Sustainability

Question 1

What is sustainability?

Answer 1

• To meet the needs of today without compromising future generations from meeting their needs.

Question 2

What are the key principles of sustainability?

Answer 2

• Social - building healthy communities with sufficient numbers and range of buildings.
• Economical - Build strong, responsive, competitive economies ensuring sufficient land and right types.
• Environmental - Contributing towards the protection and enhancement of natural, built and historical environment.

Question 3

What are the common environmental issues on construction sites?

Answer 3

• Risk of water pollution.
• Air and noise pollution.
• High energy consumption and carbon emissions.
• Risk of land contamination.
• High wastage production into landfill.

Question 4

What legislation affects sustainability in construction?

Answer 4

• Agricultural Land Act - Enables land to be acquired for a particular purpose for example to control pests and weeds.
• Building Act - Primary piece of UK legislation that enables the Building regulations to be enforced. Assists in the conservation of fuel and power, prevent waste, misuse of contamination of water and to ensure those in and around buildings are kept safe.
• Clean Air Act - Provides local authorities within England to introduce measures in order to control air pollution.
• Climate Change Act - Legally binding framework to tackle climate change. It imposed targets to cut greenhouse emissions compared with 1990 levels 34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050.

Question 5

What are the key Building Regulations that relate to sustainability in construction?

Answer 5

• Part L - Conservation of fuel and power.
• Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations:
  
  • Requires EPC’s are produced for dwellings and non-dwellings.
  • Quantifies energy efficiency of buildings.
  • Required when buildings are built, sold or rented.

Question 6

What different codes of practice are there for measuring sustainability?

Answer 6

• BREEAM - Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method.
  
  • Sets best practice standards for the environmental performance of buildings through specification, design and construction and operation.
  • Assessment is undertaken by a licenced assessor.
  • Applies to all new and refurbishment projects, domestic and non-domestic.
• SKA Rating - An RICS Environmental assessment method for non-domestic fit outs such as office refurbishments.
  
  • Is an alternative to BREEAM which can have higher costs in comparison.
• LEED - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
  
  • Is the US equivalent of BREEAM.

Question 7

What procedures does your firm implement to promote sustainability?

Answer 7

• Recycling of cardboard, paper and plastics.
• Use of energy efficient lighting (LED’s).
• Cycle to work schemes.
• Reduce printing by using cloud based systems.

Question 8

Name some sustainable building methods?

Answer 8

• Use of recycled materials such as reclaimed timber, recycled tiles and plastics.
• Ground source heat pumps.
• Air source heat pumps.
• Solar panels.
• Wind turbines.
• Green roofs.
• Automated building systems (lighting sensors).

Question 9

What are green roofs?

Answer 9

• A roof covering that is partially of completely covered in vegetation over a waterproof membrane.
• Advantages include:
  
  • Absorb rainwater.
  • Provide extra insulation.
  • Increase biodiversity by providing habitats for wildlife.
  • Aesthetically pleasing.
  • Lower urban air temperatures.
• Disadvantages include:
  
  • High upfront cost.
  • Increased structural load.
  • Specialist trades required.
  • Heavy maintenance.
  • Unquantifiable benefits.

Question 10

What is an EPC?

Answer 10

• Energy Performance Certificate.
• Introduced in 2007 and are a legal requirement for a building to be sold, let or constructed.
• Once obtained, EPC is valid for 10 years.
• Based on a scale of A-G with A being most efficient and G being least efficient.

Question 11

What is MEES?

Answer 11

• Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards.
• Introduced to set a minimum EPC rating of E for rented residential and commercial buildings.
• Introduced in 2015.
• To help improve energy efficiency within buildings.
• As of April 2018, buildings with energy ratings of F and G are unlettable.

Question 12

How can you contribute to promote sustainability?

Answer 12

• Printing only when necessary.
• Car sharing.
• Recycling.
• Use of cycle to work schemes.
• Encourage more hybrid working and minimise use of having to come into the office.
• Avoid using plastic bottles.
• Use of cloud based storage systems.

Question 13

What percentage of UK carbon emissions are attributed to the built environment?

Answer 13

Approximately 40%-45%.

Question 14

What is carbon offsetting?

Answer 14

A practice aimed at compensating for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions generated by human activities by investing in projects or activities that reduce or remove an equivalent amount of CO2 from the atmosphere. The goal of carbon offsetting is to mitigate the environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change.

Question 15

What are the BREEAM percentage requirements for each certification?

Answer 15

Outstanding - above 80%.
Excellent - 70%.
Very Good - 55%.
Good - 45%.
Pass - 30%.
Unclassified - below 30%.