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GREEN
CHAMPION
Design consultancy Atelier Ten, which has just added
a new CIBSE award to its trophy showcase, says there
is no let-up in its quest to push the boundaries of
sustainability. Its co-founder Patrick Bellew tells
Bob Cervi what makes the fi rm tick
Having its London headquarters
housed within a group of
Victorian warehouse units called
‘Perserverence Works’ in the
East End is a happy coincidence for Atelier
Ten. The engineering consultancy has
won a string of awards in recent years for
its continuing determination to develop
sustainable buildings. Most recently it was
named Building Services Consultancy of the
Year in the CIBSE Building Performance
Awards 2011.
Last year, Atelier Ten’s co-founder and
principal, Patrick Bellew, was made a Royal
Designer for Industry (RDI), the ‘highest
accolade for designers in the UK’, according
to the awarding body, the Royal Society of
Arts. Bellew, who is a fellow of a number
of institutions including CIBSE, says he is
particularly pleased with becoming an RDI,
an achievement that is normally the preserve
of industrialists such as Sir James Dyson
who make highly innovative products.
‘The idea that our contribution [as
building services engineers] to the
excellence of buildings is recognised by
fellow [industrial] designers, is a step change
in how we as a profession are viewed,’ says
Bellew. He is also quick to point out that
he is not the fi rst consulting engineer to
become an RDI: Max Fordham achieved
this in 2008.
For Bellew, sustainable design is
fundamentally about trying to radically
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CIBSE Journal April 2011 www.cibsejournal.com