A Manchester office development has been awarded a BREEAM Excellent rating, following a post construction audit. Ask Developments has announced the practical completion of Number One First Street, a redevelopment of a former BT building, making the site officially 'brownfield'. The seven storey glass fronted building is the first in the Northwest to achieve a BREEAM "Excellent" accreditation, and only the seventh office building nationally.
It has one of the largest atriums in the city and will be the first building in Manchester to have living green walls as well as a green roof supporting biodiversity and local ecology. When in place the green walls are predicted to be among the largest of any office building in Europe.

Prior to the building's completion, it enjoyed the addition of a 9.5m tree for the full height of the glazed atrium. The tree's presence in the 30m high atrium provides an impressive sight for those entering the building and is emblematic of sustainable development, which underpins First Street's green ethos.

As well as the green roof and walls the building has a water-cooled VRF air conditioning system. Another plus point is its close proximity to public transport links including Oxford Road railway station.

The building was completed late last year but all 178,500 sq ft remains unoccupied.

Julian Stott, development executive at Ask Developments, commenting on the favourable outcome of the audit, said; “Most buildings rarely undergo the post construction audit owing to the risk that a completed building will no longer meet the stringent BREEAM criteria".