Steep Analysis

Today’s Designers, Architects and Constructors have a duty of care to strive to produce energy efficient and energy saving buildings. Where possible the sustainability of resources / materials and techniques must be a primary concern in the decision making process.

This manifesto proposes an approach to sustainable design that I am interested in exploring during my time studying architecture. The idea of sustainability is a complex one, not without apparent contradictions. This makes it difficult to define in a wholly satisfactory manner. For the purposes of this manifesto I will advert to the definition proposed by Jason McLennan who asserts that sustainable design: “seeks to maximize the quality of the built environment, while minimizing or eliminating negative impact to the natural environment.” I find this definition particularly useful in the emphasis which it places on quality. By quality, in this

Producing guidelines, standards and codes such as Building Code of Australia, Green Star ratings and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings for new building and refurbishment projects is a good method to encourage, identify and implement sustainability in construction. In the past, sustainable construction meant traditional approaches to construction was more complex and extensive and less profits in projects to adopt sustainability products and processes. Sustainable construction however should be seen although complex, incorporates aspects of economic efficiency, environmental performance and social responsibility with the aim to meet the needs of today without compromising future’s needs (Lafarge Holcim Foundation

The future of the construction industry is dependent upon the ability to transform the practices of successful businesses into leadership programs that are able to successfully complete LEED construction projects. The ability to complete these projects at a high level of expertise will help utilize green practices in the industry to reduce building emissions and the buildings carbon footprint on the planet. . LEED projects are defined by sustainability. The definition of sustainability is providing for the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to provide for their needs. Providing healthy, resource – conserving, energy-efficient buildings. “Green” building. Through this paper I will

Dhsspsni.gov.uk. 2014. Northern Ireland - Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. [online] Available at: http://www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/ [Accessed: 26 Mar 2014].

From the findings and recommendations of the Marmot report ‘Fair society healthy lives’ (2010) the government responded detailing plans for a reform. ‘Healthy lives, Healthy people: Our strategy for public health in England.’ was published in 2010 that outlined plans for a new service, ‘Public Health England’, which replaced the complex structures that existed and for local governments to become responsible and accountable for public health within their communities. Public health priorities locally are now based upon a joint strategic needs assessment (produced by local health and well-being boards) and national requirements set out by public health outcomes framework, which is supported by the new service ‘Public Health England’ (Department of Health, 2013)

Due to the fact that there is close link between environmental situation and human health, people should struggle to achieve sustainability and improve

In modern times, there has become a greater desire from those in the construction industry to work together to create more environmentally sustainable buildings. Clients have an incentive to request more environmentally sustainable buildings to satisfy potential regulations, to cut down on energy costs, and potentially to gain favourable publicity/media. Designers are ever-more encouraged to propose innovative buildings which optimise materials and techniques to ensure greater environmental sustainability in an effort to win contracts. In a planet where resources are diminishing at an exponential rate, and civilization is accepting the detrimental impact contemporary living is having on the

As the book “Guía básica de la sostenibilidad” states: “The construction industry is responsible of 50% of the global warming with the energy used in heating, illuminating and ventilating buildings.”(Edwards, 2004) Therefore sustainability, which is understood as: “a condition of existence which enables the present generation of humans and other species to enjoy social wellbeing, a vibrant economy, and a healthy environment without compromising the ability of future generations of humans and other species to enjoy the same.””

Sustainable construction must be considered as the proper response to the ongoing practices that are currently applied in the construction industry to deliver its products. A study carried out by BREA and AEAT reveals that only “in England, construction, demolition and refurbishment activities produce around 33% of all waste”; furthermore, “around 380 million tonnes of resources are consumed by the construction industry each year” (BRE; AEAT, 2012). The scope of the negative impact the construction industry is having upon the environment through processes such as the acquiring of materials, the procedures undertaken to develop products and their eventual deposition, became a UK government must-solve issue. Tony Blair, as a reply to the global scientific consensus of climate change being a result of human activity stated that “we can move the debate from whether there is a problem to how to deal with it” (HM Government, 2011).

Sustainability is becoming an ongoing trend in construction. This word in reference to construction means to be built sturdy while not depleting the environment around it. According to Lafargeholcum Foundations [1], “Sustainability is one of the worlds most talked about but least understood words, its meaning

Data related to energy efficiency, utilities and construction is really difficult to obtain for a building, as many multifamily owners and operators never benchmark the energy performance of their building. This critical shortage of information about building energy performance has prevented property markets from valuing energy efficiency and severely undermined both public and private efforts to increase the energy efficiency of multifamily housing. This has really affected the development of energy efficient and green policies in multi family building. Green building is about improving our design and construction practices so that the multifamily homes we build today will last longer, cost less to operate, and won’t harm the health of workers and residents. It is also about protecting natural resources and improving the built environment so that ecosystems, people, enterprises and communities can thrive and prosper.

As people known, to use renewable resource and to save energy or comfortable indoor environment is far from the overall picture. Because construction mentioned above is an industry which include many aspects such as land use and application of advanced technology, etc. Therefore if we want to define what is green building we should recognize the whole industrial chain included each aspects and unintended environment, social, economic, consequence brought possibly of complex activity. Kats (2003) in his article stated that the sustainable or green building should deal with those key points: environment, resource & energy consumption, impact on people, financial impact and the world at large which is a broader set of issues such as ground water recharge or global warming, as well governmental policies are typically concerned about (Kats, 2003, P. 1). And another institute, Office of the federal Environmental Executive (2003) defined green building as the practice of increasing the efficiency with which

Over the semesters, civil engineering has evolved as a practical-oriented rather than a theoretical discipline. In addition, the courses pursued in this major have provided more insights on the interdisciplinary scope of this discipline. Since sustainable construction is a contemporary issue in engineering, care should be taken to ensure that construction activities do not pollute the environment (Delatte et al p. 47). In fact, ethical practices in civil engineering have bridged the

Secondary case studies about the housing project at Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh and housing project at Trichi, Tamil Nadu gave me an insight on sustainability accessing the built mass and how it could be used to the advantage of generating a better environment that connects the sustainability with the built environment.