Spaces at the Spine’s sustainable pledges

Sustainability is at the core of our operation with our day-to-day business, and our home within The Spine, focusing on several eco-friendly strategies to help us limit our environmental impact. Here’s how we work with our clients and the local community to be as sustainable as possible:

Our building

The Royal College of Physicians’ (RCP) northern headquarters and our venue are located in a new build, The Spine, which allowed us to integrate sustainable features from its initial concept and throughout the build stage. This meant we could ensure our home met several accessibility and ecological measures.

For example, the fit-out of our spaces is certified Platinum by the International WELL Building Institute, rated BREEAM Outstanding (taking into account energy efficiency, sustainability and how well it meets user needs) and classed as A++ ESOS-2 energy efficient.

Some of our stand-out features include:

• Smart building management systems, which regulate temperature and lighting according to the natural daylight and save energy by turning lights off when spaces are not in use
• LED lighting that saves 50% of energy costs compared to traditional lighting
• Filtered drinking water that is accessible throughout the entire building
• Oxygen-producing plant installations
• A selection of our flooring and wallpaper is made out of 95% recycled plastic bottles
• Low VOC paints are used throughout the building – VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are carbon-based chemicals that easily get into the air
• All wood used within the building, including furniture, is sustainable hardwood

Our food

We work closely with caterer Company of Cooks (part of CH&Co Group), which has been awarded three stars by the Sustainable Restaurant Association, to ensure our menus align with our sustainability pledge and the WELL Standard’s concept of nourishment. From using seasonal, locally grown produce and promoting plant-based dishes to sourcing ‘wines with a conscience’ and more.

Serving up dishes that are inventive and memorable, we offer something to suit all tastes while focusing on low-carbon offerings. Our objective is to fuel rather than feed, such as swapping traditional sandwiches for breadless healthier options – our motto ‘Health by Stealth’ has seen us creating delicious food with underlying health benefits.

Plus, our menus are built around ingredients from local suppliers, which now more than ever, is integral to our approach to supporting communities and establishing a fantastic supply chain.

Our events

We offer ergonomic, modern and intelligent spaces showcasing the best-in-class building connectivity and agile audio-visual systems. Our investments in technology ensure that events hosted at Spaces at The Spine can go paperless. Instead, clients and delegates can use the newest and most reliable technological advances for a digital service.

We also offer facilities to host virtual and hybrid conferences, allowing people the ease of joining an event or conference remotely and helping to reduce pollution caused by travelling.

The Spine and our venue play a crucial role within the Liverpool community by establishing themselves as a beacon of excellence and setting an example for future buildings and venues looking to implement sustainability in their design and operation.

If sustainability matters to you, and you are looking to host an event that is kind to the Planet, please get in touch with us now at spaces@rcp.ac.uk

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