Towards Better Sustainable Housing Practices
Posted on January 5th, 2012
If you need to educate yourself on sustainable housing practices, one of the better options is to get hold of the book “Sustainable Housing: Principles and Practice“. The publication comes to you from experts, giving you new perspectives on sustainability by employing case studies.
Another related resource is Sustainable Construction, which means to be a reference point for anyone who is looking for further information on sustainable building and refurbishment methods.
Here are some events from which you will greatly benefit, if you work in the energy efficiency / sustainable housing sector.
8 February 2012, at the Emirates Stadium, London - Whole House Refurbishment – Getting More for Less Seminar
12 to 14 June 2012 at the Manchester Central – The Chartered Institute of Housing Annual Conference and Exhibition
Tags: Sustainability, Sustainable Building, sustainable construction, sustainable housing, Sustainable Housing Principles
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Passivhaus / ‘Passive House’ Standards
Posted on November 8th, 2011
Passive House is an energy performance standard in the context of sustainable housing. In the UK, there are as many as 30,000 buildings built to the Passive House standard till date. What’s special about the Passivhaus Standards, one may well ask. Its main strength is simplicity. This standard enables a ‘totally green’ house to be built – one that has “excellent thermal performance, exceptional airtightness with mechanical ventilation”.
People who are eager to know more about the passive house concept will be happy to access additional information and resources on the Passive House Standard -
‘Passipedia’ – basic Passivhaus information and insight.
The Passivhaus Standard – Basic Principles
Scottish Passive House Centre (SPHC), working on Passivhaus consultancy and certification
Tags: Energy Performance, Green House, Passive House, passivhaus, Performance Standard, sustainable housing, Thermal Performance
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Nationwide Sustainable Housing Competition 2011
Posted on August 8th, 2011
Nationwide Building Society, a mortgage lender in the UK, has teamed up with architecture students and professionals to organize the Nationwide Sustainable Housing Competition 2011.
“The aim of the competition is to stimulate and reward innovative thinking about how a more sustainable lifestyle can be achieved in an area where neglect and lack of clear direction is compromising future prospects.” The competition’s brief identifies Hillington Square Kings Lynn, as the site for regeneration.
According to the competition managers Riba Competitions, the theme for 2011 is “COMMUNITY REGENERATION – the transformation of homes and the environment”. Prizes to be awarded for “designs and related strategies which creatively improve the fabric and lifestyle opportunities of an existing community in need of care and attention”.
Tags: Community Regeneration, Hillington, sustainable housing, Sustainable Lifestyle
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SHIFT Index
Posted on July 14th, 2011
If you are in any activity or business related to sustainable housing, it is possible that you have heard of SHIFT (Sustainable Homes Index for Tomorrow). The initiative came about through the efforts of Sustainable Homes in partnership with the Tenants Services Authority, WWF, Bank of Scotland Corporate and the UK Green Building Council.
Basically, the SHIFT Index is claimed to be a ‘sustainability benchmark and best practice learning network’.
Learn more about the SHIFT Index, membership benefits, and how to become a member.
Tags: Accreditation, Benchmark, Membership Benefits, SHIFT Index, sustainable housing
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Sustainable Housing Events
Posted on June 8th, 2011
Mark the following dates for your diary. This is a brief listing of upcoming events related to sustainable housing.
9 June 2011 - Extra Workshop: Sustainable Building Design and Understanding Energy Statements and Carbon Calculations
16 June 2011 - BS8903 Foundation Training (BS 8903 is the world’s first standard for sustainable procurement)
23 June 2011 - Low Carbon / Retrofit / Sustainable Housing Workshop
Tags: BS8903, Energy Statements, Sustainable Building Design, sustainable housing, Understanding Energy
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Towards a Meaningful Sustainability Policy
Posted on March 29th, 2011
In the UK, legislation on sustainable housing has been quite ambitious. But in practice, it appears impossible to implement them meaningfully.
What is apparent is that both industry as well as Government are yet to understand fully the meaning of sustainable housing. Does continuous legislation mean progress? Chairman of the Good Homes Alliance Neil May feels that the housing sector is in need of a sustainability policy that is rooted on “reality and on good science”. At present the policy is based on unrealistic targets.
More significantly, Mr May notes that “The principles for such a policy are simplicity, integrity and learning.” … ”In particular the energy, water, materials, and surface water sections are seriously flawed and have led to the installation of many poor designs and products which do not deliver environmental benefits, but rather cause unnecessary waste and cost. The Zero Carbon Homes policy was also fundamentally misconceived. No-one knew what it meant when it was announced and the Zero Carbon Hub has now spent three years of intense work trying to make the impossible possible.”
You can read the article here.
Tags: Sustainability Policy, sustainable housing, Uk Legislation
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The ‘Code for Sustainable Homes’
Posted on February 15th, 2011
The UK Government’s Code for Sustainable Homes is a set of environmental standards for designing and constructing new houses. These standards are higher than existing building regulations requirements. The aim is to not only reduce carbon emissions due to housing activity, but also improve social sustainability, “through designing and building homes that are affordable to heat and run and pleasant to live in”.
There are as many as nine categories of performance measurement for a home - energy use and CO2 emissions, water use, materials, surface water run-off, waste, pollution, health and wellbeing, management and ecology. A builder needs to meticulously understand and follow the sustainability aims in each of these nine enviro-social categories, in order to achieve some of them before being eligible to gain a Code rating from level 1 (entry level) to level 6 (zero carbon).
You can download the Code technical guidance here. You can also get case studies of sustainable homes built to the standards laid down by this code.
And if you are an environmentally conscious architect or builder, you will be happy to know that a sustainable housing project for building a large number of dwelling units based on this Code’s Level 6 (Zero Carbon) scheme has recently been approved for implementation in Peterborough.
Tags: Carbon Emissions, Code for Sustainable Home, Environmental Standards, sustainable housing
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