The 1999/2000 Building Cleanability Awards
The 1999/2000 Building Cleanability Awards
Keywords: Awards, Cleaning industry, Building design, Costs
A number of commercial buildings in the London area have just received a rather unusual award plaque to display in their reception area – "A 1999/2000 Building Cleanability Award".
This new scheme, introduced by the cleaning industry livery company –The Worshipful Company of Environmental Cleaners – is aimed at focussing attention on the growing importance of building design, in relation to its "cleanability".
"The cleaning needs of a building are often addressed only after completion of building, or refurbishment works", says awards director,Richard Chisnell. "Given that the ambience of any building depends quite significantly on the level of cleanliness maintained, the subject of cleanability and the early identification of cleaning needs are issues which require a higher profile at the design and construction stages of building development."
Considerable savings in building operational costs can be achieved where cleanability issues have been properly taken into account.
The overall winner of the 1999/2000 Awards was 1 Canada Square at Canary Wharf, and Speedmarque House, Hayes; Woodcote Grove, Epsom; 1 Fleet Place, EC4 and the QCA building, Piccadilly, also received five-star Cleanability Awards.
A further eight buildings received four-star awards and eight buildings a three-star award (see Table I).
Building assessments were carried out by the City University Business School and covered a wide range of external and internal design criteria, all of which can impact adversely on the effective cleaning of any building.
Table I The 1999/2000 Building Cleanability Awards
It is planned to extend the scheme nationally in 2001, with the objective of persuading architects and designers throughout the UK to take account of the cleaning needs of a building as early as possible in its design.
For further information contact Richard Chisnell, Awards Director, Building Cleanability Awards, PO Box 17, Winchester, Hants SO23 9WL. Tel: +44 (0)1962 864138; Fax: +44 (0)1962 870220; E-mail: RCChisnell@aol.com
