Author Archives: martin brown

Is code level 6 enough?

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Am I missing something here.

I was encouraged by the inclusion of what I took to be a stretch target – level 6 in the Sustainability Code. Yes a stretch target for 2016, one that would drive innovation and improvement in construction, design, micro generation, energy suppliers and all the other necessary components. And one that would drive the real collaboration of all these sectors. To deliver by 2016.
And yet here, some 8 years away from that date, we are already letting contracts for level 6 (Hanham Hall) saying we can deliver (Barratts). Even failed newspaper baron Eddie Shah is reportedly building low cost homes that meet level 5.

So maybe we need something more stretching that will make us rethink our approach to sustainability.

We also have a fair amount of doomsaying – that it is not feasible, not practical, not necessary or will cost far to much.  Isn’t this to be proven or dis-proven by working towards level 6?

I see a similar reaction to the Code as we did to Egan’s Rethinking Construction – we didn’t need it, we couldn’t do it – it will cost too much and then suddenly with a great coat of whitewash everyone was Egan compliant. (Strangely linked to funding!) And now looking back nearly 10 years after Egan we see what a significant catalyst that was.

So, a thought for the holiday period – Standing in the future of 2016, in a carbon zero built environment, what message would you send back to todays industry leaders, influencer’s and politicians. (A nice seasonal Dr Who link). Would it be strive for level 6, do something beyond level 6 – or give up on it all together?

Carbon off setting not permissable on zero carbon projects

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Been looking at site that mention Hanham Hall – the first Zero Carbon Challenge project recently let to Barratts.  The local BBC Bristol  site contains these wonderful comments from English Partnerships:

Unlike carbon neutral developments, there can be no conscience-clearing carbon off-setting on a zero-carbon project. 

No carbon footprint must be left at the site whatsoever and other developers will watch the Hanham Hall winner hawkishly as from 2016 all new homes must be zero-carbon.

The South West Director of the agency, David Warbuton, said a new eco-friendly chapter was beginning in the history of housebuilding: 

“I think humankind has always evolved according to local and environmental conditions and, as slate replaced thatch 400 years ago, that’s all we’re talking about here.  We’re at the next stage of building and community evolution.

Now it starts to sound more like a challenge.  Making the construction process itself zero carbon would be challenge enough considering the high carbon emissions of transportation and cement products.  We will learn allot from this project

Zero carbon schools

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Ed Balls,  Education Secretary wants all new school buildings to be zero-carbon by 2016, at a cost of about £110m over the next three years.  (Guardian)

How this sits with Building Schools for the Future (which arguable should include carbon zero approaches, which after all will be the schools of the future) and what happens after three years, remains to be seen.

Good to see another target being set.  Lets hope that the Strategy for Sustainable Construction will bring clarity and some sense of joined up thinking to all initaitives, codes, targets etc.

Code level 6 builder announced for eco village number one

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From the Communities and Local Governmnet website:

Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper today announced details of the housebuilder who will build England’s first eco-village.  Barratt Developments PLC has been selected by English Partnerships, the Government’s National Regeneration Agency, as the preferred developer to create a new community at the site of the former Hanham Hall Hospital near Bristol. Homes on the site will meet the Government’s most exacting eco standard – Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

This is a site and location I know very well … being close to the area I grew up in and cut my teeth in the industry as a site engineer a few years ago (!) …  aware of the campaigns by local residents not happy with plans to turn a former farming and greenbelt area into housing … so a project I will watch with interest.

And therefore also of interest on a wider sustainability issue:

… this ground-breaking project will create eco lifestyles. It will hand over a listed building to community use, capture rainwater and include sustainable drainage, farmers’ shops, a car club and bicycle storage.

Sustainability Code for non domestic buildings

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Following the Code for housing which seems to be setting the sustaintainbility agenda the industry, the UKGBC UK Green Building Council today launched a report on behalf of the government that starts to set out an agenda for acheiving zero carbon non-domestic buildings by 2020
From the press release at UKGBC:

Key findings in the report are as follows:

1)   It IS possible to reduce carbon emissions from energy use down to zero in the majority of new non-domestic buildings, as long as on-site, near-site and off-site renewable solutions are employed

2)   There is a cost associated with building to zero carbon. Cost varies widely with both the form and the use of the building. However, preliminary modeling suggest that the premium could range from over 30% down to as low as 5 or 10% of current baseline costs.

