by Brian Libby

When leaders in Milton Keynes, England, sought a new recreation center in the Central Bletchley district, they had many goals: an iconic presence on the outside, countless fitness and sports facilities on the inside, and a building that could catalyze an overall regeneration of the town. But the overriding goal — one that tied together all these disparate parts — was to make the new Bletchley Leisure Center a state-of-the-art sustainable building.

Designed by Holder Mathias Architects, the resulting facility was one of 16 projects recognized as part of the BREEAM Awards 2010, which honor some of the highest-scoring buildings certified under BREEAM, the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method — the UK's leading sustainable building rating system.

All buildings that received a BREEAM Excellent rating in 2009, scoring 70 percent or higher, were considered for the awards, which were given in building-type categories that reflect the different BREEAM rating subsystems, such as offices, homes, industrial buildings, and prisons. The winning buildings excelled in every environmental category within the rating system — energy, materials, waste, water, ecology, pollution, transportation, management, and health and well-being — suggesting a holistic design approach.

Most of the projects recognized in the 2010 awards received their ratings under BREEAM 2006, which allowed certification at the design stage. BREEAM 2008 now requires post-construction reviews to confirm the final rating. The organization that administers the rating system, the Building Research Establishment (BRE), was started in 1917 as a UK government entity for studying new construction methods, and is now a private nonprofit organization funded by the building industry.   >>>

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SUBSCRIPTION SAMPLE The Bletchley Leisure Centre, designed by Holder Mathias Architects, was recognized for its sustainable design in the 2010 BREEAM Awards. Photo: David Stewart/ Holder Mathias Extra Large Image Located in Milton Keynes, England, the Bletchley Leisure Centre is a public sports center with a pool and other fitness facilities. (synthesized image) Photo: David Stewart/ Holder Mathias Extra Large Image   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.