NINE MONTHS have passed since the first residents moved into Elizabeth Block; Royal Air Force Coningsby’s sustainably built accommodation for junior ranks.
The most sustainably built accommodation block built so far in the MoD, the Elizabeth Block houses 94 RAF personnel over four storeys. Designed to facilitate comfortable living for extended periods, the rooms are comfortable, clean and well laid out. Each room has en-suite facilities, lots of storage, and enough room for each resident to personalise their space.
Air Specialist (Class 1) Fergus Walsh, an Air & Space Operations Specialist, was one of the first to move in. He said:
“The block still has a fresh feel to it. There is plenty of space and we can make the room feel homely which is nice. Personally, I like cooking so most of my space is taken up with things to do with that but there’s a lot of freedom to make the room your own, within reason!”
The Elizabeth block was designed to achieve net zero carbon building status. Some of the energy strategies include a move away from fossil fuels, high efficiency LED lighting, modular bathroom pods and other technologies. It’s also been fitted with solar panels and mechanical ventilation and heat recovery to minimise heat loss and provide better comfort.
Flight Lieutenant Emily Childs is Officer Commanding Work Services Flight at RAF Coningsby. She said:
“We are so pleased with how the building is being utilised. Enabling the sheer amount of energy saving technologies was always going to be a challenge, but the hard work has certainly paid off!”
With its unobtrusively clean lines and uncomplicated design, the new building has successfully blended into its surroundings and already looks like it has been at RAF Coningsby for years. Group Captain Paul O’Grady is the Station Commander at RAF Coningsby and opened the Elizabeth Block on March 13th.
Group Captain O'Grady said:
“Firstly and most importantly, the new building is a comfortable home for our junior ranks. The Elizabeth Block is the shape of things to come. More sustainable technologies will be introduced into the MOD estate in the future, and not just for accommodation; lots of buildings will be constructed this way.”
