Moving with the times

The Ernest Cook Trust’s new offices at Court Farm, Quenington are expected to deliver a range of environmental benefits, as well as dramatically improving the facilities for staff and visitors.

Staff moved from the Trust’s former offices, in Fairford, over a period of around six weeks from late March and have been settling into the new building, which comfortably accommodates the growing team, with workspaces for 37 staff as well as meeting areas and a generous staff room kitchen.

Chris, our Maintenance & Construction Manager and Tori, our Environment & Natural Capital Manager, have been assessing the way the design and build of the Court Farm conversion impacts on the environment.

By minimising the use of resources, reducing energy and carbon and supporting green travel, the new head office should mark a significant improvement on the old offices at Fairford. For Chris the project has been a major focus of his work for the last two years and he is delighted with the result. He said,

The Court Farm offices were officially opened in June with an informal gathering of the Trust’s staff and Trustees, together with Joanna Gollins and Sue Honour representing the Gollins family who gifted Court Farm to the Trust. At the event, Chief Executive Ed Ikin, spoke about the transformative impact of the new head office, “By its very nature, it encourages greater interaction, greater collaboration. People are talking and working together in whole new ways because the space is so special.” Referencing the Trust’s recent growth in personnel, he continued,

Work on site by mainly local contractors took around 18 months, but the initial proposals to relocate office staff to Court Farm, which was gifted to the Trust, began in 2022.

The main building on the site had doubled as residential accommodation and offices for the previous owners, with ancillary buildings and around 30 acres of grounds running down to the river Coln.

The first stage of the work in the former farmhouse required the removal of all internal walls to create a large open plan area.

Stone and timber from the site was reused as much as possible to reduce the need for new materials. Carpet tiles made of 70% recycled material were laid while water efficient fittings were installed in the kitchen and bathrooms.

The building is heated with an air source heat pump powering an underfloor heating system – reducing the risk of hot spots when radiators are used. Insulation is to the highest standards, especially on the floor and roof, where most heat is lost.

The original widows, made of long-lasting hardwood and double glazed, have been retained as the Trust sought to achieve an optimum balance between energy efficiency, waste reduction and cost.

The lighting is low energy and operates using motion sensors, so there is no risk of lights being left on when rooms are not in use. Natural ventilation keeps the building aired and where mechanical ventilation is needed, this includes a heat recovery system to reduce the need to reheat cold air.

Showers and lockers mean staff can cycle to work and e-bikes are available for staff use, while EV charging points on site allow those with electric cars to charge them while they are working.

The green initiatives at Court Farm continue outside with bat boxes, swift and swallow boxes, nesting boxes for barn owls and an environmentally friendly garden management regime in place.

Useable outside space, including terracing, has been incorporated into the design to allow staff to both work outside and enjoy the outdoors during breaks.

Tori said new building provides a light, airy and collaborative working space with extensive views of nature, which will hopefully bring multiple benefits for the Trust.

The environmental journey for Court Farm has only just begun, as the team will be looking at further improvement opportunities, including through working practices and making use of data to highlight areas for action.