Elemental

Long-time friend of the blog, Andrew Kinsey, Senior Sustainability Manager at the Athletes Village for Bovis Lend Lease, kindly invited myself and a few colleagues to have a nosey around the Athlete’s Village back at the beginning of November.
We had fantastic luck with the weather as you can see from the picture, which is a view from the rooftop viewing platform. The site is quite incredible. I know some of you will have managed to see round it during Open House in the summer, but I was not prepared for the scale of the place. It’s HUGE.

It’s also one of the cleanest, best maintained and non-threatening sites I’ve ever been on. No Pirelli calendars, builder’s butt cleavage nor wolf whistles to be witnessed. And the sense of industry? It was like being in a Richard Scarry picture book – diggers and workmen scurrying around, with a recession-busting productive atmosphere all round.

Andrew introduced us to some of the initiatives he’s been pushing forward, especially with regards to supply chain management from a sustainability perspective. He has been instrumental in driving forward the Achilles Building Confidence Contractor Accreditation with great success:

“Working in partnership with Bovis Lend Lease, Achilles has developed BuildingConfidence – a supplier pre-qualification and accreditation service for the UK construction industry.

BuildingConfidence provides benefits to buyers and suppliers by using:

• Web-based technologies to increase operational efficiencies and reduce the costs associated with pre-qualification for clients, major contractors and their suppliers
• On-site audits with industry leading auditors to help suppliers measure their own performance and share this data with their clients and major contractors.

BuildingConfidence is quickly becoming recognised as the standard for supplier excellence within the industry. Major contractors are using the service to evaluate their supply chains, drive up performance and forge longer lasting relationships with key suppliers.”

My timing for this post is impeccable, as two stories are in the news which now make much more sense and impact on me, having now visited the site.

Firstly the news that Nord’s substation has been completed. This project is the backbone of the development being, quite literally, the powerhouse for the development:

Its hard, dark, saturnine surface recalls the language of 19th century bridge and tunnel construction, examples of which are still a common feature of this post-industrial landscape. It also proves highly light reflective, with the effect that the building’s chiselled geometry is transformed into a series of starkly contrasting planes of light and shadow. This effect is made richer still by the brick’s slyly differentiated detailing. What at first appears to be an unmodulated surface proves, on closer inspection, to be divided into three strata of escalating intricacy.

The comments posted to the article show equal measures of love and hate for the building itself – a marmite of a building, if you will. I like it, but then, I’m an M&E engineer at heart – and it’s a big box around some M&E kit. What’s not to love?

The second piece of news is a report from the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012. Building magazine chose to run with the (not) shocking news that Zaha’s Aquatic Centre is not a particularly green building. Is anyone surprised by this?

The Water Cube in Beijing comprised just one quarter of the materials used by the 2012 Aquatic centre, a report examining the carbon footprint of the London 2012 Games has found.

Reading the report itself, it is clear that ‘on the ground’ a lot has been achieved. Which leads me back to the title of this post. London 2012 is a massive opportunity to test and make reality checks on aspirational targets which were set before we knew what was possible. Some targets we will meet or exceed, others we will have to revise. But the petri dish we are being offered is a fabulous opportunity to make leaps and bounds forward in our collective knowledge.

Thanks again to Andrew for being a great host!

admin Opinion 2012 Summer Olympics, Bovis Lend Lease, Carbon footprint, Green Building, Supply chain management

What caught my eye today, March 2nd:

• Green – alltop – Spending too much time over at Worldchanging, Treehugger et al.? Alltop aggregates the top sites to one page of top headlines. via Guy Kawasaki.
• Green Building at Stanford Just As Smart As People It Houses – Mac evangelist Guy Kawasaki gets a tour of a new green building in Stanford and compares light shelves to Newgrange – got to use that in the future! Always interesting to get an outsiders view on the technology.

mel starrs News Green Building, Guy Kawasaki, Stanford, Stanford Just As

What caught my eye today, February 5th:

