Category Archives: comment

is ISO 14001 working?

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I picked up a copy of the Patagonia outdoor apparel catalogue over the weekend.  In addition to the photos and products, these catalogue are always a good read to see how a leading organisation is approaching and communicating their environmental and ecological ethos.  A link to their website allows you to track the impact of specific Patagonia products from design through delivery, through interactive mini-site Footprint Chronicles™

What caught my eye was a comment on ISO14001, and on how Patagonia, to ensure that our (leather in footwear) leaves the smallest possible footprint, we only use (tanneries) with an ISO14001 registration. This strict set of environmental standards measures how efficiently a company uses natural resources, how its process impact on the environment and how closely it adheres to local and international environmental regulations.

Wow, if only this were the case in the built environment. Although I often make the link between effective ISO14001 application and reducing the carbon and ecological footprint but its not often I have seen others make the link.  Of course this needs much much more than just achieving and maintaining with a tick box mentality.  The concept of ISO 14001 remains good, but from experience of taking organisations through the assessment process it is far too easy to attain with tokenism and without really addressing real change on environmental and ecological issues.

As we are now head long into reducing the impact of the built environment may be its time to tighten up on ISO14001 accreditation and requirements.  What difference would a project with the entire supply chain working to ISO 14001 achieve?   I am aware that customers and clients believe this is what they get when in procurement they insist on ISO 14001 of the main or prime contractor.  In reality it may be just the main contractor who holds the standard, who conducts the impact assessment, who then takes the do-as-little-as-possible-in-the-hope-we-are-not-audited approach.

Or, as the example given for greenwash Sin of Fibbing -being certified ISO 14001 compliant (“ok, its our holding company actually, not our business unit”)

We have seen a number of fast track and 14001 made easy programmes for the sector recently – I question if this no more than a bandaid, get-the-badge to get through tenders approach, or a real contribution to improving environmental performance.  Often these are process based, web based, electronic approaches with pre-written templates that ignore the hearts and mind, people element so crucial to implementing the systemic change in ethos required.

Within the built environment we need, the strict set of environmental standards measures how efficiently a company uses natural resources, how its process impact on the environment and how closely it adheres to local and international environmental regulations. That covers ALL aspects of the sector and is continually improved.

Related isite links:

Responsible Sourcing to BS6000

isite’s Guide to Effective ISO 14001

… on avatars

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Was it just serendipity yesterday that minutes after reading the excellent Vision of the Future winner (Rob Ainsley)  in New Scientist (8 Jun 2058: So, from today, avatars have equal status in the workplace. ….) that I read the blog entry from Pam (GridWorks colleague and friend over in Illinois)  on her issues with having an avatar image on a real world futures forum. Or something more significant?

Lots of issues raised in both of these items, one being that of avatars finally getting equal rights in fifty years time, the other illustrating the start of that process where someone wanting to present themselves as an avatar, at least in pictorial form (for very good reasons imho) is not accepted.  The first being futuristic and sci-fi, but the second in the here and now.

Will sociologists and others have a field day now with the diversity issue widened to include avatars as more and more people take on second life businesses and enterprises, related or unrelated to their real world personae?

where is the service user innovation …

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I attended the SCRI event on Service User Innovation in Salford Uni’s new Lady Hale Building yesterday, listened to four influential speakers and participated in thoughtful discussions and break outs.

POE (post occupancy evaluations) were mentioned too often – I have an issue with POE  as a means to evaluate performance, and as they have been referred to before are the wrong tool for the wrong job.  Yes there needs to be post project evaluation, for as Ian Cooper notes, every building project without a feedback loop is a prototype. But to measure people performance through their relationship with the building is the wrong starting point. After all its about the service users ‘experience’

The four key speakers were Prof Peter Barratt at BuHu Salford University – key message here for me was his comment that all the successful projects were led by Facilities Management, his case studies included the Sydney Opera House and Wm McCormack Place in Cairns as part of the Australian Facilities Management Action Agenda, the Trondhiem Hospital where the construction team were selected by psychologists to ensure they understood health issues, and John Zeisel‘s work in Boston USA with Alzheimer’s centers

