PROJECT management and engineering design consultancy White Young Green is helping to create an £11m landmark building which is likely to become a blueprint for sustainable building design.

Newcastle University's Devonshire Building, which will be located alongside the Hancock Museum, will house the University's Environmental and Sustainability Research Institute and the North-East Regional e-Science Research Centre.

Its design will epitomise the major cultural changes in the academic structure of the university, breaking down traditional departmental boundaries to encourage interaction between building users and promoting stronger links with business and the private sector.

The project has been under development since July last year, and work is due to begin this month.

White Young Green has provided assistance in developing the mechanical and electrical design concept with London consulting engineers Battle McCarthy.

The professional team for the project also includes the Dewjoc Partnership, the lead consultants providing architectural and planning supervisor services, WSP structural engineers and Turner & Townsend cost consultants.

White Young Green will develop the detailed design and oversee the installation of mechanical and electrical services throughout the construction period.

The building is due for completion in January 2004, with the first tenants moving in during April of that year.

The greatest care will be taken to consider the orientation of space, natural light, solar energy and the prevailing winds. It is hoped to develop the ideal heating insulation systems design, so that the building's heating, lighting and cooling systems are as efficient as possible.

Paul Ellyatt, director of White Young Green, believes that the firm's in-house computer simulation techniques have played a critical role in developing the most efficient services design.

He said the design of the building was "demonstrably green", reflecting the very best practice in attaining exacting environmental standards. "In fact the design will exceed current UK best practice targets by about 30 per cent.

"The building will be designed to capitalise on the local climate and will mainly be day-lit and naturally ventilated with wind tunnel studies employed to determine the best configuration."