11 & 12 Wellington Place are two prominent new landmark buildings in the heart of Leeds City Centre which were developed with an aim to set the standards for sustainability and energy efficiency. It has now successfully met the ambitious targets that were set, including NABERS 5*, BREEAM Outstanding and EPC A. As a result, it is now one of the UK’s most sustainable buildings.

Set within the wider Wellington Place scheme and developed by MEPC, the new buildings add to one of the most prestigious business quarters in Europe. Providing over 250,000 square feet of business, leisure and retail space, 11 & 12 incorporate a range of sustainability measures from using all-electric solutions, reversible air source heat pump systems and roof-mounted photovoltaics through to smart building controls.

Marshalls supported main contractor Wates in the hard landscaping for the external environment using a range of granites from our beautiful natural stone portfolio. While a number of our popular Chinese granites were used for their unmatched aesthetic, where possible, stones were selected from our European collection to minimise transport-related carbon emissions. This included Arche bespoke kerbs and planter walling, blasted Mizar paving and Dorado and Umbriel flamed paving – all providing a range of beautifully complementary grey tones. This represented the first time Portuguese granites have been used in the development as a whole.

Providing a smart, appealing and safe welcome to the building entrance, the very dark hues of our Prospero granite created the contrast in the step detail as well as being used in the tactile paving on the approach.

In support of the overarching sustainability objectives of the development, Marshalls design and engineering specialist team were able to provide guidance allowing the thickness of the paving to be reduced from its original specification. This ensured sizes, depths and types of stone were not over engineered but met the requirements of the scheme. This resulted in both carbon and cost reductions in the external landscaping overall.

Daniel Miller, Project Director at Wates, said:

“Wates have worked with Marshalls on the Wellington Place development for several years now and we continued that relationship at 11 & 12 Wellington Place. Marshalls welcomed the challenge we set them when we asked them to assist in helping to reduce embodied carbon on the Project and through their natural stone engineering expertise and worldwide portfolio of product we estimate to have saved more than 110t of Co2.”

To find out more about Marshalls natural stone collection, click here marshalls.co.uk/commercial/natural-stone