Entries for March 2008

The central Dutch municipality of Almere has signed a contract with energy supplier Nuon “to build an island composed of solar collectors”, the Sun Island thus created being “the fourth largest in the world and unique in the Netherlands” when it opens in June, 2009.

The first ever BREEAM Awards for Wales have seen three developments recognised for outstanding achievement in environmental design and management. Over 100 buildings in Wales have now been assessed and certified under the scheme and the Awards are designed to showcase the best of them. Pembrokeshire College’s new construction and technology block and George Wimpey North West’s ecohomes in Ruthin (above) both secured an Excellent rating while the Welsh Development Agency’s BREEAM Offices in Llanidloes have been used to focus the minds of clients and designers on current needs.

The Waste & Resources Action Plan has launched a site waste management plan template to enable contractors to develop performance indicators for waste and materials and to monitor their performance. The site waste plans become a mandatory requirement for construction work over £300,000 from April and the template includes guidance for each step of preparation. “Now that SWMPs are to become mandatory we wanted to provide an approach that would not just help the sector and its clients comply with the legislation, but also offer the opportunity to identify and deliver good practice in reducing waste and using materials more effectively,” said programme manager for waste minimization and management Mervyn Jones.

A cross-border project in Ireland to examine two types of solar-powered ventilation technologies has shown both improve indoor air quality, reduce mould and condensation and improve the occupants’ health and well-being. The CLEVER project looked at the Nuaire Drimaster Ecosmart and Sunwarm technologies combined with energy efficiencies throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic. The project recommends developing further solar ventilation systems be installed.

“More work needs to be done, but one thing is clear: if we’re interested in quick wins to minimise the amount of carbon dioxide we pump out in the next 50 years, we need to place far greater emphasis on reusing the buildings we’ve already got,” Henry Oliver, policy advisor, Empty Homes Agency, The Times, 14 March

Some representatives from the fragmented building industry UK are now strutting around claiming to be green heroes, leading us to the land of eco-efficiency.

The Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers launched the Low Carbon Performance Awards at their annual dinner in March this year. The awards recognise individuals and organisations who promote sustainability through CIBSE’s 100 Days and Low Carbon Consultant schemes. The winner of the first Low Carbon Pioneer Award – honouring people who champion sustainability both in the UK and internationally –  was Bill Bordass, founder of the Usable Buildings Trust.

The  latest British Construction Industry awards were launched in March with categories that include the BCIA Regeneration Award and BCIA Conservation Award.  The awards will be presented at a prestigious dinner to be held at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London’s Park Lane on Wednesday 8 October 2008. An application form can be downloaded from  http://www.bciawards.org.uk/downloads/index.asp

The shortlist has been announced of architects to work with Choices for Grahame Park Ltd (CfGP), part of Genesis Housing Group, and Barnet Council to deliver the flagship regeneration of the disadvantaged 1970’s, GLC-built Grahame Park Estate.

A shortlist of five architectural practices has been chosen from over 60 applicants to take part in a competition to design the re-development of the ‘City North Site’ in Finsbury Park, north London.

The successful applicants are:

Benson & Forsyth LLP

Studio Egret West

Panter Hudspith Architects

FLACQ

John McAslan & Partners