Sustainability to L2 SoE Q’s Flashcards
What are the 3 pillars of sustainability?
Environmental: - Preventing harmful and potentially irreversible impacts on the environment Contribute to protecting and enhancing our natural, built and historic environment.
Social: - Respond to the needs of the wider community. Building healthy communities with sufficient numbers and range of buildings.
Economical: - Efficient use of resources, labour, design meets client requirements.
What should you do if the client doesn’t want to go with sustainability?
(See rule 3 of rules of conduct, example behaviours)
Clarify the importance of sustainability for all, the wider community including the client.
When might you advise on
SKA over BREEAM?
SKA rating is an environmental assessment method, benchmark and standard for non-domestic fit-outs, led and owned by RICS. Helps landlords and tenants assess fit-out projects against a set of sustainability good practice criteria.
What are the levels of SKA?
Easy to understand:
Bronze, Silver and Gold, plus a percentage score
What are the levels of
BREEAM?
Unclassified - Less than 30
Pass - Between 30 & 44
Good - Between 45 & 54
Very Good - Between 55 & 69
Excellent - Between 70 & 84
Outstanding - Above 85
Have you encountered any sustainable methods of construction on any of your projects?
Solar panels have been specified on the Office Refurb project.
Natural ventilation and a air source heat pump have been specified on the PBSA project .
Do you think there has been a shift to constructing more sustainable buildings?
Yes, the outcome of the COP conventions has highlighted the importance of building more sustainably.
Changes to the building regulations have also highlighted this, with the inclusion of Building Regs Part S - Infrastructure for charging electric vehicles.
Building Regs Part Z - Embodied Carbon, is a proposed amendment which is set to be approved.
The construction industry accounts for 36% of worldwide energy usage, and accounts for 40% of global carbon emissions.
What does BREEAM stand for? What is the purpose of BREEAM?
Building Research Establishment
Environmental Assessment Method
Purpose of BREEAM is to focus on sustainable value and measure sustainability performance through a series of categories:
1.Energy - Reducing energy usage through processes like a naturally ventilated facade
2.Land use and ecology
3.Water
4.Health and Wellbeing
5.Pollution - Reduce overall carbon
emissions produced during construction
6.Transport - Building close to local transport links
7.Materials - Use sustainable materials such as recycled steel
8.Waste - Reduce waste from site, undertake cut and fill to reduce this
9.Management
What are the different environmental assessment methods used to assess
sustainability?
• SKA
• LEED
NABERS
What is an EPC?
• Energy Performance
Certificate
When are EPC’s required?
They are required before any home is let or sold.
There is a minimum requirement that all rental properties have a minimum rating of C or better.
How does a DEC differ to an EPC?
A Display Energy Certificate is for public buildings and must be displayed.
Any building regulations you know relating to sustainability?
• Building regulations Part L -
Conservation of Fuel and Power
• Building regulations Part O -
Overheating
• Building regulations Part s -
Infrastructure for Charging Electric
Vehicles
Please provide on site examples which contribute to sustainability?
Some methods that may contribute to sustainability would be reuse of existing materials. Undertaking a cut and fill exercise will identify whether spoil can be reused on site and reduce the need for transportation off site.
What is embodied carbon?
Carbon emissions generated from all the activities involved in the creation and demolition of a building.