• JCT wants legally binding sustainability commitments in contracts – Future building contracts could include legally binding commitments to sustainability. The Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) started a consultation exercise on 4 February aimed at gauging the industry?s appetite for the idea.
• AEC, environmental consulting, still strong in U.S.- 2/5/2008 8:42:00 AM – Building Design & Construction – Market analysis with a US slant for 2007. Some useful stats.
• Green price tag could be high – Developers may struggle to find renewable energy suppliers for their sites, consultant warns
• Are you ready – BSJs idiots guide to EPCs and EPBD
• Construction Industry Viewpoint: Green Building is ?Good?- 1/28/2008 9:05:00 AM – Building Design & Construction – Green building is no longer a niche sector, and three major trends are pushing green building to the forefront of the construction industry.
• Green code ?raises carbon? – Building – More support for CSH and SAP to be a flat carbon calc.
• Lost in the Funhouse — Frank Gehry — MIT Stata Center – Starchitect design flaws due to either over-complicated design or sloppy installation. Massive lawsuit ensues…
• Is Your Marketing Strategy a Recipe for Failure? – Seth Godin interview in Fast Company
• Is Bacteria Fuel the Next Big Thing? — Alternative Fuels — Biotechnology – comparing bacteria fuel to algae biodiesel, ethanol and soy biodiesel.

mel starrs News Biotechnology, Frank Gehry, Green Building, Joint Contracts Tribunal, MIT Stata Center, renewable energy suppliers, Seth Godin, United States

For the first time since I’ve been out of the country, I’m feeling out of the loop.  Catching up on some reading I found this in Building:

Faber Maunsell, the RICS and refurbishment specialist Skansen are to launch a green ratings system for fitting out commercial properties.

The online system will be launched at the end of October and rolled out at the beginning of next year. It will allow clients, contractors and consultants to calculate the environmental performance of their projects at the outset of refurbishment.

I have been under the (mistaken?) impression that BRE were to expand BREEAM for Offices to include fit-outs.  Have FM taken over or are they producing a completely new scheme?  Answers on the back of a postcard to the usual address please…

mel starrs Uncategorized Green Building, online system

The blogosphere have been saying it since day one, now the industry events circuit is catching up.  CIBSE have announced The Great Refurbishment Event: Making refurbishment a green opportunity scheduled for 24 October 2007 in London.

And in case we need reminding why existing buildings are key, Cyril Sweett estimate that by 2050, 60% of UK buildings will still predate 2006 Building Regs, with corresponding high fuel consumption and carbon emissions.  Barring a massive technological improvement in electricity generation at source, our only option is to address existing stock.

As I’ve said before, this is a lot less sexy than new build, but a necessary pill to swallow.

mel starrs Uncategorized Built Environment, Cyril Sweett, electricity generation, Green Building, London, Sustainability, United Kingdom

Found this via the Energy Performance Certificates for All blog:

   On 22nd August 2007, Faero Ltd’s board unanimously agreed that Faero Ltd should immediately cease to trade, and proceed towards corporate dissolution. The reasons are set out in the Notification of ceasing to trade      

Whilst the website is now not functioning, old pages exist in most search engines caches. From this page:

 These assessors are individuals who have registered with one of the Authorised Energy Rating Organisations (AEROs). To register, they have had to pass a test of competence, and following registration they are regularly monitored to show their work continues to be up to scratch.  

There was a strange situation a few months back where Hevacomp was an accredited SAP software (which the majority of building services engineers have access to) but unless the individual using the software was also with one of FAERO’s accredited companies (such as Elmhurst or NHER), the calculations were not able to be given to Building Control without checking by BC. What the situation is now with regards to the validity of SAP calculations done by, say, a chartered CIBSE engineer on Hevacomp as opposed to those done by a newly qualified EPC home inspector is unclear. I know which I would prefer, but I also know how much both would cost!

mel starrs Uncategorized British Columbia, Building Physics, Faero Ltd, Green Building, search engines caches, Software

Plenty around on skyscrapers and tall buildings currently.  Fogetting for a minute Ms Greer, we have:

• New guidance from CABE on tall buildings. Tall buildings may in future be acceptable at outline planning consent stage provided the proposals are part of a robust and credible long term master plan. The new guidance (pdf, 8 pages), just published, has called for tall buildings to exceed the latest regulations for minimising energy and reducing carbon emissions over the lifetime of the development:

  • para 4.1.6 The sustainable design and construction of the proposal. For all forms of  development, good design means sustainable design. Tall buildings should set exemplary standards in design because of their high profile and local impact. Proposals should therefore exceed the latest regulations and planning policies for minimising energy use and reducing carbon emissions over the lifetime of the development. The long-term resource and energy efficiency of tall buildings will be enhanced if their design can be adapted over time.

