Did you know that the CofE Birmingham office at John Cadbury House is net zero carbon?
After the decision was made to leave our previous diocesan office on Colmore Row, sustainability was an important factor along with accessibility, cost and location. We moved to JC House in July 2022, so it has now been our diocesan office for the last three years.
As a retrofit Victorian building the office is highly energy efficient, without having incurred major additional embodied carbon in the way a new-build would have. As part of the renovations of JC House, the developer removed the gas supply and switched entirely to electricity, provided on a green tariff, with the heating delivered by Air Source Heat Pumps. It is estimated that the saved carbon of retrofit, rather than demolition and the construction of an equivalent office, is 2,600 tonnes of CO2.
Our location in the city centre also means that staff and visitors can generally access the office using public transport. By moving from a 7th and 8th floor space at Colmore Row to one with level access from the street, accessibility has also been greatly improved.
Through our move, staff and visitors have benefitted from a modern, accessible office space fit for the hybrid-working era.