Environmental projects and campaigns
Building environmental standards
Buildings are responsibility for almost half the UK’s carbon emissions – from their construction, maintenance and demolition, to the energy needed to heat them, light them and power the myriad of electrical equipment upon which modern life depends, there is a carbon cost at every stage. The construction industry also uses large quantities of natural resources and creates large amounts of waste, activities which raise a number of other environmental concerns.
Careful design and construction can minimise these costs to the environment in a number of ways. The Environmental Management team is currently preparing an Environmental Design and Construction Guide for the Council, which will pull together best practice guidance and existing national, regional and local policies to ensure that all Council buildings are built and maintained to a high environmental standard. The Guide will cover the following themes:
- Energy: designing for low energy use, energy conservation and efficiency, renewable energy
- Water: water conservation and recycling, minimising flood risk and surface water pollution, managing ground conditions
- Materials: construction materials, fixtures and fittings, paints and finishes
- Waste: construction and demolition waste, designing for waste minimisation in use
- Travel: car parking, walking and cycling.
Current and recent projects
The two new swimming pools at Brighouse and Sowerby Bridge have undergone a full BREEAM (Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Methodology) assessment with Sowerby Pool achieving 'Very Good' and Brighouse Pool achieving 'Good'. BREEAM is the UK's national voluntary standard for environmental building, covering all aspects of a building's design and construction from start to finish. The straw bale extension to Shelf Village Hall, which houses the new Shelf Library, was opened on 14 May 2009.
The walls of the building are made from straw bales with a natural lime render finish, and the library also has a green roof planted with sedum. Straw bales are an excellent building material, as they are lightweight, easy to use and inexpensive. They also provide high levels of insulation and have a low embodied energy, which makes them a very good environmental choice.
Useful links
Strategy for Sustainable Construction|
The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) have published a strategy which details specific actions for industry and Government within the arena of sustainable construction – topics covered include climate change mitigation and adaptation, water, waste and materials.
Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers|
The Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers have produced a new Guide L: Sustainability , designed to help engineers and construction professionals improve the environmental performance of buildings.
Carbon Reductions in New Non-Domestic Buildings|
Opportunities for achieving zero carbon in new builds is investigated in the UK Green Building Council’s report.
Design Council: Sustainable Design|
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) - now part of the Design Council - has set out a programme promoting design as a solution to climate change.
The Carbon Trust|
Currently offer a free design advice for all new build projects over 10,000m² in area.
BREEAM Standards|
The Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) rates buildings in terms of their environmental credentials.
