Sustainability
Decarbonising Transport
Climate change is the most pressing environmental challenge of our time. The scientific evidence suggests that we need to take action now, and the UK Government is making this a priority. In June 2019 the UK became the first major global economy to pass a law that requires the country to achieve 'net zero' greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.
Future Health of Buildings
COVID-19 has created two new requirements for buildings: 1. owners and occupiers need to provide an objectively safe indoor environment and 2. they must communicate trust and a sense of welcome to those coming through the doors. While both are critical, they do not necessarily align.
Health and Wellbeing in Schools
How the built environment impacts health and wellbeing represents a critical and growing area of sustainability. We are increasingly aware of the connection between where we are and how we are. It is no surprise that the newest and most popular sustainability certifications for commercial buildings – the WELL Building Standard and Fitwel – focus on the building/body connection.
Office Well-Being
Unlike other sustainable items, buildings do not communicate in simple terms what they are made of and why they are good for you. Yet all of us are making stronger connections between where we are and how we are, all the time.
Stora Enso: The Case for Wood
Stora Enso, a Finnish manufacturer of renewable packaging, biomaterials, paper and wooden constructions, has developed a new flexible, modular wooden office concept.
Is BREEAM Sustainable?
Traditionally, measures of sustainability on building projects – for example BREEAM1 and LEED2 have been based on a very specific and prescriptive set of “environmental” criteria – energy use, water consumption and even proximity to public transport. However, the effectiveness and value of these forms of certification is under question. Why?
Green Lending
Green lending is the means by which commercial lenders provide development finance to borrowers who develop green buildings or retrofit existing buildings with green or environmentally responsible features. The lending is conditional on the borrower fulfilling certain environmental criteria. Generally, this means that the borrower’s sustainability strategy is closely scrutinised.
Next Generation Sustainability
In this article we look at the impact on sustainability when three worlds collide: health and wellbeing, technology and real estate.