Johnstone's provides sustainable finish for landmark offices

The unrivalled sustainability provided by Johnstone’s Ecological Solutions range has helped the new head office of The Co-operative Group in Manchester become the most environmentally-friendly building in the world.

The new facility, unveiled as The Co-operative Group celebrates 150 years in the city, has achieved a BREEAM score of 95.16% - the highest ever awarded – and provides the business with over 320,000 sq ft of high quality office space including restaurants, open plan workspaces, a fitness centre and changing rooms.

The project, designed by 3DReid and constructed by main contractor BAM Construction, took several years to complete and involved a team of 25 decorators from Rotherham-based Smith Painters, who spent six months decorating all 14 floors using products from Johnstone’s market-leading Ecological Solutions range. All 14 products in the range boast the coveted EU Ecolabel accreditation, meaning their environmental credentials have been independently tested and verified by a respected third party.

Over 10,000 litres of Johnstone’s Covaplus Vinyl Matt emulsion, ideally formulated for use on interior walls and ceilings, was used throughout the building to provide a durable, wipeable finish resistant to fading and yellowing. Johnstone’s Acrylic Satin, which was used on wood and metal substrates, was specified due to its high opacity and the fact that it is both non-yellowing and low odour. This product also has the added benefit of being quick drying, enabling the team of decorators to complete the project swiftly and efficiently.

Mike Hitchmough, director at 3DReid commented: “This was a ground-breaking project, not least because of the focus on creating a carbon-friendly and highly sustainable building, so it was vital the environmental impact of building processes and products used throughout was kept to a minimum. The fact that Johnstone’s Covaplus is Ecolabel approved, yet still retains the quality and durability required, ticked all the boxes for us and was the ideal choice for this project.”