University Marine Building, Plymouth

Built at a cost of £19 million, the Marine Building at Plymouth University was designed to accommodate the rapid growth in student numbers and to serve as a new campus gateway. The facility included dedicated spaces for the marine sciences faculty, such as laboratories, simulators, and a state-of-the-art coastal simulation pool. Sustainability was a key focus, with the project aiming to achieve BREEAM Excellent certification, reflecting the university’s commitment to environmental responsibility.

Stormsaver provided a non-pressurised rainwater harvesting system to supply 24 WCs within the building. Rainwater was collected from the 1,281 m² roof area and stored in a 21,000-litre underground storage tank until demand the rainwater was required.

The system was designed in collaboration with a leading team of consulting engineers to provide sufficient flow rates and reliability. By capturing and recycling rainwater for non-potable use, the systems was designed to save 500,000 litres of water annually, reducing reliance on high-quality mains water and supporting the university’s sustainability goals.