Energy & Sustainability

An innovation to increase the circular economy for the construction industry has scooped an Eco-Innovation Award for tackling climate change.

Peter Crush explores PlanRadar’s research project The Architecture of the Future into trends, priorities and strategies for construction in 12 countries.

We speak to Sam Lott about his upcoming CABE Webinar that will look at the ever-developing world of electric vehicle charging provision and how Approved Document S now affects construction projects.

The Building Research Establishment (BRE) has completed a consultation on updating its sustainability assessment method BREEAM.

Last Wednesday (22 June) saw the continuation of CABE’s Built Environment series, with the CABE team, members and experts alike gathering at Cardiff Metropolitan University for Built Environment Wales.

Colin Donnelly, Health, Safety & Environmental Manager at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions, says many companies understand the need to decarbonise – but there is a significant lack of action.

A project, led by the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering’s (NMITE) Centre for Advanced Timber Technology (CATT) and funded through the Forestry Commission’s Timber in Construction Innovation Fund, is exploring ways to boost the use of English hardwood forest products across the built environment.

Matt Lamy explores the Flitch End development in Braintree, which uses an innovative air source and electric hybrid solution to heat 56 separate apartments.

The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) and its network of over 75 Green Building Councils have launched a set of principles aimed at guiding national governments to develop effective building policies and programmes to accelerate a decarbonised future.

Sixty pilot natural flood management projects, such as restoring meanders to canalised rivers, recreating wetlands that store flood water, and planting trees and hedges by rivers that also help absorb water, have helped protect 15,000 homes and create storage for up to 1.6m cubic metres of flood water, while also helping nature recovery on 380 miles (610km) of river and 4,000 hectares of wetlands and woodlands.

Steve Bennett, Managing Director at Dura Products, discusses the benefits of innovating with recycled materials.

Elmhurst Energy’s Chris Ricketts discusses how traditional masonry homes can pass new energy efficiency tests following the updated Building Regulations.

Keepmoat has launched Hedgehog Highways, a series of 13cm-by-13cm holes included in its developments’ fences as standard, to help hedgehogs pass through with ease.

Understanding building engineering and energy, as well as people, is key to a green future. Denise Chevin talks to Dr Deborah Adkins about her research into making our homes more sustainable.

With heavy rain intensifying and authorities under pressure to provide homes, how do developers successfully build on floodplains? Raj Somal, Director at sustainable engineering consultancy Dice, explores the issues

English Heritage’s plans to establish 100 wildflower meadows at historic sites to celebrate the King’s coronation have been welcomed by native wildflower seed supplier Bradford Green. “Our ancient meadows drastically declined after WWII.

World Environment Day 2023

Denise Chevin reviews the NHBC Foundation’s report Building Foundation Solutions – Future Proofing Against Climate Change. It focuses on foundation design and its application in making new homes more resilient to the effects of extreme weather events caused by climate change.

Charles Creed, Design Co-ordination Manager at Façade Remedial Consultants (FRC), part of the RSK Group, explains how we can better manage waste cladding materials.

The National Federation of Builders (NFB) has hit out at plans for developers to buy nutrient credits for building on protected wildlife sites where pollutants such as nitrogen and phosphorus have leached into rivers, claiming that intensive farming is the real culprit, with fertilisers and animal excrement the main cause of river pollution.