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G1 Building Decarbonisation

    Decarbonising a listed city centre office building in a live working environment

    The Brief

    Behind its historic listed sandstone façade, the G1 Building brings together premium office accommodation, conference facilities and restaurants across nine floors. Xburo was commissioned to decarbonise the building, which is currently served by a four-pipe fan coil air conditioning system supplied by an air-cooled chiller and gas fired boilers.

    The brief was to remove the building’s reliance on fossil fuels and replace it with a heating and cooling strategy based on air source heat pumps. G1 is on track to become an all-electric development, supporting the Government’s net zero ambitions with an approach that is both more sustainable and more energy efficient for both the client and tenants.

    Our Expertise

    With G1 achieving a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating and accommodating a range professional services firms with specific operational requirements, the services strategy must maintain best-in-class office facilities while enabling phased floorplate upgrades. The designs align with the development’s lifecycle plan, coordinating plant replacement, system resilience and future regulatory compliance to keep the building efficient, adaptable and fit for purpose.

    We are providing Mechanical, Electrical and Public Health (MEPH) services. Working closely with Project Managers Trident Building Consultancy Ltd, our experts are on site to deliver the solutions G1 needs to achieve its ambition of becoming a net zero building. Appointed contractos for the project is AKP Scotland.

    Led by Xburo’s Andrew Lyons, Chartered Engineer, and supported by in-house engineers, this project gives engineers across the company the opportunity to be involved in decarbonising a building. 

    The Solution

    Our engineers are working in a live working environment and, in partnership with Trident Building Consultancy Ltd, to ensure business continuity is maintained for both the client and tenants.

    The primary plant remains operational while the existing heating and cooling functions are transferred to new low-carbon systems, maintaining environmental conditions throughout the building. 

    Our engineers sequence logistics and plan in advance to minimise disruption for tenants on occupied floors as we decarbonise G1.

    Benefits to the client

    • Xburo’s track record at 177 Bothwell Street, 300 Bath Street and 133 Finnieston Street gives the client confidence that decarbonisation will be completed and logistics managed in a live working environment.
    • Ongoing monitoring shows that decarbonisation has improved the building’s energy performance, reflected in its EPC rating.
    • A BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rated building with air source heat pump systems providing both heating and cooling, eliminating reliance on fossil fuels.
    • A building that was ready to be marketed by its owners prior to the lease being put on the market; ensuring business continuity and expert engineering services delivered.

    “As Client Representatives and Project Managers on the G1 Building, we work collaboratively with our partners to bring in the expertise needed to deliver the Client’s ambitions. In this case, we are working with expert MEPH engineers Xburo to deliver the building’s low carbon transition and energy solutions.”

    Ross McDermott, Director, Trident Building Consultancy Ltd

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    Summary

    Client
    Union Investment Real Estate
    Expertise
    Mechanical, Electrical and Public Health (MEPH) engineering
    Project Manager
    Trident Building Consultancy Ltd
    Sector
    Commercial Office – Category A building
    Timeline
    2024–2027 (ongoing)
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