Contractors Graham has received an award from Action Renewables for the Most Sustainable Building Project Ireland, sponsored by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

Action Renewables is the leading organisation in NI in the promotion and development of renewable energy.

The award was in recognition of the firm's flagship New Head Office, in Hillsborough.

A spokesman for Graham said: "It bears testimony of our ability, not only to achieve sustainable best practice, but also to be leaders in our field in these tough economic times."

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Addressing around 70 attendees of business leaders, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness stressed that renewable energy has a vital role to play in the local economy through the current economic crises.

He said that the "companies and economies that respond positively to the challenge of transforming to the low-carbon model will be the ones who reap the benefits".

Not yet complete, the new Head Office has already achieved the highest BREEAM rating of Excellent (the international environmental model assessment) for such a development.

Notable sustainability features for which the award was won include a Biomass wood pellet heat source, rainwater harvesting, low carbon concrete, orientation to maximize solar gain, natural ventilation and ecological improvement of the site.

(PR/JM)