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Sustainability
At Niven Architects we appreciate that sustainable development is a fundamental aspect of Architectural and Urban Design and is an aspect which is now high on peoples agenda due to national and international concerns surrounding climate change and the environment as a whole.
Business and individuals have a responsibility to respond to these sustainability issues however with conflicting information and the bombardment of facts and figures this can be difficult.
Below you will find general information and links relating to current thinking in sustainability and current government legislation which affects the construction industry. This page is designed as an accompaniment to our advice, to help you understand some of the jargon and point you in the direction of where you can obtain further details.
Unfortunately we cannot cover every issue on this page, if you have a specific question or query please do not hesitate to contact us and we will endeavour to answer it.
BREEAM: BRE Environmental Assessment Method
The BREEAM family of assessment methods and tools are all designed to help construction professionals understand and reduce the environmental impacts of the developments they design and build. The assessment methods are tailored to suit differing building types including Courts, Healthcare, Retail, Education etc.
HYPERLINK "http://www.breeam.org/page_1col.jsp?id=54" \o "BREEAM Buildings"BREEAM Buildings and HYPERLINK "http://www.breeam.org/page.jsp?sid=7" \o "BREEAM Tools"BREEAM Tools act at different stages of the construction process to aid in the assessment of a scheme; for example:
Manufacture of building materials and specification (life cycle analysis of materials in HYPERLINK "http://www.bre.co.uk/greenguide/section.jsp?sid=435" \t "_blank" \o "BREEAM Specification: The Green Guide"BREEAM Specification: The Green Guide)
Design Stage (HYPERLINK "http://www.bre.co.uk/service.jsp?id=52" \t "_blank" \o "BREEAM Envest "BREEAM Envest and HYPERLINK "http://www.breeam.org/page_1col.jsp?id=54" \o "BREEAM Buildings"BREEAM Buildings)
Construction (HYPERLINK "http://www.smartwaste.co.uk/" \t "_blank" \o "BREEEAM Smartwaste"BREEAM Smartwaste) and post construction (BREEAM Buildings).
BREEAM looks at a broad range of environmental impacts within different areas:
Management
Health and Wellbeing
Energy
Transport
Water
Material and Waste
Landuse and Ecology
Pollution
Credits are awarded in each of the above areas according to performance of the building. A set of environmental weightings then enables the credits to be added together to produce a single overall score. The building is then awarded a rating and certificate set against the scale below:
PASS, GOOD, VERY GOOD, EXCELLENT or OUTSTANDING
(Outstanding is only awarded to projects deemed to be zero carbon)
At Niven Architects, working with specialist consultants, we can maximise the sustainable potential of your projects whilst working within your budget constraints.
Further information on BREEAM can be found by following the links below:
www.breeam.org
EPC's (Energy Performance Certificates)
The way a building is constructed, insulated, heated and ventilated and the type of fuel used, all contributes to its energy consumption and carbon emissions.
The Energy Performance Certificate is one measure being introduced to help improve the energy efficiency of our buildings.
The certificate provides energy efficiency A-G ratings and recommendations for improvement. The ratings - similar to those found on products such as fridges - are standard so the energy efficiency of one building can easily be compared with another building of a similar type.
Acting on an EPC is important to cut energy consumption, save money on bills and help to safeguard the environment. It has also been found to be a large marketing tool when trying to sell or rent property as companies aim to respond to the growing market pressure of environmental consideration.
EPC's are produced by accredited energy assessors, if you wish to discuss the need for EPC's with regards to your property or prospective project please do not hesitate to contact us.
Further information on EPC's can be found by following the links below:
www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/theenvironment/energyperformance/homes/energyperformancecertificates/
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/epcsforlandlords
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/nondwelling
Code for Sustainable Homes
The Code is the national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes, and aims to reduce our carbon emissions and create homes that are more sustainable.
It is now mandatory for all new homes to be rated against the Code and include a Code or nil-rated certificate within the Home Information Pack.
The Code measures the sustainability of a new home against categories of sustainable design, rating the 'whole home' as a complete package. The Code uses a 1 to 6 star rating system to communicate the overall sustainability performance of a new home. The Code sets minimum standards for energy and water use together with standards against its overall design and influence on the wider local community.
At Niven Architects we take this very seriously, believing that by building to Code standards, we can make Britain's communities more sustainable for the future, and thus we now design all residential projects to a minimum standard of Code level 3.
