Climate Resilience Excellence finalists
Belfast Tidal Flood Alleviation Scheme
Protecting Belfast's future against rising tides
The Belfast Tidal Flood Alleviation Scheme delivers 8.5 kilometres of future-proof flood defences protecting over 3,000 properties across Northern Ireland's capital. This civil engineering infrastructure project addresses escalating climate-driven tidal risks through innovative design including the UK's longest glass flood wall, demountable barriers, and adaptable defences designed for sea-level rise beyond 2117. Successfully deployed during Storm Ashley in 2024, the scheme achieved CEEQUAL (now BREEAM Infrastructure) Excellent certification (76%), demonstrating exceptional climate resilience while incorporating nature-based solutions and achieving significant carbon reduction through circular economy principles.
Infinito Delicias
Urban regeneration project transforms Madrid neighbourhood through nature-based climate adaptation
Infinito Delicias in Madrid's Arganzuela district demonstrates how small-scale intervention can deliver outsized climate resilience. This 968m² rehabilitation project transformed a barren industrial site into a multi-layered urban ecosystem, achieving BREEAM ES Outstanding (89.12%). The scheme directly addresses Madrid's intensifying climate risks - extreme heat and water scarcity - through bioclimatic design, planted façades, rooftop gardens, and geothermal systems. It delivers a 58% reduction in water consumption and 75% energy savings while restoring biodiversity through integrated habitat infrastructure. The project proves nature-based solutions function as essential climate infrastructure in dense urban contexts.
Renovatie Dutch National Bank
Leading the way in climate-resilient refurbishment
The Renovatie DNB project in Amsterdam transformed De Nederlandsche Bank's 67,000m² headquarters into a climate-resilient landmark. This outstanding refurbishment achieved over 80% reduction in energy use through geothermal systems and solar photo voltaic panels, while pioneering a closed-loop water system, the first of its kind in the Netherlands. The project retained 70,000 tonnes of material, created 4,270m² of green roofs supporting 14,100 plants, and integrated 64 bat boxes. It demonstrates how large-scale urban refurbishment can deliver exceptional climate adaptation and biodiversity enhancement.
The Discovery Building
Pioneering polar research facility built for extreme climate resilience
The Discovery Building is a groundbreaking Antarctic research station in Rothera, designed for the Natural Environment Research Council and British Antarctic Survey. Certified under BREEAM International New Construction 2016, this innovative facility demonstrates exceptional climate resilience through its robust steel portal frame, highly insulated envelope, and adaptive design. The project addresses extreme weather conditions including high winds, temperature fluctuations, and potential flooding through strategic mitigation measures. Its pioneering approach to adaptability, incorporating non-loadbearing partitions and accessible services, ensures long-term operational resilience while minimising future environmental disruption in this sensitive polar ecosystem.
Vacse Skeppsbron 5 AB, C/O VACSE AB
Waterfront office building demonstrates climate adaptation in practice
Located in Karlskrona, Sweden, this office building exemplifies climate resilience through innovative flood protection, raising the ground floor by 0.8m in response to sea-level projections. The project integrates dynamic solar shading glass, deep green cooling using bedrock temperature regulation, and extensive nature-based solutions including rain gardens and nesting boxes for endangered common swifts. Achieving energy performance 50% better than Swedish building regulations and reducing embodied carbon by approximately 40% in construction phases, it demonstrates how forward-thinking design can address future climate scenarios while delivering measurable environmental benefits today.
Wonderwoods
Urban forest brings climate resilience to high-density development
Wonderwoods in Utrecht, Netherlands, comprises two mixed-use towers integrating offices and residential spaces within a dense urban quarter. The project achieves BREEAM Outstanding for offices and Excellent for residential units through exceptional biodiversity-led design featuring 360 trees and 9,700 plants. An innovative rainwater harvesting system addresses heat stress and pluvial flooding while supporting vegetation during drought. The 25-year maintenance partnership and sensor-driven irrigation demonstrate long-term climate adaptability, establishing Wonderwoods as a sister park to Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park.