Sustainable Construction
Building In Sustainability
Who Needs the Guide?
Anyone who is planning a building project - from a single house to a new 300-home estate, from a barn conversion to a new purpose-built warehouse - can build in a more sustainable way. The Guide - "Building-In Sustainability: a Guide for Development in the North East" has been produced by a group of companies, developers, Councils and agencies in the North East Region: specifically to give guidance on how development can become more energy-efficient, better-planned and designed, and more integrated with the local community.
Aims of the Guide
The Guide aims to:- Advance the understanding of Sustainable Development among the many organisations and individuals involved in the development process in the North East.
- Encourage developments which safeguard the environment, whilst protecting and enriching it for future generations.
- Provide practical advice, presented in a usable and stimulating way, to encourage, educate and inspire the reader to apply Sustainable Development thinking to each situation and locality.
- Illustrate how the principles of Sustainable Development can be applied at each stage, from site identification, through construction to reuse and regeneration.
- Give examples of best practice and issues from the North East.
About the Guide
Thirteen Ways to Build SustainablyConsider the Development Process
- Think about Reusing Buildings and Land.
- Design for Minimum Waste.
- Aim for Lean Construction.
- Minimise Energy in Construction and Use.
- Do not Pollute.
- Conserve and Enhance Biodiversity.
- Conserve Water Resources.
- Respect People and their Local Environment.
- Think about the Whole Place.
- Give People Transport Choices.
- Conserve Minerals and Plan Carefully.
- Think about the Countryside.
- Make a Commitment to Sustainable Regeneration.
- The Rules of Thumb.
- What they can mean on the ground.
- Examples of Good Practice from around the North East.
- where to go for more information: references, phone numbers, web links.
Rules of Thumb
Conserve water in and around the building:- Ensure all sanitary fittings are waterefficient and working properly - fit low volume flush WCs, urinal controls and flow restrictors to taps.
- Provide porous hard surfaces to enable water to drain away.
- Recycle grey water, eg water from the roof to flush systems.
- Carry out a water assessment of existing water quality and quantity.
- Set a target for natural water storage.
- Design in Sustainable Urban Drainage.
- Buffer strips can protect watercourses.
- Consider using reed bed technology to filter waterborne waste.
The guide suggests ways of building which reduce energy loss, satisfy legislation and avoid penalties, increase marketability, offer lower or comparable construction costs and enhance the company image.
Save Time
Building sustainably means a smoother ride through the approvals process, fewer battles with the authorities, less likelihood of neighbourhood objections.Save the Ozone Layer and Help Safeguard the Future for your Children!
The result should be a North East Region which uses less petrol, less land, and fewer of the Earth's other finite resources - and which puts less pollution out into the air and water we all need and share.How to get hold of the Guide and Summary
Ask - at the information desk of County and District Planning Departments.Look on the web - A website has been developed at www.buildinginsustainability.co.uk
Write to
Environment
Durham County Council
County Hall
Durham
DH1 5UQ
Ring - them on 0191 3833837.
