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Get Sust! Issue 21
That end of term feeling...
Apologies for the late arrival of this edition. The students among you will have been feeling the pressure of deadlines, and the Get Sust! office has too...
We take a break now until the start of the academic year. The next issue will reach your desktop on 10 October. If you are moving to pastures new - be it a new course or a new employer - please send your change of e-mail details (E-mail: editor@get-sust.com), so that we can continue to send you Get Sust!
And if you are scouring the bookshelves for some ‘light’ summer reading, why not get in touch? We have several new books that are awaiting reviewers.
And finally, look out for an extra Get Sust! message before the end of June, when we’ll be asking you all to take part in our end-of-year readers’ survey.
As always, please do continue to support Get Sust! by sending in news items, announcements and careers information. And don’t forget to pass it on to colleagues who may be interested.
| © Melanie Thompson 2006 |  |
Comment
BedZed - teething troubles, or a chance to learn?
It’s only a few days to go until the start of Wimbledon, and the nation will once again hold its collective breath until Tim Henman goes out in the semi-finals... But instead of carping, I think we should applaud Tim for being in the world’s top 100. (After all how many ordinary club members could beat him?) And don’t get me started on the footy...
It seems that as a nation we just love to criticise. Are we about to see the same treatment doled out to sustainable buildings?
A recent report in The Guardian highlighted an array of problems with pioneering zero-carbon development BedZed, in south London. According to the report there are problems with the biomass-fueled combined heat and power system, and the reed beds used to filter sewage water for use in toilets and gardens have been out of operation since before Christmas.
For a project that always aimed for the outer limits of sustainable living, does this really matter?
In his article ‘Living in a dream’, Guardian journalist Terry Slavin reports that some of the people involved with the project are distinctly unhappy with the systems in place, and - perhaps more pertinent - with the way the problems are being tackled. But the one ‘ordinary’ resident he interviewed (the others all had work-related interests in the project) did not seem too disappointed with the scheme’s overall performance, saying that there was a great community spirit, and even if the homes were no longer zero-carbon they were still using much less electricity, heat and water than the refurbished Victorian flat she had been offered instead.
Although the current problems at BedZed may be very frustrating, we should all treat them as a ‘learning experience’ that will help designers and developers to make better decisions in the future. And whatever your opinion of BedZed’s Bill Dunster, we should raise a cheer that he was prepared to stick his neck out and get the 100 innovative homes off the drawing board and into operation.
Learn more:
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• | See ‘Living the dream’ by Terry Slavin, The Guardian, Wednesday May 17, 2006, www.guardian.co.uk. |
| © Melanie Thompson 2006 | |
It's HIP to be efficient
Last week Housing Minister Yvette Cooper announced that the new Home Information Packs (HIPs) come into operation next year for homes that go on the market in England and Wales will include simple energy efficiency ratings.
The HIP will include an Energy Performance Certificate that will rate the property on a scale of A to G (comparable with the labelling system for white goods), based on the property’s energy efficiency and carbon emissions, but it will also suggest energy-saving improvements that could cut the fuel bills.
Meanwhile in the USA a growing number of estate agents are becoming ‘EcoBrokers’ - that is, they are being trained to sell the benefits of environmentally friendly buildings. There are already some 200 certified EcoBrokers operating in 25 states.
The founder of the EcoBroker movement is John Beldock, a former director of the US Department of Energy's environmental-analysis program. The aim of the training is to help estate agents show their clients the true cost of a home - it’s not just the mortgage, but the utilities costs and maintenance too.
Learn more:
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• | See ‘Energy certificates find way into HIPs’ RICS (14 June 2006) at www.rics.org |
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• | Visit www.ecobroker.com. |
| © Melanie Thompson 2006 | |
PassivHaus comes to Britain
The ‘Promotion of European Passive Houses’ (PEP) project, which aims to disseminate the experience gained by the people who are building to the PassivHaus standard, has launched a new UK-based website.
To date more than 5,000 dwellings have been constructed in continental Europe in accordance with the principles of PassivHaus design, which reduces energy use by up to 90 per cent compared to existing building stock.
The main technical differences between a dwelling built to Building Regulation standards and the PassivHaus standard are:
- intelligent use of passive solar gains and the specification of building features which limit risk of overheating in summer
- super-insulation
- airtightness
- whole house mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (75% efficient or better).
