A new university campus is set to be the first major green building in the UK subjected to tough new European legislation which aims to reduce emissions and make all buildings more environmentally friendly.

Buildings on Northumbria University's City Campus East in Newcastle will be 40% more energy-efficient than most others of their type in the UK when they open in September.

They will also be among the first buildings in Europe to be subjected to - and exceed - new green legislation introduced as a result of the Kyoto Treaty.

The legislation for new buildings only came into effect last year and demands a 28% increase in energy efficiency.

The university has also recycled 95% of materials from the site of the former Warner Bros cinema - with only 5% going to landfill.

It has also recycled 75% of the materials on the new build site itself, using the rubble as a sub-base and recycling all glass and scrap metal.

The buildings, which are being developed on a brownfield site, have also had the ground floor levels raised to allow material to be buried on-site - reducing off-site disposal.

On-site contractors are being encouraged to recycle any waste materials - even plasterboard cut-offs.

The green ethos has been incorporated into every stage of the development and is a vital feature of the new buildings, which include a wide range of environmentally friendly features from rainwater harvesting and rooftop solar collectors, to priority for green vehicles and cyclists.

The green features of the new campus include:

* Solar collectors on the roof to produce hot water.

* Rainwater harvesting - to collect rainwater and use it to flush loos.

* Solar shading to the buildings in the form of stainless steel mesh panels and aluminium tube arrays, which reduce solar heat build up and reduce the need for air conditioning.

* High efficiency condensing boilers.

* Translucent material on the exterior walls facing into the courtyard to let in light and retain heat.

* Computerised heating and lighting systems, which are sensor controlled - ensuring power is only used when rooms and buildings are occupied.

* A light-well projecting above the roof of the Newcastle Business School and the School of Law and piercing the building down to ground floor level, allowing natural light to penetrate into the middle of the building, improving the environment for people inside and saving energy by reducing the need for artificial lighting.

* Priority for green vehicles and cyclists, with the provision of shower and changing facilities.

* Biodiversity with a wide range of trees and shrubs contributing to the new landscape.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Kel Fidler says: "This major extension to the university's City Campus will provide no extra car parking spaces. The university is implementing a green travel plan to encourage students, staff and visitors to travel to and from the campus by more sustainable means.

"As part of this green travel initiative and associated capital investment, 160 places have been provided at the new campus for cyclists to park their bikes, which will be monitored by CCTV.

"We have ensured that the new campus has the capacity to keep up with future technologies, with the option to retrofit photovoltaics in the future, should this renewable technology become more cost effective.

"We believe it is entirely fitting that as an institution developing and educating the potential leaders of the future, we should be leading the field in green technology and providing state of the art teaching facilities which care for the environment."

Northumbria University has also extended its green policy to the production of its new 2008 prospectus, which uses 80% recycled paper.

City Campus East is part of a £136m investment in the Newcastle City Centre site and is set to open in September.

The new campus will be home to 9,000 students studying at Newcastle Business School, the School of Design and the School of Law. It will be linked to the existing city centre site by a footbridge - which was installed earlier this month - and the relocation of three key schools to the new development has also opened up a significant development opportunity for the existing city centre campus.

The plans for the existing site include a new sports complex, which could be opened up to create a 3,500-seat sporting arena that could also be used for events, conferences and examinations.

The plans also include a significant investment in the existing teaching facilities and the Sutherland Building, currently home to the School of Law, will be extensively renovated.

Prof Fidler says: "These developments are about providing state-of-the-art facilities on an integrated Newcastle City Centre Campus for all staff and students, together with a green and friendly environment fit for a world class learning community."