19th August 2024

The perfect brew: Perega’s role in building Starbucks’ green vision

Perega is playing a key role in Starbucks’ ambitious plan to expand its UK presence, with work on an eco-friendly flagship store in Manchester. The store is part of the major coffee shop chain’s strategy to open 100 new locations for the second consecutive year, serving as a model for future eco-conscious designs across the UK.

While the structural design is straightforward, the project is distinguished by a strong emphasis on environmental impact and carbon reduction. Perega’s structural engineering team was tasked with designing the foundations to be as eco-friendly as possible, supporting a superstructure made from a structural insulated panels system with glulam elements.

We took a lean approach to minimise concrete use, deploying innovative strategies like omitting the typical edge thickening around the raft foundation and safely reducing the amount of reinforcement needed.

A standout feature of this project was the collaboration with concrete manufacturers to source low-carbon concrete mixes. We worked closely with London Concrete to incorporate their newly developed CEM VI mix, a cutting-edge solution that was still in testing during much of the project. This advanced concrete offers significant carbon emission reductions, marking a major step forward in sustainable construction.

Our Senior Structural Engineer, Finn Neylon, explains, “While it may lack towering structures and complex engineering, this project demonstrates our innovative approach to sustainable design and represents a significant advancement in Starbucks’ green goals. We’ve pushed the boundaries of foundation design to minimise carbon impact, creating a model that could pave the way for more eco-friendly retail spaces. The team is eager to see the final results of the carbon calculations.”

For more information about Perega’s work in sustainable structural design, click here.