Because it is highly insulated and airtight, the PassivHaus does not need a traditional heating system or active cooling to be comfortable to live in - the heating demand can be met using, for example, a small electric heater within the ventilation system.
Learn more:
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• | Visit PassivHausUK at www.passivhaus.org.uk. |
| © Melanie Thompson 2006 | |
What’s it worth to you?
How do you measure the value of something as diverse as the construction industry? The economics, in terms of GDP, projects started, or annual property sales are relatively straightforward. But ‘value’ goes far beyond mere cash.
Get Sust! readers are well aware of the down-side of the industry, in terms of pollution and waste, use of non-renewable resources, and loss of habitats (to mention just a few), but there is a positive side. What about reducing overcrowding in homes, new technologies and techniques that improve indoor air quality, and the many jobs that the industry creates...
Environmental economist David Pearce, who died last August, played a significant role in analysing the true value of the construction industry, and the journal Building Research and Information (BRI) is publishing a special issue that responds to and extends Pearce’s recent work.
Articles in the special issue describe an overall framework for measuring the value of the construction industry, which includes social, economic and environmental issues. It also discusses:
- whether the construction sector is sustainable
- how to measure productivity
- the added value of good design; and
- whether current construction statistics are useful and reliable.
Of particular note is ‘Re-examining the costs and value ratios of owning and occupying buildings’ by Graham Ive, of The Bartlett School of Graduate Studies, University College London.
Ives challenges the widely held opinion that the ‘value’ of buildings operates under the 1:5:200 cost ratio (i.e. the ratio of construction costs to facilities management to the cost of operating the building). He believes that the proportions are exaggerated, and that it would be better to have function-specific ratios. For example, his research suggests that a better model for the whole life cost of a central London office building might 1:1.5:15.
If he is right, this could have a significant impact on early design decisions - where, for example, some energy-saving measures may currently be rejected, without adequately considering the whole life cost of the building.
Learn more:
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• | For full details of the Special Issue of Building Research and Information, including abstracts of all the papers, visit www.rbri.co.uk. |
| © Melanie Thompson 2006 | |
Latest thinking on lighting
The July issue of Energy and Buildings focuses on lighting. Topics covered include:
- what sort of lighting and controls people in offices prefer
- people’s response to electrochromic windows
- a study of the use of shading systems in VDU task offices
- a proposal for using ‘useful daylight illuminances’ instead of ‘daylight factors’.
Several of the articles investigate the way people behave under certain lighting conditions and - crucially - how they interact with manual and automatic control systems.
There are also reports of studies into the effectiveness (or otherwise) of simulation techniques, including feedback from a survey on the current use of daylight simulations in building design.
Learn more:
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• | See Energy and Buildings, Special Issue: Daylighting Buildings, Volume 38, Issue 7, Pages 715-930 (July 2006) at www.sciencedirect.com. |
| © Melanie Thompson 2006 | |
Lime mortars under the microscope
The recent issue of Cement and Concrete Research includes several studies of the performance and composition of lime mortars.
Two papers come from a team led by J. Lanasa working at the Universities of Navarra and Seville, Spain. They tested 180 different mortars that were made using a dolomitic lime and different aggregates, for use in restoration works. They also investigated the effects that various curing conditions had on lime-based mortars used for masonry repairs.
Meanwhile, slightly closer to home at the Université de Picardie Jules-Verne, France, Y Sébaïbia and colleagues have used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to investigate the effect of various slaked limes on the microstructure of a lime–cement–sand mortar.
Learn more:
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• | ‘Mechanical properties of masonry repair dolomitic lime-based mortars’, by J Lanasa et al Cement and Concrete Research, Volume 36, Issue 5 , May 2006, Pages 951-960. |
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• | ‘Study of the mechanical behavior of masonry repair lime-based mortars cured and exposed under different conditions’, by J. Lanasa et al, Cement and Concrete Research, Volume 36, Issue 5 , May 2006, Pages 961-970, and ‘The effect of various slaked limes on the microstructure of a lime–cement–sand mortar’ by Y Sébaïbia et al, Cement and Concrete Research, Volume 36, Issue 5 , May 2006, Pages 971-978. |
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• | Read abstracts or download the full articles (subscribers only) at www.sciencedirect.com. |
| © Melanie Thompson 2006 | |
Changes to Part L software
BRE has issued an updated release of the Part L calculation software SBEM.
