Saving the earth by using it in buildings

8:47am Saturday 21st April 2007

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THE Prime Minister yesterday praised an innovative North-East building as an icon of environmental responsibility that could be held up as an example to the world.

Mr Blair was speaking at the official opening of Rivergreen Centre, pictured right, at Aykley Heads, on the outskirts of Durham City.

The two-storey timber and concrete-framed office building contains Europe's largest internal rammed-earth wall, constructed by layering and compacting earth - most of which came from the site.

The wall absorbs heat during the day, releasing it at night.

Winter heating is from a biomass boiler fired by wood pellets, while recycled rainwater is used in toilets and to irrigate the organic roof covering.

Mr Blair said: "It is just amazing for me to come to the Rivergreen Centre and see just how much effort and imagination and creativity has gone into it."

On global warming, he said: "The brutal truth is that even if we behave in the most responsible way possible - even if we shut down all emissions from this country totally - within two years, the growth in the Chinese economy will make up the difference.

"However, what we can do is offer leadership and become market and global leaders, both in design and environmental technology, showing how it is possible to have economic and sustainable growth and also to work in a wonderful building and manage to do it with a dramatic reduction in lighting and heat in the way it is designed.

"What is interesting to me is that this is somewhere people can come to from all over the country and different parts of the world to see how it can be done."