Rob Borruso As the next set of “improvements” to Part L of the Building Regulations gets nearer, some of the counter-productivities that the current rules throw up will, to my mind, move from being ‘just a little strange’ to cynics like me, to become serious problems. To begin with, what level of CO2 emissions reduction [...]
Steve Maslin, bud www.buildinguserdesignsolutions.co.uk I believe that social and economic sustainability are critical to achieving environmental sustainability. As with wildlife conservation, if we ignore the people within that environment, then we will fail to achieve our environmental /ecological objectives. As an architect, access consultant and someone who worked within social provision environments I am what [...]
Cath Hassell, ech2o consultants www.ech2o.co.uk We all know the high environmental load of traditional swimming pools; the energy required to heat them; the chlorine required to keep them clean; the large amount of water that is required to fill them in the first place and refill them after they have been drained down for the winter. [...]
Lucy Pedler Director, The Green Register Last month one of our dear, long time Green Register and Steering Group members, Jim Allen, kindly wrote us a blog about the breathing wall concept and expressed his concerns about this method of construction, some of which I will try and address here. The first point to [...]
By Jim Allen | E&M West Ltd | www.eandmwest.co.uk … every move you make,” is an unforgettable lyric from a Police classic; these days it makes me uneasy whenever I hear it given its darker overtones. I feel the same way whenever people talk about breathing walls. If there is one subject that gives rise [...]
Cath Hassell ech2o consultants www.ech2o.co.uk Team GB delivered during the Olympic Games on their medal target, but what about water use? Does the claim of “the greenest games ever” hold up under scrutiny? The goal was a 40% water saving compared to 2006 industry standards, and although the “industry standards” were not explicitly stated it [...]
by Steven Harris stevenh@steven-harris.co.uk Trumpets! Fanfares! Fireworks? Well, maybe not, but as the Green Deal is softly-softly launched, most of us will probably not notice it starting, despite the energy companies’ best efforts to blame their price rises on it. And maybe it’s right only to whisper the launch since I read recently that when [...]
Lucy Pedler. Director: The Green Register Since June 2010 we’ve been running our ‘Eco-refurbishment and The Green Deal’ seminar where ‘warts and all’ presentations of residential case studies give delegates in-depth information on how to retrofit their buildings in a sustainable, low carbon way. But one of the frequently asked questions raised in these seminars [...]
Alex Stephenson Director, UK Stormwater Division, Hydro International. www.engineeringnaturesway.co.uk With one voice, a cry for ‘clarity, clarity, clarity’ has gone out to Government in response to the National SuDS Standards consultation. There are strong indications that both local government and industry believe the standards, as they currently stand, are not yet fit for purpose. The [...]
By Rob Borruso Having recently wrecked my environmental credentials by having a second child my world is again one of nappies and sleepless nights. Of course we’re told the most sustainable nappy is a reusable one so they’re hanging up everywhere at home, which got me thinking… Now, I’m not going to use this blog [...]
Lucy Pedler is an architect with 25 years of professional experience and has particular expertise in the sustainable issues relevant to architecture. Lucy worked as a Product Specialist for five years where she researched the environmental impact of sustainable building materials and systems and advised architects and other professionals on the selection of building materials.
In 1999, Lucy started her own sustainable architecture practice, archipeleco and created The Green Register of Construction Professionals in 2000, now a nationwide educational and networking organisation promoting sustainable building practices to all disciplines of the construction industry.