£320 m could build a new energy efficient Buck House

Buckingham Palace is famous for being the most expensive home in the world you’ll never be able to buy but according to cost consultants, Faithful +Gould, you could build a new energy-efficient replica for £320m.

An Atkins engineering design group company, Faithful+Gould undertook a technical assessment of the current Buckingham Palace as part of a review of famous UK monuments by the Chartered Institute of Building’s magazine, Construction Manager. It worked out the cost of building a replica of the Palace, using the latest construction methods and materials, would take three and half years. Using a carbon calculator developed by the company for the Carbon Trust the team also assessed that the new Palace would emit 400 cubic tonnes of CO2 per year less than the original.

Project manager, Matthew Fenner explained: “Clearly as we were dealing with one of the UK’s most important national monuments the preservation of its heritage characteristics was the most important consideration. However the idea was also to create a technically superior building and that meant using innovative design solutions and costing in a solid project management plan.

“Although the building externally would have a traditional appearance we would include substantial levels of insulation in the walls, floors and loft space which should pay for itself in as little as two years. This was considered a key priority with the current Palace’s annual utility bill spend estimated at around £2.2 million. The insulation would cut heat loss by up to 90% compared to an un-insulated building.

“In addition, highly efficient double glazing systems would be used to replace the existing 760 traditional windows. They would be designed to replicate the original windows but would cut heat loss by half.

“Further carbon reductions would be achieved by installing photovoltaic panels, heat recovery systems and ground source heat pumps (subject to tube lines, escape tunnels and nuclear bunkers!) whilst grey and rainwater water harvesting could reduce potable water consumption dramatically.”

The total build cost came in at £320 million, which included the construction of 19 state rooms, 78 bathrooms, and 52 principle bedrooms, with 775 separate areas including hallways and staircases in total. This was around ten times the original purchase, build and extension costs (incurred between 1761 and 1913) of around £33 million, in today’s terms.

More information: www.atkinsglobal.com