Neil Sachdev, Sainsburys Commerical Director, illustrated how they engage with their customers on store design,

John Lorimer from Manchester City Council on testing furniture with pupils against a background of how the school environment shapes and influences education , and

Nigel Oseland on POE’s who also . Nigel also introduced the Dunbar’s number concept of 150 and talked on biophilia kinship, of our history of camp fires and story telling, of seeking nature and space and waymarking, but now confined into office cubicles.  (We need to get out more, tell stories have camp fire meetings and connect with nature – not surprising then the increase in barcamps and benchmarkwalks)

The investment in really engaging with and empowering end users is impressive. Five years in the case of John Zeisel in understanding Alzheimer’s needs in the USA , a huge investment from Sainsbury’ s and the patient work in understanding pupil and teacher needs from Manchester City Council.  None of these three examples start with the building, but with the users.  Why then as an industry do we fool ourselves we can do the engagement stuff with one or two value management exercises and a POE?

I was not alone in noting an under theme of web 2.0 in the presentations and discussions.  There was the mention of pupils using second life to determine space and colour requirements, of the use of Web2 (twitter maybe, blogs, or facebook groups) in getting real, unsolicited, feedback from facilities users. I sensed though it was something to put on the wish list and get on with the business in hand.

It is a pity this was an under theme as to me as is where the real service user innovation lies. Service users make use of web2 technology outside of the work place, ie in second life, in twittering, in facebook, in myspace … etc etc etc.  The innovation is in using this in design and facilities management.  We seem to be blind to or just awakening to its potential. The potential to allow continuous dialogue between service users and service providers / designers   This is not rocket science – those using twitter can contact the government on issues (and get a response) and be kept in touch with the Prime Ministers actions, speeches and even thoughts.

And then where – consumers constantly in dialogue with a supermarket on store layouts, on colour, on products and costs – office users ditto with the fm’s on suggestions and wc complaints –  pupils on school design, residents on city facilities and urban design – on eco town developments,  and all in real time as it happens.

Definitely a topic to be discussed at the be2camp event in October

ecotowns – small steps in the right direction and stop …

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There may be one or two things as important for humanity’s future, but nothing is more important than ecocities.

a great, insight, article by Richard Register on Eco Cities, which here in the UK may give another view on eco towns, from both sides, ie both those planning and those opposing:

But what is most often missed is the design and layout of our built environment of cities, towns and villages. Could we build cities that actually enrich soils, promote biodiversity and stabilize climate while creating a more beautiful human environment than ever seen before and one harmonious with the natural world as well?

I’ve seen people move small steps in the right direction and stop, satisfied that they have arrived. They, for example, might recycle better and buy an energy saving automobile, but they still live a long way from work and their friends and drive anyway.

I’ve seen them freeze up the city, opposing any new “density” in already existing neighborhoods or resist adding diversity of services and jobs to a neighborhood, clinging to the segregating single uses of zoning that helped the car scatter the city of car dependent and cheap energy dependent distances.

and Richards conclusion:

We need to be thorough. We need to see all the parts connected and understand that to have a…

…. read the article at Eco Cities,

cracking the codes

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Peter Chapman over at Architecture 2030 has forwarded the following news item.  I find this fascinating, although USA based, is there an equivalent mapping of BREEAM, CSH, etc against for example the Construction Strategy targets, indicating the additional reductions needed beyond the requirements of a particular code, standard or rating system.

Is it the case here in the UK, as in the US, that existing (and recently revised) codes will not acheive the necessary targets? One would think that the codes have been designed to meet higher targets, but then ….

From Architecture 2030:

Edward Mazria and Architecture 2030 have released an unprecedented and much-anticipated guide for every city, county and state in the nation to swiftly meet the greenhouse gas reduction targets of the 2030 Challenge.

Published in a new white paper, titled “Meeting the 2030 Challenge Through Building Codes“, a single table provides the key to deciphering various building energy codes, standards and rating systems as they relate to the immediate 50% reduction target called for in the 2030 Challenge. Using the code equivalents provided in this table, local governments, states and industry professionals can achieve dramatic reductions and be confident that they are meeting the 2030 Challenge.

