Get Sust! Issue 26

Getting the details right

The Green Studio Handbook has arrived at an important time when everyone is waking up to the need to reduce fossil fuel use, writes Mary Hancock.

The book is very focussed in what it tries to do - it is aimed solely at the development of the design, described as ‘schematic design’ in America but described as stages C and D (outline and detailed proposals) in the RIBA Plan of Work. So it does not start with site analysis, but from a point where the overall concept and massing of the building has been provisionally agreed in the concept. This seem a valid decision, in the context of containing the topic area.

The book moves systematically through the range of design decisions - envelope, lighting, heating, cooling, energy production, and water and waste - with a chapter on each setting out the implications and requirements.

One of the best features from my point of view are the rules of thumb - for sizing passive heating, areas of thermal mass, stack ventilation and so on. I believe these provide an accessible way to move forward the development of design proposals. The rules of thumb are mostly set against degree day information, and metric units are given as an alternative, which make it applicable in the UK as well as in America where the book originated.

The least appealing feature of the book, from my perspective, is the case study section - although the buildings are interesting and have examples from around the world. One of the real problems with sustainable design is assessing how effective a particular strategy has been. These case studies seem very lightweight in that none offer bottom-line figures, assessing how much energy the building uses or CO2 it emits. This is justified, in several buildings, by the fact that the post-occupancy evaluations are not yet complete.

There are lots of web addresses for interesting and innovative products using recycled materials for example, although most of these are American, and it would be great if a later edition could include more materials available in the UK.

The bibliography is excellent - a long list of books that would allow detailed study of particular topics. There are also good photographs and diagrams providing an inspiring encouragement to use more of these strategies.

Overall, I’d buy this book and encourage students and practitioners to buy it too, because it moves from general exhortations about going green into applicable advice on how to do it.

Learn more:

	•	The Green Studio Handbook, by Alison Kwok and Walter Grondzik (see February Book of the Month, for ordering information).
	•	Review by Mary Hancock, programme leader, MSc in Energy Efficient and Sustainable Building, Oxford Brookes University.