• And not one, but two blogs/feeds to check out the world of tall buildings. James Newman’s Skyscraper News.Com which has plenty of UK news and Preston Koerner’s Skyscraper Sunday, a green look at global tall buildings every Sunday.

*I’m only going to have one Skyscraper Monday – Preston has a S2 (Skyscraper Sunday) every week…

mel starrs Uncategorized Energy, energy efficiency, energy use, Green Building, Greer, Guidance Documents, James Newman, Preston Koerner, United Kingdom

Thanks to Mark for this one:

“our assessment is supposed to be a purely visual one. We are not obliged to be thorough.”

Steve Younger, HIP provider

Oh dear.  As anyone who has ever tried to do a post construction heat loss calculation for any building built before 1985 will know, it is a minefield of supposition and estimation.  Which is not to say that the calculation shouldn’t be done.  Within the SAP methodology there are ways of making fair assumptions on building construction.  The issue in this case appears to be the availability and the applicability of information which would improve the building’s rating.

There is of course a bigger issue at hand here.  Does a few weeks training and a certificate prepare individuals (who may have no previous experience of assessing buildings except for dwelling in them) to make what are essentially judgement calls?  Obviously not.  Those who would be qualified to do so are in too short supply.  So the methodology needs to be absolutely water tight, with no room for subjective opinion.  Which devalues the process in itself.  Sigh.  We’ve got ourselves into a bit of a pickle with this one haven’t we…

The fact that the two assessors in the article got different answers would lead me to conclude that the methodology (or the delivery of the training of the methodology – it would be interesting to find out if the 2 inspectors were qualified with different providers) is insufficiently ‘idiot-proof’.

Of course, there is an opportunity screaming out here – differentiate yourself above the rest of the pack, charge a few quid more and market yourself as a ‘thorough’ HIP inspector, unlike poor Mr Younger.

mel starrs Uncategorized Green Building, News, Steve Younger

I’m in a pdf blackspot currently so have not been able to read the paper yet.  Luckily Mark Brinkley has done a sterling job summarising the key phrases here. Phil (who is no longer a zero champion, but now merely sustainable*) has a round up here.

*I jest of course – it’s a name change for the blog for mundane rather than philosophical reasons

mel starrs Uncategorized Green Building, Guidance Documents, Mark Brinkley, Sustainability

Germaine Greer (yes, the feminist) has solved the world’s building problems with just over 1000 words. In the Guardian. Why? I have no idea what purpose this serves. Plus Jane Jacobs said it all a lot better and with significantly greater authority.

Germaine might want to think about physics and math, too:

Following Lloyd Wright’s basic concept of the tree/house, we begin with the tap root that anchors the structure to the earth; this can be used for geothermal heating, hugely reducing the building’s carbon footprint as well as the cost of living in it. The height of the building stands in direct relation to the depth of its tap root, at a ratio of about 10:1. The building could be covered with photovoltaic cells that provide more than sufficient power for all the residents’ needs, the surplus of which, fed back into the grid, would provide income for essential maintenance.

Germaine, have you heard of shadows and orientation?

What is it about the industry that invites opinion from outsiders? What do they think we are all doing here? Staring out the window, waiting for Germaine to uncover FLW’s masterstroke of genius? Hmphhh.

edit: BTW, I’m not disagreeing with the message of building upwards, necessarily. I just object to sloppy journalism touting PV and geothermal as salves without proper quantification.

mel starrs Uncategorized Germaine Greer, Green Building, Jane Jacobs, Lloyd Wright, News, the Guardian