Going green is critical to reversing the effects of global warming, damage and depletion of the ozone layer. The year 2020 gave the world a chance to heal from the negative effects of climate change. Leading to reforestation, an increase in wildlife, & other refreshing impacts to the global ecosystem. However, the events that led to this recovery, were clearly not sustainable & were largely caused by enforced lockdowns & travel restrictions.
2021 requires a better approach to ensure that the conditions of the global human populace, the ecosystem, and our planet as a whole are well preserved. That is why it is imperative that more buildings are eco-friendly without the threat of environmental degradation. This feat can be achieved by following some principles, which are especially applicable to BtR developments.
Below are some steps for constructing green buildings. You can also find our other sustainability & development longevity articles here.
Plant More
This one will literally make your building greener in every sense of the word. Having many plants around a building is beneficial for the vital production of oxygen… the waste product of plants post consuming CO2. Today, there is widespread information available specifically surrounding air purifying plants that can increase air quality.
What’s more, research suggest that plants are actually beneficial to mental health and wellbeing. Something we consider to be an important factor in BtR’s moving forward. Plants are also shown to improve productivity – a perfect addition to any working from home amenity space & front desk area.
Today, many buildings are designed with green living walls and roofs to help achieve that eco-friendly environment.
Example: Citicape House, London
Citicape House, a hotel & mixed use build, is currently under construction. It is projected to be the greenest building in London when the construction is completed in the year 2024. Further, it will house Europe’s largest living wall.
The walls will be made of selected endangered British wildflowers. Selected, not only as a move to preserve their existence, but also due to their ability to produce lots of oxygen. The living wall and roof are expected to produce six tonnes of oxygen and to absorb eight tonnes of carbon pollution annually. Impressive & attractive.
Example: Crossway Zero Carbon Home, Kent
Designed by Richard Hawkes, Crossway was one of the first zero-carbon homes in the UK. It includes an arc-shaped roof covered in soil which helps retain heat though insulation. The home also uses a biomass boiler for further heating & generates its electricity by solar power.
The house was designed following inspiration from medieval architecture and whilst it’s a smaller scale to most BtR’s, it shows us the value of thinking outside the box.
Waste Less
Going green entails that only necessary materials are utilised to reduce the rate of waste. According to Statista, the British government spent 8.5 billion pounds on waste management in 2020.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs also states that the UK produced 136.2 million tonnes of construction waste in 2016. As well as 27.3 million tonnes of household waste. That is equivalent to 409kg per person!
Modern Methods of Construction can help to tackle waste with efficiency. With offsite production limiting the amount of waste brought to site & discarded.
Example: George Street, Croydon
Completed in just 26 months, these dual BtR Skyscrapers we built using 80% less waste.
Long-Term Thinking and Whole Life Costing
Whole Life Costing works best when it’s carried out during the design phase of a development. Thinking long term at the beginning – which is a must for BtR developers specifically, can make some items deemed to be higher cost, very appealing for the long term. You can learn more about Whole Life Costing here.
Example: Envac, wembley park
Envac is a waste collection system in Wembley Park, that has been in use since 2008. Envac can hold 6,000 tonnes of waste per year and provides three waste chutes for three different types of waste, which include food waste, dry recyclables, and non- recyclables. Waste separation is globally recognized as the most effective method of recycling waste.
Envac is expected to enable thousands of homes to effectively recycle waste and offer up to a 90% reduction of carbon emissions. This is primarily because no vehicles are required to convey residual and commercial waste.
Conclusion
As going green has become less of a marketing ploy and more of a necessity, being better is imperative. And, it’s not just the owners and developers who need to do more. Tenants (or consumers) who choose to live in greener buildings are also making a statement.
Nowadays, we are gifted with more & more examples of successful sustainable builds. Using inspiration from both the past & the future, we believe that every development can take steps to ensure they are creating more good than harm.
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