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Sustainable design
The way we design and operate our buildings can have a large
impact on the environment and climate change. Redbridge Council
encourages the use of sustainable design principles within all
developments, big or small.
It is important to design sustainability .jpg "Picture of cranbrook primary school")
into your development from the outset. This not only
benefits the environment, but can also save in operational costs
once built. It can also improve the liveability and workability of
the internalenvironments, through features such as,natural
ventilation and lighting.
Buildings energy use
Redbridge Council supports the Mayor of London's approach to
reducing carbon emissions in buildings. The following energy
hierarchy should be followed at building design stage:
Be lean: energy efficient
design
- passive solar design / orientation, utilising the sun for
heating and lighting
- passive ventilation, for cooling of buildings
- managing over heating through shading devices
- insulation: high quality roof, wall and floor insulation
- air tightness
- use of energy efficient appliances and lighting throughout the
development.
Be clean: decentralised heat and
cooling systems
This primarily refers to Combined Heat and Power and or Cooling
systems, (CHP/CCHP). Once energy demand has been reduced by energy
efficient design, large developments must evaluate the feasibility
of CHP and CCHP system. Alternatively, buildings are to be designed
for future heating and cooling networks. See the London
Plan for more detail.
Be green: Low and zero carbon
technologies
Renewable and low carbon energy
technologies are then introduced within a development, to
further reduce a building's reliance on carbon dioxide emitting
fuels, mainly coal and gas. Like sustainable design principles
renewable energies should be considered at design stage, as
different technologies have varying sighting and storage
requirements.
For detailed information on sustainable design principles see
the Council’s supplementary planning guidance on Sustainable Design
and Construction or the
Mayor of London’s Sustainable design and Construction SPG. For
more information on the Mayors energy strategy visit the Mayor
of London's website.
The Energy Saving Trust also has detailed information about
sustainable design.
Please note
All new dwellings built must
achieve a minimum ‘code level 3’ of the Code for Sustainable Homes
and non residential building or extensions over 1000sqm must
achieve a minimum BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’. Find out
more on the Council’s Sustainability
Requirements page.
Other sustainable design principles
Sustainable design is not only about reducing the energy use of
buildings but also relates to such aspects as water, biodiversity,
building materials and liveability. Below are other sustainable
design issues that should be taken in to consideration at design
stage.
This is not an exhaustive list and it is encouraged that you
contact a consultant or architect (preferably with sustainability
credentials) to get further guidance on these and other design
principles.
Water
Where possible developments should install rainwater tanks.
Rainwater tanks can collect rainwater from the roof of buildings
and also hard paving. This water, dependent on the site, can be
used for watering gardens or to flush toilets.
Rainwater tanks are beneficial in reducing a development's
dependence on mains water and its impact on storm water drainage.
Water tanks can be placed under ground therefore limited above
ground storage is not an issue.
Sustainable materials
The materials used to construct buildings can also contribute
greatly to climate change. The sustainability of materials should
be considered prior to selection and purchase. This is because many
materials can, use a lot of energy or water to produce, come from
unsustainable sources (i.e old growth forests), can contain harmful
chemicals, or be produced on the other side of the world. The
purchase of many of these products can now be avoided. To find
out about the life cycle and sustainability of different building
materials visit BRE.
Sustainable drainage – large developments
Large building footprints and hard paving increase surface water
run off from a site, increasing the chance of flooding and can
reduce water quality. Using sustainable drainage systems allows
water to be better managed on site and limits surface water run
off. Large scale developments should consider the incorporation of
sustainable drainage systems. Visit the Environment
Agency for more detail.
Paving front gardens – Residential
Paving large areas of front or rear gardens can increase the
risk of flooding to your property. Paving should be kept to a
minimum and where required it should be permeable to allow water to
be absorbed into the ground. To find out more on the impact of
paving over front gardens and the alternatives, see
the Communities
and Local Government guidance.
Green roofs
Green roofs (also know as living roofs), walls and terraces
maximise the available areas within a development where vegetation
can be planted. They improve visual amenity, assist in absorbing
carbon dioxide, increase bio diversity, help regulate the
temperature of the building, increase amenity areas, and can assist
in decreasing the chance of flooding by reducing storm water run
off.
The Mayor for London with Design for London has produced a
technical report, Living Roofs and Walls, which
provides information on the various types of green roofs and the
environmental and social benefits each type can deliver.
Additionally, The Environment Agency has a created a
Green
Roof Tool Kit which provides information and guidance on green
roofs.
Vegetation
When designing front, rear and roof top gardens it is advise to
use native species. Using native species will assist in improving
the boroughs biodiversity. Additionally, native species are more
suited to soil and weather conditions so will have a higher
survival rate and are likely to need less water. Please visit the
Royal Horticultural Society for more
information.
Want to know more?
How about undertaking a course, learn the
technical details of sustainable design principles, tools and
energy assessments. BRE offer a wide range of
training courses.
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