North Shields Transport Hub Officially Opens
The new North Shields Transport Hub has opened this week, which Desco designed the mechanical and electrical services for.
The £12m project is North Tyneside Council’s first net zero carbon building, as part of their aim to be carbon net-zero by 2030. The project is part of the councils aim to make North Tyneside into an attractive, family-friendly destination.
The hub brings all bus services to one location in the town, bringing them closer to the Metro, taxis and cycling infrastructure, improving links between the town centre and the Fish Quay.
The building features a number of sustainable elements, including air source heat pumps, an enhanced building envelope to maximise airtightness and an array of PV solar panels which will generate more energy per annum than the hub is expected to use. Energy efficient designs for the hub included maximising the use of natural daylight through glazing, translucent polycarbonate and an ETFE roof. The completed as built EPC has achieved an “A+” rating (net zero carbon).
A Life Cycle Carbon Assessment was undertaken by assessing the design of the hub at the earliest stage, to reduce the embodied carbon footprint of the project. The design was then amended to use techniques, products, and materials to reduce the embodied carbon by a target of 40%.
The building comprises of two ‘wings’ with the passenger concourse and ancillary facilities at the front of the bus stands.