VAT hindering environmental improvements?

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Press release from Jayne Curtis over at FMB:

MPs Deliver 10,000 ‘Cut the VAT’ Postcards to 11 Downing Street: Kate Hoey MP (Labour) and Bob Russell MP (Liberal Democrat) have delivered a 10,000 signature strong petition to 11 Downing Street, calling on the Chancellor of the Exchequer to cut VAT from 17.5% to 5% for building repair and maintenance work. The demand to cut VAT comes at a time when the Government is failing to achieve its ambitious target to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2050; when the number of people living in fuel poverty currently is still rising from the current figure of 4.5 million; and when thousands of consumers are being fleeced by rogue traders offering cash deals to avoid VAT on home improvements.

The MPs were joined by three members of the Cut the VAT Coalition: Brian Berry of the Federation of Master Builders, Julia Goodwin of House Beautiful magazine, and Yvonne Orgill of the Bathroom Manufacturers’ Association. In the week that the one hundredth MP signed the Early Day Motion (EDM 669) calling on the Government to VAT for building repair and maintenance work MPs voiced their concerns.

For more information please visit: www.fmb.org.uk

on bike sharing

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Noted on the Bike-Share blog, (provided by MetroBike, LLC, based in Washington, US, providing information on the emerging public transportation mode of bike-sharing) the impressive statistics on how the Velib bike share programme in Paris is transorming the city, see below.

But the disappointing find on the Bike Share blog was the lack of schemes in the UK compared to the rest of Europe. (is this because there are no schemes or because they are not on the google map, or have a web presence – which is how Bike Share picks them up?)

We have a few (ok too many) bikes here which we would willingly share for anyone wanting to cycle around the Forest of Bowland !!

From Bike-Share:

The latest Velib’ survey results are available and posted on the Velib’ Website. Just in case you don’t parlez Français, here’s a summary:

  • Trips to date: 20 million
  • Average trips/day: 70,000
  • Average trip time: 18 minutes
  • 190,000 annual pass holders
  • 42% of users are female, 58% are male
  • 1/3 of users come from outside the central city
  • 17% of users are 46+ years old
  • 94% of users like the service

These results are highly impressive. The stats that amazed me the most are the number of trips to date and the percentage of female users. As Velib’ is not yet one year old, there are still about two months of trips still to be made which could equate to another 5 million trips, or a total of 25 million trips, before the anniversary of it’s launch date of July 15.

Having nearly the same percentage of female and male customers shows how mainstream bike-sharing has become in Paris. In cities where lesser bike cultures exist, such as those in North America, males tend to dominate bike usage by 3 to 1. Women are less likely to ride a bike when concerned about their safety compared to men. Men also tend to be generally more risk-taking and will ride in less safe street conditions. While not 50/50, this male/female customer demographic shows that women are using Velib’ confidently, so Paris has done a good job in creating safe bike facilities before the launch of the program.

Fantastique!

image credit: Velib’

an eco car for your eco home?

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Dont you just love this.? The eco car to go with your eco home, if your allowed one that is.

Futurist, and Shaping Tomorrow colleague, CindyFW over in Kansas brought this to my attention through a recent twitter.

I muse: what if in 10 years or so this is the common persons car, the one we all drive, powered by human, solar and hybrid fuels, then does it really make sense to conceive, plan and create new developments, eco towns and villages that restrict even prevent car access or ownership.

Can we / do we want to restrict the use of such shiny eco friendly cars used on a community sharing basis?

I guess the question is are eco towns attempting reduce / restricting cars on an environmental, pollution, carbon issue, or on a traffic congestion issue, or both, or on an approach that hasn’t been quite thought through using possible future scenarios as yet?

isite radar and roundup monday 23rd june

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Last week was a busy one so not too much posting here, but below are a few of the items that caught my eye

Bristol is to become the first cycle city with 11 others – York, Stoke, Blackpool, Cambridge, Chester, Colchester, Leighton Buzzard, Southend, Shrewsbury, Southport and Woking – named as demonstration areas for the scheme. They will be added to the current six demonstration areas – Aylesbury, Brighton, Darlington, Derby, Exeter and Lancaster.

