The builder, which is now one of the industry’s leading promoters of low carbon solutions, is harvesting footfall energy and using new transparent photovoltaic glazing to generate free electricity.
The innovations are being piloted at the firm’s demonstration community healthcare campus building at the BRE’s Garston headquarters.
John Frankiewicz, CEO of Willmott Dixon Capital Works, said: “The health sector consumes vast amounts of energy as it’s a people intensive business requiring high-tech equipment that’s constantly in operation.
“With energy costs continuing to rise, our campus will show how you can offset these costs on future facilities.”
“We have allowed a number of small and medium enterprises at the cutting edge of technology to use our campus to show the future of energy efficient buildings. It points to an exciting future we can help shape.”
Campus visitors will be able to see how much electricity they can create when they walk up an entrance ramp, which has been fitted with a sophisticated system that harvests kinetic energy produced by footfall.
Another eye-catcher is transparent photovoltaic architectural glazing on the roof that replaces traditional cladding materials to deliver 3000kWh of free electricity each year, more than many conventional photovoltaics.
Smart lighting that responds to patient and environmental needs is a feature on the first floor, which simulates a ward environment.
Other technology on display includes Breathing Buildings’ e-stack technology, a low-carbon natural ventilation system used at the UK’s first BREEAM outstanding health facility in Sunderland.
Alongside the low carbon technology is the latest thinking for the acute sector.
On the first floor will be a hygienic sound absorbent system help to minimalise risk of contamination within hospitals. The clinical rooms also showcase seamless abutment technology, a new patented solution for gypsum wall endings.
Willmott Dixon was selected for the Department of Health’s ProCure 21+ framework, making it one of only six firms that an NHS client can use for fast-track procurement of capital projects under the framework.
The newly refurbished demonstration building will be open to visitors at this year’s Insite ’11 show on October 4-5.
