We have recognised Bonham Quay, a new mixed-use development in the heart of Galway, as a leader in One Planet Living®.

Combining office, retail, restaurant and cultural space, this 34,405sqm scheme is designed to create a healthy, greener work environment for 2,600 people where it’s easy to make sustainable choices.

The site is being developed by Edward Capital and designed by BDP Architects.

Highlights of the development, which is to be built on land contaminated by previous industrial use, include:

• Sustainable, active travel encouraged with a ratio of just of a 0.05 car parking space per worker, excellent public transport links, electric car charging points, 330 bicycle spaces and shower and bike storage facilities
• Looking after the health and wellbeing of occupants with green space, gym and exercise facilities, and plenty of natural light and low levels of indoor pollution
• Living wages guaranteed – all tenants will be required to pay their staff a living wage
• Engaging with tenants to create a culture of sustainability – a tenant handbook will provide useful One Planet Living guidance, including a sustainable food charter and support to eliminate single-use plastics
• 23% of the site will be landscaped green space using native trees, plants and wildflowers
• The development aims to be net-zero carbon by 2030 through high energy efficiency as well as using solar energy, air-source heat pumps, a heat recovery system and purchased renewable energy, where possible

Sue Riddlestone, co-founder and CEO of Bioregional, said: “Bonham Quay is an inspiring response to how our city centres can evolve to create places we want to visit and work in, with space for nature which all can enjoy. This, combined with its highly accessible location, and the deep commitment of the development team to designing a high-quality scheme that makes it easy for people to live a sustainable lifestyle, has ensured that Bonham Quay deserves recognition as a sustainability leader in Ireland for One Planet Living.”

Gerry Barrett of Edward Capital said: “Since being introduced to One Planet Living we have been using this holistic framework to further drive our sustainability aspirations. With a city-centre location and aiming for WELL, LEED and WIRED certification, we were sure that we had a fantastic base for creating a sustainability exemplar. Using the One Planet Living framework we identified areas where we could go even further, including working closely with both tenants and the neighbouring community to create a culture that really embraces sustainability.”