Last Saturday I led a benchmarkwalks walk in the English Lake District for a group of Facilities Management people. Great discussions over usability, eco towns, fm sustainability, fm in Cape Town shanty towns and the future of fm.  An emerging topic from the conference earlier in the week, and continued on the walk – the need for Aggressive Facilities Management

On blogs, Mel’s excellent article over at Elemental on Global air conditioning while Phil at ZeroChampion has an interesting post on Should we carbonize interest rates? and Pam over at Public Works talks from the trenches on investing in infrastruture in the face of credit crunch.

The Guardians articles that ‘revealed‘ the UK Governments blue print plans for a tougher approach to climate change. Many of which involved housing or buildings. Now why was this not included within the UK Government Strategy for Sustainable Construction. Joined up thinking, just in time thinking?

On a similar line a German town forces homes to fix solar tiles

Eco towns seem to be never out of the news with google alerts working overtime – has the opposition changed, from ‘we cant build zero carbon’, to ‘nimbyism’ to what now seems to be the ‘tescopolising’ of eco-towns. Next weeks headline? Eco towns ate my cat.  But today the Guardian reports on the forthcoming report that criticizes eco town proposals:

The choice of sites put on a shortlist to be England’s first ecotowns has been strongly criticised for their lack of adequate public transport links and other shortcomings by a government advisory panel.

George Monbiot on coal – We must leave the fossil century behind to reach the golden age of renewable energy, Mr Brown – making the important comment that its not what we do but what we stop doing

And finally, for now, much blogging and twittering of the planned be2camp event in London in October. here here and here

is it time for aggressive fm (aFM)

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Over the last week or so I have attended a number of FM related events and discussions, read any number of FM articles, blog posts and papers.

Each time, within the built environment sustainability agenda, FM is seen as an underdog, attempting to justify its presence and role, with a “what about FM” whimper. Too content to be a responsive, monitor and report sector, frightened to stand up and take a lead?

In respect of sustainability, has FM reached a fork in the road, are the options dead ends without changing our patterns of thought?

Too many built environment initiatives (eg Eco Towns), reworked frameworks (eg BREEAM and LEED) and tools, strategies, ( eg UK Sustainable Construction Strategy), milestones and targets for zero are being introduced without being driven from an FM, facilities in use, end user usability perspective. This makes them in themselves weak and ‘unsustainable’.

FM isn’t just about buildings though, it is of course more about people, end users and communities. Yet as peoples lives are shaped by the buildings that they create, FM MUST be involved, even lead, in the built environment debates on a sustainable future

For a while now I have been putting the built environment sustainability agenda in the context of a facilities management one. Two things happened recently though that convinced me that we need to be stronger, stand forward and ‘go for it’ .

First a discussion with Karen Ford of Creative FM who founded Footprintfriends, a personal attempt to do something to engage with the next generation, rather than just talk about it, hold a seminar, maybe a workshop or two and then like all good intents, fade away. Well done Karen.

Secondly it was more than reassuring to partake in discussions on sustainable fm as part of the Euofm confernce in Manchester where the expression of Aggressive FM (aFM) was born. My interpretation of which is:

Aggressive FM is not stuck in the monitor and report paradigm …

Aggressive FM is about making FM count …

Aggressive FM is not adversarial but is engaging …

Aggressive FM is about taking FM to the center stage of the built environment …

Along side Aggressive FM is FM2.0 – the facilities management use of Web2 technology, again as footprintprints has embraced, creating a social, learning and sharing network for change. FM2.0 is Facilities Management using Web2 to engage on a person and relatiosnhip level within FM communities, users, customers, desicion makers, people, next generations … for real change.

As is often used these days in sustainability events is the Quote from Ghandi – be the change you want to be in the world. So in FM do we want to be a passive group of monitors and reporters or an aggressive FM on the center stage of sustainability? There will be much much more about Aggressive FM very soon, watch this space. Are you ready to Go For It ?