A purpose-built centre that houses Dudley borough’s archive collection has won national recognition for its ‘excellent’ design and build.

Dudley Council’s archives and local history centre  has been awarded the ‘excellent’ status by the Building Research Establishment under their BREEAM assessment scheme, which assesses a building’s sustainability as well its design and construction.

In the case of the archives, the assessment recognises the building’s eco-friendly and energy efficiency credentials.

The building was designed and procured by the council’s corporate landlord services and when built in 2013 by Midlands based contractor GF Tomlinson, the archives centre included a number of sustainable features including solar panels and responsibly sourced materials. 

A natural landscaped area was also created at the rear of the building to enhance the existing ecology in the area and the long term biodiversity of the site. Councillor Khurshid Ahmed, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, said:

“When drawing up plans for the new centre, we recognised the importance of creating a strong and sustainable building that would stand the test of time and create an environment that people enjoyed visiting and researching local history.  Three years after its completion the building continues to evolve as later this year it will house our museum collections. 

“It’s fantastic news to receive this national recognition from the Building Research Establishment. It recognises our success and is a credit to all involved in its development.”

The centre opened to the public in early 2014 on Tipton Road, in the heart of Dudley’s tourism area.