CO-CREATE: BOMBAY SAPPHIRE


Bombay Sapphire commissioned the creation of the company’s fi rst dedicated distillery


as the Palm House at Kew Gardens – right down to smaller items like the glass cloches you put over plants. We combined the lan- guage of the glass cloche with the elegance of the Victorian glass house and brought it to the 21st century by applying the most innovative glass technology. The structure of Victorian glasshouses is integral; the glass and the ironwork work together structurally. A lot of modern glass architecture can be very cold, with perfect glass cubes, seamless joints and micro- scopic spider fi xings. We enjoyed the idea of doing something different from that and creating a very contemporary glass struc- ture that isn’t afraid of the steel that goes into it, and using that steel to accentuate the form of the glasshouses.”


Who advised you on the heritage aspects of the development and design? Will Brix, Bombay Sapphire: “We worked extensively with English Heritage, the conservation offi ce and the local community. When we came here, there was no archive to consult, because the previ- ous occupants made bank notes, so everything had been destroyed for security reasons. “We wanted to know what had happened on the site and to compile an archive. We’d heard stories but had to verify them ourselves, so we hired an archivist. Local people were really happy that was happening and were very willing to talk to her. This enabled us to


98 CLADGLOBAL.COM


Key factors in BREEAM certifi cation assessment


■ EPC rating of A, CO2 index of 14 ■ Carbon emissions


below 4kg CO2/m2 ■ Sustainably powered biomass


boiler, photovoltaic array and 6kW hydroelectric turbine give carbon savings of 38% from energy produced ■ Demolished buildings’ materials recycled and re-used ■ 80% of original structures retained ■ Rainwater harvesting, restricted water devices ■ Improvements in ecology and biodiversity of the SSSI ■ Heat from distillation process used to heat glasshouses ■ Spent botanicals used as fuel source


gathers at the neck. The warm air is circu- lated from the still building into the base of the glasshouse through grilles around the walkway. The warm air rises naturally and the negative pressure in the still house behind creates a plenum which draws the air out of the glasshouse at the top.”


The distillery received a BREEAM outstanding certifi cation. What other sustainable attributes does the development have? Will Brix, Bombay Sapphire: “In addition to generating hydroelectricity, we’ve installed photovoltaic panels and at the heart of the operation, a sustainable bio- mass boiler. The boiler burns locally-sourced renewable woodchip, as well as the spent botanicals which are a by-product of the distillation process.”


build a dialogue with the local community and as a result of the material she gathered, we’ll be running heritage tours next year.”


How does the heating system work? Eliot Postma, Heatherwick Studio: “The ironwork frame of the glasshouses connects to the still building behind it and


Eliot Postma, Heatherwick Studio: “That energy loop between the still build- ing and the glasshouses is a really big part of why we were able to achieve the sustainability accreditation, and it’s the fi rst time a BREEAM outstanding certifi cation has been awarded to a refurbishment.”


Did the site pose many challenges? Eliot Postma, Heatherwick Studio: “Pretty much every challenge you can possibly imagine! There are three Grade II listed buildings on site, and another 10 are


CLADmag 2015 ISSUE 1


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