathing and interactive centre for all involved in construction, from specifiers through to jobbing builders.

It will allow them to experience the latest technologies and the widest range of real-world sustainable, energy-efficient and recycled building products. For the first time it will bring together all the products that are available now, or imminently, across all of Wolseley UK’s brands nationwide.

The Sustainable Building Center is expected to attract great interest, especially in its early stages, from larger public sector clients, and civil engineering and house building companies engaged in major building programmes. Consideration is also being given to make the Center’s services available to smaller customers – including individual ‘self-builders’.

It will display a wide range of different types of product, with many in their working environment to provide visitors with hard data on the quantifiable benefits of the latest materials and construction methods. For example, renewable energy generators, such as solar panels and mini wind turbines, will be installed with a display to show the amount of power they are generating. ‘Renewables’ technology will be just one feature on display. Sustainable products will be incorporated in the building’s drainage, sub-structure, walls, roofs, finishes, floors, windows, heating and ventilation, lighting, bathrooms and landscaping.

Wolseley UK’s specially trained staff will be on hand to provide visitors with up-to-the-date information, data and guidance on the most appropriate materials for specific projects, from single homes through to large-scale commercial developments.

The two-storey building will also have a first-class training and presentation theatre and café facilities. These will be used for events, launches and demonstrations, to engage with a range of people from all sectors of the construction industry.

Adrian Barden, Wolseley UK managing director, (pictured) said: “Buildings account for 50 per cent of the UK’s CO2 emissions and the construction industry must contribute to a more sustainable future.

“Wolseley UK is committed to helping the industry reduce the environmental footprint left by developers and occupiers alike. That is why we have long been an advocate of sustainable building products and construction methods, working with leading architects, developers and contractors to encourage the specification and use of energy-efficient materials in all types of buildings.

“This major initiative will provide a new focus for our role in the promotion of sustainable design and construction, one which we have been perfectly placed to lead to date as the UK’s largest distributor of building materials. It will also provide a vehicle for impartial advice, which research indicates our customers need, and ultimately foster an acceptance of sustainable products and approaches at every level.”

Tim Pollard, who has been appointed the SBC’s general manager, added: “We are now working with major customers and leading manufacturers on the SBC, and are forming supply partnerships to turn our plans into reality.”

With detailed planning consent already secured, work will start on site, located next to Wolseley UK’s headquarters in Leamington Spa, in October 2006. Completion is expected in Summer 2007.

The SBC building itself will generate and store energy through six different types of renewable technology, including photovoltaic and wind-turbine systems. Its sedum ‘blanket’ roof will protect the roof membrane and reduce internal temperatures in the summer. The SBC will also collect and reuse rainwater, via a rain harvesting system.

The SBC’s galleries will include the following types of products: photovoltaics; micro wind; sedum roof; e-glazing; natural lighting; natural insulation; green floor coverings; mini Combined Heat and Power (CHP); rainwater harvesting; biomass; ground source heat pump; engineered timber; low energy lighting; water saving devices; solar thermal; and sustainable drainage.

Notes to editors:

For more press information on Wolseley UK, please contact:

Chris White or Ben Heatley
Camargue
Tel: 020 7636 7366 or 01242 577 277
Email: cwhite@camarguepr.com / bheatley@camarguepr.com

Ian Oliver
Wolseley UK
Tel: 01926 705698
Email: ian.oliver@wolseley.co.uk

The Wolseley Sustainable Building Center

Wolseley UK has worked with the following, amongst others, on the Sustainable Building Center project:

Architect – ECD Architects
Project manager – Edmund Shipway
Main contractor – John Sisk & Son
Consulting engineer – Fulcrum Consulting
Consulting structural engineer – Techniker

Wolseley UK

Wolseley UK sits at the heart of the construction supply chain, providing the widest range of construction products and materials available in the UK through over 1,800 branches of Plumb Center, Build Center, Pipe Center, Drain Center, Climate Center, Parts Center, Brandon Hire, William Wilson and Encon.

Its unique distribution system with multiple central feeder warehouses makes the Wolseley UK distribution network more responsive and more flexible than any other in its sector. This superior supply chain capability plays a crucial role in enabling Wolseley UK to provide fast delivery of a vast product range through its branches, call centres and websites.

Wolseley UK is committed to meeting customer needs by providing the right products and services when and where they are needed, at competitive prices. Its customers are anyone who constructs and maintains buildings and range from the largest construction companies to government organisations to self-employed contractors.

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