Castle Building Services moving towards a sustainable future

Members of the senior management at Castle Building Services, left to right, Simon Groom, technical director; Richard Flynn, pre-construction manager; and Richard Farrel, operations director.

A Hebburn-based firm is building on its green credentials for a more environmentally-friendly future.

Castle Building Services, at Monkton Business Park South, has seen a surge in client demand for net zero-ready buildings.

As part of its own sustainable journey, it has secured the highest possible environmental accreditation.

Members of each department have achieved Passivhaus Institute certification.

Passivhaus adopts a whole-building approach, focused on high-quality construction. Passivhaus buildings use very little energy for heating and cooling.

The company has secured a number of Passivhaus projects having been appointed as mechanical and electrical contractor for a variety of school projects across Scotland, including Currie Community High School, set to be one of the country’s most energy efficient high schools.

It will be the first Passivhaus designed secondary school in the country, leading a new generation of zero carbon schools.

The company has also secured the mechanical and electrical contract with Maybury Primary School, which is being built to Passivhaus standards, following Edinburgh City Council’s commitment to a net zero target by 2023.

Simon Groom, technical director at Castle Building Services, said: “As we continue to look at ways to future proof the business through upskilling and investing, we want to ensure our workforce is equipped with both the skills and knowledge on sustainable methods of design, procurement and construction.

“As such, becoming Passivhaus accredited was a natural progression for us. We are passionate about sustainable construction methods and the Passivhaus standard is one of the leading construction methodologies, focused on delivering net-zero-ready buildings, reducing carbon emissions and creating high quality internal environments which maximise occupant comfort.

“Lots of the fundamentals of this method are also transferable to any type of construction and adopting them has helped us improve the quality and sustainability of our installations.

"We also identified that many of our clients are adopting this method of construction, and this was a key driver for us, to ensure we can continue to meet their needs and the industry’s responsibility in the drive to meet carbon targets."

Castle Building Services is the winner of the Constructing Excellence in the North East 2023 SME of the Year award.