Zurich Insurance will celebrate the official opening of its state-of-the-art Swindon office, Unity Place at an event on Monday 3rd April from 1030am for staff and local VIPs including Justin Tomlinson MP and Sir Robert Buckland MP.
The building has been designed to rank among the top 10% of commercial buildings for sustainability in the UK. It features electric car charging points, a storage and repair centre for bicycles, improved recycling points, energy efficient LED lighting and a beehive on the roof. It will be powered completely by renewable electricity.
Other special guests at the event include pupils from Ferndale and Lethbridge Primary Schools and Nyland School. Budding young artists from each school entered a competition to produce a piece of art that depicts what sustainability means to them. The winning entry will take pride of place in the new building’s café which is open to Zurich employees and staff guests.
The winner will be announced by judge and fellow artist Charlotte Kidger, who was commissioned to produce artwork for the exterior of the building. Charlotte herself was successfully selected from 30 artists due to her focus on transforming industrial waste materials to create beautiful but functional objects.
Local charities supported by Zurich Community Trust will also be welcomed, including Big Breakfast Plus, The Harbour Project, Mind Swindon and Gloucester, Swindon Carers Centre, The Recovery Tree, and Swindon Women’s Aid. ZCT celebrates its 50th anniversary of working in Swindon this year and recently announced donations of over £360,000 to its local partners and a total national donation of £3m.
Zurich has also partnered with a wide range of social enterprises to supply many of its products and services including Encore who provide waste management services and Olio who share surplus food to those in need. These firms commit to using at least half of their profits to help support a variety of social causes.
Unity Place also features furniture partly made from recovered ocean plastics and includes bird boxes in surrounding areas to support local wildlife. A multi-faith room and a nursing room will be available to staff.
The development demonstrates Zurich’s commitment to Swindon where it has a long history as one of the town’s largest employers, providing over 1,000 staff with a workspace designed to enhance their wellbeing and the local environment.
The building was awarded the BREEAM 'Excellent' accreditation for the project design stage, an environmental assessment for buildings covering a variety of categories from materials used, to health and wellbeing. It is aiming to receive a further ‘Excellent’ accreditation now the building is complete.
Tim, Bailey, CEO Zurich UK, said: “Having grown up in Swindon, it’s great to be able to give something back to the community I had such a great start in. It’s crucial we can give local people the chance to build a career in their hometown. This includes investing in a building that will enhance the lives of employees and the wider community.
“Zurich is pleased to support Swindon Borough Council and the Government’s continued investment in the town, to encourage local economic growth. We look forward to strengthening our strong links with local schools, businesses, and our charity partners through the work of ZCT.”
Justin Tomlinson MP for North Swindon said: “It’s fantastic to see Unity Place come to fruition and provide such a wonderful addition to Swindon’s local economy. Zurich plays a major part in the local economy and its work to support the local community through Zurich Community Trust is invaluable. I am thrilled that Zurich has continued to invest in Swindon, and I have no doubt this will encourage other businesses to follow suit in our growing town.”
Additional features of Unity Place: • Extra cycling facilities will be put in place (including secure storage, a bike repair station, drying room and additional showering facilities) • Rainwater will be collected and used to water plants • Plastic used in building logistics are being used to make some internal art pieces, visible from the outside on the ground floor. • Builder Skanska re-used rubble from the structures underneath the ground to form the concrete base of the building - saving resources and travel emissions.
