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The glass-fronted kennels used by Dogs Trust
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That its buildings deliver the highest standards of welfare and comfort for dogs has always been the Dogs Trust’s focus, leaving energy use and the environmental impact of its buildings much further down the list of priorities.
A €6.5m rehoming centre built in Dublin in 2009 changed this, as property director Matthew Taylor explains: “It was the best centre we’d ever built and the M&E element cost well over €1m. But the energy consumption has been frighteningly high.”
These energy bills encouraged Dogs Trust to look at its building stock and decide to go green with its next project – reducing its impact on the environment felt like a very natural step for a charity dedicated to animals. “We see ourselves as leaders and we are in the privileged position of being a well-supported charity and are able to invest in appropriate, long-term facilities, which aren’t overly consumptive,” adds Taylor.
Fabric first
It may well have been a natural step, but it wasn’t an easy one, as Taylor acknowledges, particularly as Dogs Trust wants the centre to be a genuine centre of excellence and achieve a BREEAM Outstanding, with energy use reduction of at least 30% compared to similar centres. “We’re not in the game of just adding technologies to give a sustainable gloss,” says Taylor. “Our desire is to design our buildings with the emphasis on reducing, as far as possible, the energy demands that the centres require, through mass insulation, improved airtightness and natural ventilation systems. The remaining demand for energy will be met through appropriately designed and sourced renewables.”
Expert guidance
A rehoming centre for dogs is an unusual use of a building, meaning the expert Dogs Trust worked with – Professor David Strong – had to help it find solutions that could cater to the specific needs of dogs as well as the human occupants. “We are occupied all day, every day and the kennels are always full,” Taylor explains. Temperature control is an important issue. “Dogs like a constant climate between 12 and 18 degrees, so underfloor heating is a good solution,” says Taylor.
Once the building is complete, educating staff on how to use the new building efficiently will be a big issue. “We are looking at building management systems (BMS) too, but we don’t want to overdo the technologies at this stage,” he adds.
On the subject of costs, Taylor believes that the sustainable measures they are incorporating do not have to increase capital outlay. “We can reallocate funds to invest more heavily in the fabric of the building, which means the M&E package will shrink.”
Project features
• biomass boiler
• green roofing
• solar thermal panels
• photovotaic panels
• rainwater recycling system.
• 64 kennels with underfloor heating
• dedicated training and rehabilitation centres
• facility for up to 36 dogs that prefer canine company
• onsite accommodation for three Managers
• behaviour suite to get the dogs used to household items
• vet suite
• exercise paddocks and runs
• training barn
• grooming suite
This article originally appeared in the February/March issue of Greenbuild magazine. For a free subscription, please click here .
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