To achieve sustainable design, material selection, and construction are no different to those required to achieve any other aspect of good design. The process relies on an understanding of the potential environmental issues, to compliment and contextualise what is already known among these professional experts.
Sustainable construction has straightforward aims: to minimise waste on and off site; reuse materials and make use of those reused or recycled; avoid complex components that are difficult to recycle at end of life; and choose construction systems that can be delivered by local operatives by existing or new skill sets.
Design is a holistic process that seeks to create the best solution across a broad range of requirements, which includes social and economic sustainability as well as environmental responsibility. A good designer will always look first at exploiting the opportunities of the site and the client's brief to produce a building which, as far as possible, works passively to minimise energy and resource use. The next step is to incorporate technologies for minimising resource demand that are appropriate to the site, the building occupants’ needs and their capacity to manage and operate them. Also, designing to enable future change of use, easy maintenance, and eventual disassembly and reuse will lengthen the lifespan of a building and minimise its overall impact.
EAUC-Scotland's Sustainable Construction Topic Support Network (TSN) is open to all, providing an opportunity for those working in or with the further and higher education sector to share ideas and questions and to get together to hear from particular speakers or discuss topics of interest.
Smart Minds = Smart Buildings – A ‘neural network’ approach for energy efficient buildings Researchers and students from the School of Mechanical...
Nurturing the Future – University of Tasmania, Inveresk Student Apartments The University of Tasmania’s Inveresk Apartments project is an innovative,...
AUDE's Higher Education Estates Management Report (EMR) 2017
The Lincoln College Group - carbon reduction case study with Salix funding
University of Reading - carbon reduction case study with Salix funding
The Green Guide to Specification An environmental profiling system for construction materials
Maintaining the green. Living the sporting dream
Smashing 35
Medical School carbon reduction strategies
Achieving carbon reductions above and beyond the basics!
Greening West Anglia
The Public Bodies Climate Change Duties came into play in 2016 with annual reports due each November. The universities and colleges of Scotland are supported by SSN and the...
Organised by the University of Oxford and the University of Warwick, the EAUC chaired an event exploring approaches to capital project delivery.
A look at the 'Wider Influence' section of the Scottish Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Reporting which is due each year on 30 November
EAUC-Scotland Energy TSN and ALUC Utilities UIG Meeting in St Andrews. Minutes include APUC-Scotland, Presentations from University of St Andrews and JRF Chimney
This workshop presentation is from the “Global Goals: Local Action” EAUC Annual Conference 2017, presented by Rob Callaghan, Sustainability Officer - University...
This workshop presentation is from the “Global Goals: Local Action” EAUC Annual Conference 2017, presented by Fraser Lovie, Policy Adviser - University of Aberdeen....
Resources from the 'Financing and Managing Projects for Change' Summit from the EAUC-Scotland Conference 2017.
John Bailey, Head of Sustainability, University of London emailed the Members’ network asking, “We are hoping to create some guidance for architects and designers...
This link provides an overview of the BREEAM In-Use scheme. BREEAM In-Use International is an assessment method which assists property investors, owners, managers and occupiers...
This link provides an overview of the BREEAM refurbishment and fit-out (RFO) standard and a link to the standard itself. The RFO scheme allows real estate investors, developers...
This paper sets out the future strategic approach for the materials category within the BREEAM schemes.
This briefing paper gives an overview of how the schemes and assessment methodologies have evolved in response to changes in industry knowledge and practice, how they might...
This paper sets out some of the issues in BREEAM which aim to improve the mitigation, adaptation and resilience in buildings.
This document aims to bring together the findings of such publications and in doing so present the business case for maximising sustainability through BREEAM certification of...
This briefing paper sets out the future direction for health and wellbeing in BREEAM and how we are collaborating with international partners to promote a healthier and safer...
This link provides an overview of the BREEAM Communities scheme and a link to the actual scheme manual. BREEAM Communities is a simple and flexible route to improving, measuring...
New research demonstrates how improving the energy performance of housing can also generate substantial savings for social landlords.
Two London based projects explore the potential for homes to balance the national grid Recent advances in technology offer some exciting opportunities to improve energy...
Moat has worked with the RE:NEW Support Team since 2013, mainly on its Pollards Hill project in the Borough of Merton. We spoke to Caroline to find out how Moat is working...
Like many housing providers Peabody is facing cuts to its domestic retrofit budget. This means demonstrating value for money is now more important than ever and Peabody is...
The RE:NEW Support Team has worked with Family Mosaic since 2014 to overcome the challenges in delivering retrofit initiatives across its London-wide housing stock.
With £180 million to invest in 13,500 homes over five years as part of the Decent Homes programme Tower Hamlets is looking to demonstrate value for money by carrying out...
Ealing Council is investing in energy saving measures to improve SAP ratings and value for money of its investment programme.
Hackney Council has worked with the RE:NEW Support Team for two years and has already replaced over 600 boilers with affected residents’ fuel bills being halved.
The RE:NEW Support Team has developed a comprehensive technical risk toolkit to help protect your investment and minimise the risks associated with retrofit projects.
The RE:NEW framework is designed to help organisations procure energy reduction and generation measures efficiently, effectively and economically.
RE:NEW helps organisations such as London boroughs, housing associations, and universities to implement retrofit projects and alleviate fuel poverty. It is doing this through:...
Read the latest edition of the RE:NEW newsletter and the Support Team blogs.
The RE:NEW Team has completed extensive analysis with Orbit Group to gather evidence on how poor energy performance contributes to wider housing management costs. This report...
The £25 million Biomass Energy Centre & District Heating Network for the University of St Andrews has been celebrated at one of Scotland’s most prestigious...
45 min webinar focusing on how to use staff engagement to increase workplace energy efficiency of
On Tuesday 4th October the Sustainable Construction Topic Support Network met at the University of Edinburgh to discuss current issues and priorities in sustainable construction...
On Tuesday 4th October 2016, representatives of the RICS SKA for HE team presented to the EAUC-Scotland Sustainable Construction TSN as part of their national...
Global modular flooring specialist, Interface, has helped the University of Coventry to create a flexible, open-plan space in its Frederick Lanchester Library.
Extracting carbon savings from our science labs A £1.025 million estate-wide review and upgrade of science laboratory ventilation, covering 252 fume cupboards to...
EAUC Silver Company Member BuroHappold present their case study ''University of Strathclyde Health and Sports Sciences".
Major energy and carbon reduction works at Grade II Listed 1934 -2010 Built Environment – Cambridge University Library This project has successfully demonstrated how...
4C – Co-generation Carbon Climate Care The University has built an energy centre with a combined heat and power (CHP) plant and introduced a range of energy saving...
Soft landings: Keeping it REAL At the University of the West of England (UWE) Bristol, Soft Landings is all about keeping it REAL: Realistic – Embedded – Active...