Marks & Spencer's Silverburn store in Glasgow has achieved the highest BREEAM Retail Fit Out rating to date in the UK.

The 'green-store' was designed by 3D Reid Architects with engineering consultant Faber Maunsell | AECOM providing engineering services and specialist design services.

A number of innovative 'eco' features were installed to the 70,000 sq ft store during construction, under M&S' Plan A initiative. These include lobby areas to minimise heat and energy loss, as well as more efficient lighting, heating and ventilation systems.

The store uses approximately 40% less water than a comparable M&S store through the installation of low volume dual flush customer toilets and self-closing taps. The leakage of harmful HFCs (Hydro Fluoro Carbons) has also been eliminated by using state of the art fridges that operate on hydrocarbon and CO2 refrigerants.

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Both M&S Silverburn and M&S Simply Food Galashiels, which also launched as a new-build 'green' store, have been awarded a BREEAM Excellent rating and are the first retail developments in the UK to achieve the Excellent rating against the BREEAM Retail 2006 full fit out assessment criteria.

Crispin Burridge, Head of Plan A and Sustainable Construction at M&S said: "Under Plan A we are pushing to address some of the toughest 'eco' challenges facing retailers and are delighted that these stores have received these ratings in recognition of some of that work.

"Customers and staff have reacted very positively to our 'green' stores and we continue to use the lessons learned from these stores in our wider store construction programme. It is also important to remember that new builds reflect only a small percentage of building stock and the issue of addressing older buildings represents a significant challenge to the industry too."

(GK/JM)