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Our new building:
WWF’s Living Planet Centre

Back in 2008 we announced plans to develop a new building for when it’s time to move from WWF-UK’s current site in Godalming.

It’s a significant and exciting project for us. We want our new headquarters to be at the forefront of sustainable design, with the highest green credentials. And we intend it to be an example of what can be achieved – a showcase of green building design. But also, and very importantly, it will allow people who visit us – whether the general public, schools, businesses or politicians – to learn and understand more about WWF and our work worldwide.

Now, in 2012, we have the design and location for our new Living Planet Centre, in Brewery Road, Woking, Surrey. The building has been designed by Hopkins Architects but work has not yet started on construction. As you can see, we will be alongside the Basingstoke Canal, with a bridge over the canal to Woking Town Centre and the railway station.

The Living Planet Centre

Why we need to relocate
We’ve been at our current premises, Panda House in Godalming, for over 20 years. During that time WWF has evolved – and so have building technologies and energy efficiency standards.

And of course the environmental threats faced by our planet have increased too. We urgently need to raise wider awareness of the problems – and the solutions we are working on. Our current accommodation is no longer fit for purpose, and doesn’t allow us to meet these ever-growing challenges.

Why a new building? Why not retrofit an old one?
We tried to find a suitable existing building. We worked with external consultants to survey a number of empty premises, but we couldn’t find any one building that meets our stringent sustainability criteria.

So we’ve chosen to develop a brownfield site – a car park - in Woking, with good access to sustainable transport (near to trains and buses). It gives us a great opportunity to implement green technologies, and to invite visitors so that we can be more effective in our work.

Building costs will not affect conservation work
The Living Planet Centre will be a cost-effective solution for WWF. The affordable and sustainable design will help us reduce our running costs in the long term. To get us started, we’re delighted to have received a large, special donation from a long-standing supporter. We also have a team focusing on our ‘Capital Appeal’ to raise further funding and gifts-in-kind for the new building.

Minimising the impact of our new building
First of all, we’re re-using land that’s already been developed (a car park). The Living Planet Centre will regenerate this ‘brownfield’ site, while retaining parking facilities for the local community once building works have been completed.

The design is sympathetic to its natural surroundings, but will meet the highest sustainability standards. And we’re committed to a building that exemplifies how we can meet the needs of a modern workplace with least impact on the planet.

We are working with architects who are leaders in environmentally responsible design, and will also incorporate our own ‘One Planet Future’ ethos. This will not only ensure a minimal environmental and carbon footprint for the centre during construction and when occupied, but will also take account of wider social values.

Working with schools

Working to enhance the local environment
WWF’s mission is to build a future where people live in harmony with nature, and this approach also applies to our Living Planet Centre. We’ll make sure we enhance local biodiversity, while bringing new opportunities to the local community.

At the new Centre we’ll open our doors to more visitors, including school children, to come and learn more about the environmental challenges we face and the solutions we are developing. We hope our new facilities will help us engage more people in more meaningful ways.

We’ll actively encourage staff and visitors to travel to our headquarters by train, bus or bicycle, and we’ll have strict green transport targets in place to reduce our own CO2 emissions.

Update on WWF’s Living Planet Centre:
Planning consent for WWF-UK’s new building was granted in February 2011, and the Brewery Road car park is closing in February 2012 to enable initial investigations by our preferred construction partner, Willmott Dixon.
The programme of building work is currently being planned, and we’ll provide updates on the progress here on our website.