Introduction
The Beacon Centre for the Blind is a registered charity first operating in 1875, which is committed to helping local people with sight loss live fuller and more independent lives by offering them the finest facilities and support. A new Beacon Centre for the Blind was opened in June 2009 in conjunction with Bromford Housing Group to include supported accommodation in 72 purpose-built two-bed roomed apartments, in addition to it's provision of services for visually impaired people in Dudley, Wolverhampton, Sandwell and Staffordshire.
Beacon Court is the residential facility and Beacon Centre is the operational and administrative centre for the charity. Both buildings have been recognised as very good in national environmental rating schemes meaning the building design clearly demonstrates it is designed to use resources in an efficient way.
What was involved
This challenging project involved replacing inefficient, old and expensive to maintain buildings with new flagship buildings that would enable the organisation to increase its service provision to cope with the expected growth in visual impairment as the population ages. The development of the new buildings involved working with architects and designers to develop plans that ensured the building was suitable for the needs of blind and visually impaired people and used resources in a sustainable fashion, examples of which are:
Solar Thermal Panels
A series of solar thermal panels located on the south facing elevations heat hot water for use in the buildings. The solar thermal panels contain a series of tubes covered with an absorbent coating to help them absorb light present in the suns rays. The warm water is then pumped around the building and used to supply hot water. Solar thermal panels are a reliable technology with no moving parts.
Heating
Under-floor heating is an efficient form of heating consisting of pipes laid under the floor which radiate heat into the room above. The temperature in the building is regulated by thermostats in each room by switching on and off cooling devices. The structure of the buildings retains this heat in winter and dissipates solar gain in summer.
Lighting
Motion sensors ensure lighting is only turned on when the room is occupied to make an efficient use of energy. These motion sensors work by detecting when people are present in the room and turn the lights off when they are empty.
Water Efficiency
Water use is kept low through the application of low flow taps and dual flush WCs. This careful use of water means that the Centre’s water bills are reduced and less energy is required to heat water. This means more money is available to spend on service provision.
Green Travel Plan
Energy saving extends to how staff, residents and visitors travel to the site through the application of their green travel plan. Practical measures in the plan include support for new cyclists, cycle facilities, a regular shuttle service to help residents reach local services, car sharing and restricted car parking spaces.
Outcomes
Beacon Centre and Beacon Court have received much acclaim for their energy saving achievements, and won the Community Category of the Dudley Energy Heroes Awards in 2010 which recognised the centre as an outstanding example of energy efficiency.
In addition they have won an award from the UK Housing Association in the category of best building for disadvantaged people.
Princess Anne officially opened the buildings in June 2010 and asked why there was not a centre like this in every town in the country.