Further information on the code and how it may affect your projects can be found by following the links below:
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/codeleaflet
www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/professionals/en/1115314116927.html
At Niven Architects we appreciate that sustainable development is a fundamental aspect of Architectural and Urban Design and is an aspect which is now high on peoples agenda due to national and international concerns surrounding climate change and the environment as a whole.
Business and individuals have a responsibility to respond to these sustainability issues however with conflicting information and the bombardment of facts and figures this can be difficult.
Below you will find general information and links relating to current thinking in sustainability and current government legislation which affects the construction industry. This page is designed as an accompaniment to our advice, to help you understand some of the jargon and point you in the direction of where you can obtain further details.
Unfortunately we cannot cover every issue on this page, if you have a specific question or query please do not hesitate to contact us and we will endeavour to answer it.
BREEAM: BRE Environmental Assessment Method
The BREEAM family of assessment methods and tools are all designed to help construction professionals understand and reduce the environmental impacts of the developments they design and build. The assessment methods are tailored to suit differing building types including Courts, Healthcare, Retail, Education etc.
HYPERLINK "http://www.breeam.org/page_1col.jsp?id=54" \o "BREEAM Buildings"BREEAM Buildings and HYPERLINK "http://www.breeam.org/page.jsp?sid=7" \o "BREEAM Tools"BREEAM Tools act at different stages of the construction process to aid in the assessment of a scheme; for example:
Manufacture of building materials and specification (life cycle analysis of materials in HYPERLINK "http://www.bre.co.uk/greenguide/section.jsp?sid=435" \t "_blank" \o "BREEAM Specification: The Green Guide"BREEAM Specification: The Green Guide)
Design Stage (HYPERLINK "http://www.bre.co.uk/service.jsp?id=52" \t "_blank" \o "BREEAM Envest "BREEAM Envest and HYPERLINK "http://www.breeam.org/page_1col.jsp?id=54" \o "BREEAM Buildings"BREEAM Buildings)
Construction (HYPERLINK "http://www.smartwaste.co.uk/" \t "_blank" \o "BREEEAM Smartwaste"BREEAM Smartwaste) and post construction (BREEAM Buildings).
BREEAM looks at a broad range of environmental impacts within different areas:
Management
Health and Wellbeing
Energy
Transport
Water
Material and Waste
Landuse and Ecology
Pollution
Credits are awarded in each of the above areas according to performance of the building. A set of environmental weightings then enables the credits to be added together to produce a single overall score. The building is then awarded a rating and certificate set against the scale below:
PASS, GOOD, VERY GOOD, EXCELLENT or OUTSTANDING
(Outstanding is only awarded to projects deemed to be zero carbon)
At Niven Architects, working with specialist consultants, we can maximise the sustainable potential of your projects whilst working within your budget constraints.
Further information on BREEAM can be found by following the links below:
www.breeam.org
EPC's (Energy Performance Certificates)
The way a building is constructed, insulated, heated and ventilated and the type of fuel used, all contributes to its energy consumption and carbon emissions.
The Energy Performance Certificate is one measure being introduced to help improve the energy efficiency of our buildings.
The certificate provides energy efficiency A-G ratings and recommendations for improvement. The ratings - similar to those found on products such as fridges - are standard so the energy efficiency of one building can easily be compared with another building of a similar type.
Acting on an EPC is important to cut energy consumption, save money on bills and help to safeguard the environment. It has also been found to be a large marketing tool when trying to sell or rent property as companies aim to respond to the growing market pressure of environmental consideration.
EPC's are produced by accredited energy assessors, if you wish to discuss the need for EPC's with regards to your property or prospective project please do not hesitate to contact us.
Further information on EPC's can be found by following the links below:
www.communities.gov.uk/planningandbuilding/theenvironment/energyperformance/homes/energyperformancecertificates/
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/epcsforlandlords
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/nondwelling
Code for Sustainable Homes
The Code is the national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes, and aims to reduce our carbon emissions and create homes that are more sustainable.
It is now mandatory for all new homes to be rated against the Code and include a Code or nil-rated certificate within the Home Information Pack.
The Code measures the sustainability of a new home against categories of sustainable design, rating the 'whole home' as a complete package. The Code uses a 1 to 6 star rating system to communicate the overall sustainability performance of a new home. The Code sets minimum standards for energy and water use together with standards against its overall design and influence on the wider local community.
At Niven Architects we take this very seriously, believing that by building to Code standards, we can make Britain's communities more sustainable for the future, and thus we now design all residential projects to a minimum standard of Code level 3.
Further information on the code and how it may affect your projects can be found by following the links below:
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/codeleaflet
www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/professionals/en/1115314116927.html
© Niven Architects 2008