Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by HRH The Duke Of Edinburgh, will officially open The Co-operative Group’s new head office in Manchester today.
The royal couple will tour the building and unveil a plaque at the building, One Angel Square, which has been declared as the most environmentally-friendly in the world.
It scored a massive 95.16% by the British Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), making it the globe’s greenest building.
The Queen is also expected to meet schoolchildren in Harpurhey as well as visiting Manchester Piccadilly train station.
Euan Sutherland, The Co-operative Group chief executive, said: “From the outset the group set very high aspirations for the green credentials of the new building but for One Angel Square to be recognised as the most environmentally-friendly building in the world is a truly remarkable achievement.
“The visit today of the Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh symbolises the completion of the building and one of the most significant UK construction projects in the past five years.”
Ian Fleming, director of BAM Construction, said: “The commitment of The Co-operative to build a truly sustainable building set us a challenge unprecedented in commercial buildings.
“To have achieved the goal with this BREEAM accolade is a testament to the genuinely collaborative approach between The Co-operative, BAM Construction, the designers 3D Reid, Buro Happold and all our partners.
“This synergy combined with new technology and traditional construction skills has created a world class building and a legacy for which the people of Manchester can be proud.”
Gavin Dunn, director of BREEAM, BRE Global, said: “This achievement of the highest score ever under BREEAM reflects an ambitious vision and commitment from The Co-operative Group and their project team.
“They have created a highly sustainable, extremely low carbon space. An excellent working environment with deep green credentials.”
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