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.
GreenBuild was a LGM project, mainly financed by the four UK funding bodies including HEFCE, and AUDE, with additional support from the Carbon Trust with two workstreams
CEBenchbuild is an Excel tool that allows HEIs and FECs to benchmark the energy performance of buildings on their estate and compare it to national yardsticks.
This document from HEFCE offers guidance for institutions on producing individual carbon reduction strategies, targets and associated carbon management plans.
This takes you to more information on the Carbon Trust Standard which is the world’s leading independent certification of an organisation’s impact on environmental...
This resource takes you to a page on the Carbon Trust's website which outlines the support offered to public sector bodies.
The Carbon Trust Standard for Carbon publicly recognises your organisation's efforts in reducing carbon emissions.
The link takes you to more information about the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme on the Carbon Trust's website.
This overview covers the main energy saving opportunities in lighting and presents low-cost measures without compromising working conditions.
A guide from TEC which discusses; Project Drivers, Project Guidance, Passive Energy Measures, Active Energy Measures, Renewable Energy, Water Measures, and Design Targets.
The Government Buying Standards (formerly the Buy Sustainable - Quick Wins) have been designed to make it easier for government buyers to buy sustainably.
Article 5 of the EU Energy Service Directive applies to energy usage for all Higher Education institutions.
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive came into force in January 2007 and aims to both reduce the amount of WEEE being produced and encourage everyone...
A link to the BRITA in PuBs website - an EU to explore retrospective refurbishment of buildings to make them more eco-friendly.
Salix has worked with 725 clients across the public sector, including local authorities, central government, schools, universities and colleges and NHS trusts.
Salix has worked with 725 clients across the public sector, including local authorities, central government, schools, universities and colleges and NHS trusts.
Salix has worked with 725 clients across the public sector, including local authorities, central government, schools, universities and colleges and NHS trusts.
Salix has worked with 725 clients across the public sector, including local authorities, central government, schools, universities and colleges and NHS trusts.
This Universities UK publication showcases the contribution of higher education institutions to this ‘greening’ agenda. Published 2008.
This technology overview introduces the main energy saving opportunities for motors and drives.
Different carbon prices between regions are likely to persist for many years - this report presents alternative solutions to the carbon leakage problem.
A Carbon Trust report on how non-domestic buildings can play a leading role in the UK's transition to a low carbon economy.
This guide introduces two types of carbon footprinting that affect businesses.
Practical advice: how to grow your business by improving green credentials. By making a business more sustainable, green growth can lead directly to business growth
Two examples of university buildings that have received BREEAM awards
Link to the HiPerBuild programme which takes forward HEEPI's decade long work on more sustainable buildings in universities and colleges.
A self assessment toolkit developed to promote consistent good-practice in Estates Management by enabling a good-practice standard
The AUDE Toolkit for a Sustainable Estate consists of tools and guidance. It assists estates professionals make best use of the physical assets of their university.
A publication from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors sets out the key issues and major challenges for sustainable property investment and management.
SustainabilityZone is designed to help companies in the construction industry improve the sustainability of their businesses through guidance and toolkits.
The LEEF is to invest in energy efficiency retrofit to public sector-owned and occupied buildings.
A case study from Harper Adams University regarding the introduction of alternative method of energy: photovoltaics.
A EAUC Member only resource which provides a 20 minute 'introduction to sustainability' elearning module to use as an engagement tool.