A new green hotel, ‘The Orchard’, has opened for business on The University of Nottingham’s main campus. The facility has been designed to complement the existing conference venue, also on the campus. Construction has been carried out to the highest environmental standards. The hotel aims to achieve an ‘Excellent’ rating under the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), and includes a green roof, photovoltaic panels, energy-efficient lighting, heating and ventilation systems. The Orchard is the latest in a series of green buildings developed on The University of Nottingham’s campuses which have a commitment to sustainable architecture and construction.

During the build, several rare varieties of apple tree had to be carefully relocated. Some of these are related to the original Bramley apple tree, which has its origins in Nottinghamshire's cathedral town of Southwell.

Corrie Jones, Associate at RHWL Architects who designed the Orchard Hotel, said: “The design concept for the hotel was inspired by the university’s parkland setting, with sweeping lines, lots of timber and regional stone, and echoes of the surrounding trees and plants throughout the interior. Creating two separate wings, joined by a central atrium area, has helped to give the spaces a light and airy feel and we have focussed on minimising the building’s impact on its surrounding environment through sustainable features and careful location within the surrounding hillside.”

The university has also recently installed a hydrogen re-fuelling facility and electric charging points alongside a new research facility, The Wolfson Prototyping Hall, which will provide a 400m2 and 12m high testing facility for the University’s Department of Architecture and Built Environment. It will enable experts to create full-scale building exteriors and other building features to test their energy efficiency. There will also be a climate chamber and an additional 200m2 of external space open to the elements where tests can be carried out in real-time weather and daylight conditions.

The building itself has been designed to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding rating. The design includes earth duct passive cooling, using the thermal mass of the surrounding earth to provide cooling and preheating of ventilation air, and efficient building design with low energy cooling and heating systems. A bio-fuel CHP generator will generate up to 150% of the total annual electricity requirement. The building will also produce more heat than it requires, with the surplus directed to its neighbour, the Institute of Mental Health.