3)   A challenging yet achievable time-frame for achieving zero carbon new non-domestic buildings along the lines set for housing is needed. With a trajectory in place similar to that adopted for the Code for Sustainable Homes, then a deadline of 2020 could be adopted.

Will this report, like the code for housing and BREEAM will now shape the direction for construction and the built environment for the next decade.  As fellow blogger Phil over at Zero-Champion points out in his review of this report – a move from rhetoric to reality.

My initial thoughts on the costs associated with moving to carbon zero is that the ‘preliminary modeling’ figures are similar to the figures used to describe the ‘waste’ in the industry, (ie total waste or muda. – time, costs, lack of integration, non value-adding,  unproductive activities, reworking, delays, as well as material waste).

Therefore a renewed drive on business improvement and collaborative working would pay for zero carbon buildings and facilities.  (this is to some degree supported in the Strategy for Sustainable Construction which includes the Strategic Forums target for an integrated industry to support a sustainable one)

I shall be returning to this  with further posts when I have digested the report

Merton Rule ‘plus’ in new planning policy statement

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The Guardian reports today that the Merton rule has now been embedded into a new planning policy statement.

The government will today publish a new planning policy designed to boost the use of renewable energy and community heating schemes in new buildings as it gears up for the introduction of carbon-free homes from 2016 … requiring new commercial buildings to produce at least 10% of their energy from on-site renewables.

So another target milestone for the industry looms.  However in the (rising) scale of things only 10% from renewables by 2016 seems paltry.

anatomy of a diaster – an analysis

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Mentioned a number of times on this blog the Clissold Leisure center has been analysed by on the Building online site. Architect Stephen Hodder tells Mark Leftly his side of the story.  A great lesson for all here.

bd online event

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bd virtual careers and exhibition event could well be a significant milestone for use of virtual platforms for events . We must make much more use of online conferencing and virtual meetings. For those of us not in the city it is a problem to attend conferences, exhibitions and particularly short mid day events. Well done bd

The virtual tour gives the impression of Second Life, but Continue reading →

environmental podcasts

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Autodesk have (or are) sponsoring a very informative series of podcasts, the (e2 the Economies of being Environmentally Conscious), on environmental issues. there are 6 podcasts:

Chapter 1: Paving the Way
Chapter 2: Energy for a Developing World
Chapter 3: Harvesting the Wind
Chapter 4: Growing Energy
Chapter 5: State of Resolve
Chapter 6: Coal & Nuclear: Problem or Solution?

Interesting to note that the series is also being broadcast across the US on the PBS (Public Broadcasting Service). I am now wondering Continue reading →

poor building performance fuels coal demand – Ffos-y-fran

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Coal is back in the news today … from the Guardian:

Around 30 climate activists and local residents this morning took mass direct action to prevent excavation work on Britain’s biggest ever open-cast coal mine at Ffos-y-fran in South Wales, (… timed to coincide with the Bali conference)

Climate protester, Tim Helweg-Larsen, said: “Coal is the filthiest fuel known to man and projects like this mine could destroy all our chances of tackling global warming. The battle over this hilltop in Wales is a fight for the stability of the global climate and it epitomises this government’s hypocrisy on climate change.”

When burned, this amount of coal will emit more than 30m tonnes of carbon dioxide.

More than 10,000 local people petitioned against the pit, the edge of which will be just 36 metres from people’s homes.

Merthyr resident, Leon Stanfield, said: “We’ve protested this mine in all the conventional ways. Now we’re turning to direct action as a last resort. This project is wrecking both the local and the global environment and is putting the health of our community and its children at risk.”

Miller Argent says it appreciates the concerns expressed by some (sic) local residents. Once works are commenced it said it would be able to ensure that the concerns of the local community are met.

(MillerArgents newsletter to keep people up to date with progress seems to have stalled at Issue 01 back in the Summer – which greenwash sin is this I wonder?)

But on a wider issue: Continue reading →