OREANDA-NEWS. October 16, 2015. Five Pancras Square in the London Borough of Camden was recognised as a fine example of public sector construction at the 2015 British Construction Industry Awards, which took place last night at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

The community building makes innovative use of space, housing a state of the art leisure centre, library and Camden Council offices. It has the capacity to serve 225,140 Camden residents as well as the many commuters who pass through the area. It will help the council make savings of around £500,000 per year in running costs.

It is also one of the first inner-city buildings in the UK to achieve a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ sustainability rating. 90% of all building materials were responsibly sourced, while an energy efficient ventilation system and solar panels ensure low carbon emissions and reduced running costs.

The Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award recognises publicly funded projects that are completed on time, on budget and bring real change to the community. Previous award winners include the Tate Modern and the Velodrome at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Skills Minister Nick Boles said:

Five Pancras Square shows how government and construction firms working together can deliver innovative, environmental and cost effective buildings.

Shortlisted projects

The British Construction Industry Awards celebrate all-round excellence in construction, including the overall design, and delivery of buildings and civil engineering projects. The Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award is the pinnacle of this awards ceremony. Nominees were assessed on a range of standards, including economic and social value.

There were 32 public buildings across the country shortlisted for the award, including transport infrastructure, university buildings, healthcare and environmental projects.

All of the nominees demonstrated standards set out in the Government Construction Strategy, which committed the government to complete innovative efficient projects and make cost savings for the taxpayer of 15 to 20% by the end of the previous Parliament.

The government has achieved this target and saved taxpayers £3.2 billion from government construction between 2011 and 2015.