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

South East Northumberland and North Tyneside Regeneration Initiative (Senntri) and its public sector partners, One North East, English Partnerships and Blyth Valley Borough Council, are looking for a single developer or consortium to work on a mixed use scheme  that will form part of the Blyth town centre and quayside regeneration programme. The development will span two sites, Commissioners Quay and Dun Cow Quay, situated close to each other in the Blyth harbour area. More details can be obtained from www.blythdevelopmentopportunity.org.

The Midlands Regional Development Agency, Advantage West Midlands (AWM),  and Wolverhampton City Council are  looking for a development partner to undertake building work  relating to leisure, sports, culture, lodging and restaurants on its 91-hectare  site adjacent to the M54Motorway on the boundary between South  Staffordshire and Wolverhampton. The development is to be called  i54 and will consist of  offices, workspace, industrial units, education and research, hotel,  ancillary services, open space, associated highways, footpaths and  landscaping with a total amount of floor space of 235 000 m². For further information on the masterplan development framework plan visit www.i54online.com.

The Welsh Assembly Government is seeking a development partner to work with it to deliver a sustainable, mixed use development scheme on a 1.2 ha site within the town centre of Rhyl, North Wales, that is to be retail led with some office space. Expressions of interest are invited from consortia, including developers with a track record in delivering retail schemes, and a design team with significant experience and good reputation in this area. The Welsh Assembly Government is looking for  developers with a proven track record in successfully working in partnership with the public sector, and a strong commitment to urban regeneration and sustainability .            

SB policy consultant Dr David Lowry reports from last month’s giant Eco-build exhibition and conference at London’s Earl’s Court Exhibition  centre

The number of conferences on sustainability and green issues grew dramatically this year at MIPIM. SB sat in on some and reports on what was said. Ian Grant reports.