Scania’s Milton Keynes base hasn’t just received a makeover – it’s been redesigned and rebuilt from the ground up. Peter Jackson attended the opening of the all-new building
395 working days since digging began, Scania’s all-new UK Support Centre has opened its doors. His Excellency Torbjörn Sohlström, the Ambassador of Sweden to the UK, attended a ceremony on Wednesday 22 May to inaugurate the facility, along with representatives from construction firm Kiel and other guests – including media.
Occupying the same near eight-acre site as the previous building on Delaware Drive, Tongwell, Milton Keynes, the new facility has been designed to minimise the company’s environmental impact. 10% of the energy used comes from sustainable sources, with rainwater also being recycled using water butts; Scania expects water usage to fall by upwards of 25% as a consequence of this and other measures, including more efficient showers, washing machines, dishwashers and flow-restricted taps.
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385 sq. m of photovoltaic panels on the roof work in tandem with air source heat pumps, which transfer heat from outside to the building’s interior, contributing to at least a 10% reduction in CO2 emissions. Measures such as these, Scania says, should help it become part of the environmental solution – not part of the problem.
A ‘fabric first’ approach has been taken to energy usage, meaning high levels of insulation and low-energy interior fittings. Besides helping cut the company’s carbon footprint, this approach will see operating costs tumble. Managing Director Martin Hay said that they have so far been cut by an impressive 50% per square metre.
The package of sustainability measures also includes:
• Air seal detailing to keep air leakage as low as possible;
• Local materials have been sourced where possible;
• Glazing with low G-value (solar gain) to reduce the energy required to mechanically cool the premises;
• An airy design to reduce the artificial lighting required to maintain ideal lighting levels;
• Rooms with windows include daylight linked lighting controls and PIR control throughout to switch off lighting when not occupied; and
• Comprehensive metering connected to an energy management tool to report any excess usage.
The three-storey building offers 6,200 sq. m of space, and the expansive car park has space for just under 300 vehicles. As you’d expect from a state-of-the-art facility in 2019, electric charging points are provided – another nod to sustainability and environmental concerns.
The car park used by the old building still exists, and is in the process of being converted into a driver training area for practicing manoeuvres. There is potential for a dedicated apprentice and training facility to be built on the site in future, too.
There’s a reason why the building isn’t simply referred to as a ‘head office’ or ‘headquarters,’ as Martin explained: “Scania came to Milton Keynes in 1981 and today is one of the largest employers in the area. In addition to growing sales of our trucks, buses, coaches and engines over the years, we have also developed a host of associated services; truck rental, used sales, finance, connected services, driver training and development, and so on. All of this requires extensive dealer and customer support, which is why we are referring to our new premises as our UK Support Centre rather than our headquarters.”
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