The development team has responded to feedback on the previous release in January by incorporating a number of improvements to the calculation itself and to the way in which data is entered. The new software package (v1.1.a), is available for download from 16 May, and comprises the new version of the calculation tool SBEM and of the interface iSBEM, together with an updated User Guide and supporting databases.
Learn more:
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• | Visit www.ncm.bre.co.uk or telephone the Helpline: 0870 460 8141. |
| © Melanie Thompson 2006 | |
Secondary ventilation tests
Researchers in Cambridge have been testing secondary ventilation techniques in the archive library of the new SSEES building at UCL.
Their results - obtained by laboratory experiments and supporting quantitative models, and published in a forthcoming issue of ‘Building and Environment’ - have shown that secondary ventilation leads to a reduction in the magnitude of the ventilation through the upper floor, especially if the lower floor has a large inlet area.
The stack effect, where warm air rises through the building to be expelled at high level (often via purpose-built stacks), can also be used to drive ventilation in floors where there is little heat load. This is achieved by connecting the floor with a relatively low heat load to a floor with a higher heat load through a common stack. The warm air expelled from the warmer space into the stack thereby drives a flow through the floor that has no heat load.
Learn more:
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• | Read the full report: ‘Natural ventilation of multiple storey buildings: The use of stacks for secondary ventilation’ by Stephen R Livermore and Andrew W Woods, Building and Environment, Volume 41, Issue 10 , October 2006, Pages 1339-1351 at www.sciencedirect.com. |
| © Melanie Thompson 2006 | |
Building with Reclaimed Components and Materials: A Design Handbook for Reuse and Recycling
by Bill Addis
In this handbook, Bill Addis and his research team at Buro Happold and BSIRIA have looked in detail at the use of reclaimed materials as a method of cutting waste from the construction industry, writes Jamie Bull.
The range of the book is wide, encompassing reuse of entire buildings, down through salvage of high-value architectural and structural features, and onwards to recycled-content building products.
It explains how the salvage and demolition industries work, looking at the problems that can be encountered in obtaining enough of the required materials when and where they are needed. This, as well as the need for quality testing and assurances, is the important difference between the use of reclaimed materials and off-the-shelf products.
The book contains several interesting case studies from around the world, including details of how projects managed to deal with the procurement problems of using reclaimed materials.
The meat of the book is an assessment of the opportunities for reusing and recycling the materials of a building. This is followed by a detailed section of design guidance which covers foundations, building structure, building envelope, enclosure, interiors and external works and M&E.
The book does not take a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead it points out that design teams should always be clear about and remain aware of their objectives, whether this is using a set proportion of recycled materials, minimising environmental harm, or gaining points on an environmental assessment method such as BREEAM. Every project has different aims and so must take a different approach to reuse/recycling.
I found this a timely and thought-provoking handbook, which will be useful to any professional thinking about reducing the burden of building with virgin natural resources, and also a very useful resource for students like myself.
Learn more:
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• | Jamie Bull is taking an MSc in Environmental Architecture at the Centre for Alternative Technology. He also works with the Empty Homes Agency on their Recycling London’s Empty Homes project. |
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• | ‘Building with Reclaimed Components and Materials: A Design Handbook for Reuse and Recycling’ by Bill Addis is published by Earthscan (ISBN: 1844072746), 224 pages paperback; currently available at £44.95. Go to http://shop.earthscan.co.uk. |
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London’s contemporary architecture
The Architectural Press has recently published the Fourth Edition of its handy pocket-sized guide to the Capital’s novel buildings. Complete will clear maps to help you find your way, and expert commentary on the scenery, this is a great book to take on a day out this summer.
Learn more:
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• | ‘London’s contemporary architecture’, by Ken Allinson, price £18.99. Order a copy from www.architecturalpress.com or telephone 01865 474010. |
Materials of invention
To mark its 75th Anniversary, the Building Centre is organising a technical exhibition and conference on ‘Materials of invention’. This event will look back over 75 years of innovation in construction and speculate on the technologies that are likely to emerge during the next 25 years.
The conference is aimed at practitioners and teachers who have a particular interest in the science of building. Papers will include: the history of technical development, new materials, new energy sources, smart IT, advances in glass technology, bio-renewables and recycled products.
