Sustainable Design
The B&Q eco-learning store was designed with sustainability in mind. It applied a unique, collaborative approach between the tenant B&Q, Landlord Hammerson as well as industry partners Tata Steel, Cardiff University and BAM. The store was built in line with B&Q’s 11 point sustainability plan and had both construction and in-use sustainability targets covering recycled content, water efficiency, biodiversity and energy efficiency.
The processes, monitoring and approach to sustainability have been shared with the industry in the form of seminars and conferences publicising early results of a research project and also publications by Cardiff University.
The building was also designed to have low embodied carbon, and achieved 23% less than industry benchmarks for similar retail developments through the use of steel cladding rather than aluminium and insulation with recycled content and cement replacement in the structural concrete.

23% less embodied carbon compared to industry benchmarks