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• | The event is at The Building Centre, central London on 26 June, and costs £50.00 + VAT. Bookings: www.buildingcentretrust.org. |
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• | Details of the conference programme: www.buildingcentretrust.org/xplorer/teachers.pdf. |
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• | The Building Centre is also organising an event to raise awareness about the need for a ‘Construction Materials Library for London’. Four materials experts will discuss the topic, and members of the audience are encouraged to join in. Have your say on Thursday 29 June at 6.30pm. To book a place, e-mail: events@buildingcentretrust.org, or visit www.buildingcentretrust.org. |
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Low carbon buildings at resource06
BRE’s annual low-carbon conference and exhibition, resource06, will be held on 27-28 September 2006. Day one will cover the domestic sector; with non-domestic issues on day two.
Speakers from a wide range of the industries’ leading low-carbon projects will present their findings and offer practical examples. Projects to be discussed include the Nottingham Eco-Home, the Jubilee Brighton Library, Terminal 5: Towards a Sustainable Vision, and Building Better Schools for the Future.
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• | Download the full programme and booking form from www.bre.co.uk/eventdetails.jsp?id=941. (Total cost for two days is £464 incl. VAT.) |
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Buildings and our changing climate
What will our climate be like in 40 years time, and will today’s buildings be able to cope? This event, at Tate Britain on 16 November, will take the latest climate modelling techniques and predictions, and discuss the measures that designers need to address today to ensure that tomorrow’s buildings will be fit for purpose.
The conference will focus in particular on the need to address overheating. Speakers include Gerry Metcalf of the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP), and Bill Gething, of Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects, who is the RIBA President's Adviser on Sustainability.
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• | The event is organised by Merlin Events & Marketing, in association with Rickaby Thompson Associates. Cost of attending is £275 plus VAT. For details, and to book your place, visit www.changing-climate.co.uk. |
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RIBA President's Awards for Research - submission deadline extended
If you have already told the RIBA that you plan to enter this competition (‘intention to submit’ notes had to be sent by 1 June), then you may be pleased to hear that the deadline for submission has been extended until Friday 23 June.
The RIBA President’s Awards for Research aims to reward and encourage outstanding research in architecture carried out by PhD students, academics and practitioners.
This year, two awards will be made:
- outstanding PhD thesis
- outstanding academic-led research.
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• | For more information please contact susana.gonzalez@inst.riba.org, or or visit http://www.riba.org/go/RIBA/Member/Practice_5054.html. |
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Research opportunity at The Bartlett
The Bartlett (University College London) wishes to appoint an Associate to work on a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) with SpaceLab in London to develop systems and processes for management of property assets and to support evidence-based design. This is a fixed-term post for two years. Salary up to £25,000, plus a £3,000 dedicated training budget.
Applicants should have a good honours degree (2:1 or better) preferably in architecture or an appropriate field of engineering.
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• | Further information and downloadable application forms are at www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/graduate/jobs.htm. Closing date: Friday 23 June. |
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Part I with Architects for Aid
Part 1 Architectural Assistants are required for the humanitarian architecture charity, Architects for Aid.
The organisation has a limited number of paid roles for year out students, and can also accept many others who would be able to fund all or part of their year out themselves.
This is a diverse and unusual role and will be an exciting chance to gain experience and make a difference.
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• | Visit <www.architectsforaid.org>. To apply, please send a CV to: Dr Victoria Harris, 10 Bonhill Street, London EC2A 4QJ. E-mail: vicky@architectsforaid.org. |
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Part I Assistants
ARC3 Architects of South London and Kent is offering a two-year placement that will involve problem-solving, and negotiating with planning officers, building inspectors, structural engineers, other consultants, contractors and clients.
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• | Visit www.arc3-architects.co.uk. |
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• | To apply, please send your CV and select examples of your work, no larger than A4 format, to: Philip Miller, 663-665 Garratt Lane, Wandsworth, London SW17 0PB OR James Robertson, 103 Station Road, West Wickham, Kent BR4 0PX. |
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Project architect and architectural technician/Part III student
Simon Middlehurst Architects, a small practice based near Notting Hill in West London, needs a Project Architect to work on new build housing projects, and an architectural Technician/Part III Student to assist with site surveys, planning drawings and production information drawings, and JCT Contract Administration.
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• | For details, e-mail: mail@middlehurst-architects.co.uk. |
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