Architect’s Guide toSustainable Design andConstruction

Contents1 INTRODUCTION 32 THE DRIVERS FOR SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION 43 PUTTING A PRICE ON SUSTAINABILITY 54 HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE 65 SUSTAINABILITY APPRAISAL METHODOLOGIES AND CHECKLISTS 66 THE KEY THEMES OF SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION 77 SUSTAINABLE DESIGN 9

7.1 ENSURING LAND IS SAFE FOR DEVELOPMENT 107.1.1 Remediation of contaminated land 10

7.2 ENSURING ACCESS TO AND PROTECTION 12OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

7.2.1 Open space 137.2.2 Natural environment and biodiversity 14

7.3 REDUCING NEGATIVE IMPACT OF DEVELOPMENT 15ON THE LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

7.3.1 Noise 157.3.2 Air pollution 177.3.3 Light pollution 187.3.4 Water pollution and flooding 197.3.5 Microclimate 24CONSERVING NATURAL RESOURCES AND REDUCING 25CARBON EMISSIONS

7.3.6 Energy 257.3.7 Materials 307.3.8 Water 33

7.4 ENSURING COMFORT AND SECURITY IN 35AND AROUND THE DEVELOPMENT

7.4.1 Internal air quality 357.4.2 Natural light 357.4.3 Accessible to all 367.4.4 Secure design of developments 367.4.5 Safe routes to public transport 377.4.6 Safe and secure parking for personal transport 377.4.7 Principles of flood resistant design (where applicable) 38

8 SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION 398.1 MINIMISING THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION 40

PROCESS ON SITE AND SURROUNDINGS

9 SUSTAINABLE LIVING 439.1 ENCOURAGING SUSTAINABLE LIVING THROUGH 44

BUILDING DESIGN AND INFORMATION PROVISION

9.1.1 Promoting sustainable waste behaviour 449.1.2 Travel Plans 469.1.3 Information provision 479.1.4 Promoting reduction in energy use 47

10 APPENDIX B – DIRECTIVES, POLICY STATEMENTS AND BUILDING 49REGULATIONS ON SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

11 APPENDIX C – USEFUL WEBSITES 5012 APPENDIX D – PUTTING A PRICE ON SUSTAINABILITY: STUDY RESULTS 51

We all want to improve the quality of life inLondon and this guidance highlights theimportant contribution made by those involvedin the design and construction of newdevelopments. It is important to createdevelopments that are more cost effective torun, more secure, and that minimise theirenvironmental impact and provide healthy livingconditions, while respecting the area’s richheritage and distinctiveness.

This document is intended as a guide forarchitects and contractors when undertakingnew development. Careful consideration ofdesign and specification at an early stage canprovide significant savings compared with an adhoc approach and proposers of developmentwill benefit at the planning stage if theyunderstand the principles of sustainable designand construction prior to commencing thedesign work.

The development of this document has beeninformed by the Mayor of London’sSupplementary Planning Guidance onSustainable Design and Construction, whichprovides guidance to local planning authorities,architects and developers on how to meetLondon Plan policy for developments that arereferable to the Mayor.

Many planning authorities are now requiring thatdevelopments gain a rating under Code forSustainable Homes methodology, this guidetherefore shows the mandatory requirements ofthe Code and where there are opportunities togain further credits.

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1Introduction

Planning and Design● Building form and orientation: maximise

daylight● Cycle storage space● Internal recycling facilities● Material specifications● Specification of resource and energy efficient

services (heating, ventilation, water, etc)● Building Green

Construction● Considerate Constructors Scheme● Waste management● Air quality● Protecting biodiversity

Feasibility● Appoint BREEAM Assessor (where applicable)● Appoint ecologist● Appoint environmental consultant● Is there scope for renewables?● Location: public transport and utilities● Site conditions: geology, ecology and

contamination

➦➦

There are now many factors encouragingdesigners and developers to adopt moresustainable design and construction practices:

● Those companies that adopt forward thinkingapproaches will increase opportunities fordeveloping on sites being brought forward byinformed landowners (for example regionaldevelopment agencies) and building clients

● Growing awareness from shareholders,investors and the public has led to increasedpublic reporting on social and environmentalissues, with some developers now producingannual environmental, social or sustainabilityreports

● Socially responsible investment has placedpressure on companies to integrate social andenvironmental considerations into theirworking practices, and to adopt environmentalmanagement systems, creating greaterpressure from clients for buildings withreduced running costs and more attractiveand healthy working environments for theirstaff

● There is growing recognition that creatingdecent places for people to work and live,with high quality public spaces and amenitiescreates value and will lead to higherinvestment returns for developers.

● Planning authorities are setting increasinglyhigh standards for sustainability, adopting astrong sustainability strategy for alldevelopments will save time and money whensustainability is required on individualdevelopments

● The Government in conjunction with BREreleased the Code for Sustainable Homesrating scheme in April 2007, it is expectedthat this will become a mandatory requirementin a few years and Code Level 3 is alreadystipulated by the Housing Corporation andEnglish Partnerships for developments built ontheir land

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2The drivers for sustainable design and construction

It is commonly assumed that incorporatingsustainability features into a development willgreatly increase the costs of a building project.The BRE and Cyril Sweett study Putting a Priceon Sustainability 2005 contradicts thisassumption and illustrates that significantimprovements in performance can be achievedat very little additional cost.

As part of the study, the costs of achievingenhanced and exemplar environmentalperformance were investigated for four types ofbuilding:

● Ventilated office

● Air conditioned office

● Domestic dwelling

● Healthcare centre

These buildings were chosen to representBuilding Regulations-complaint, typical industryprojects in the UK. BRE’s suite of BREEnvironmental Assessment Method (BREEAM)tools were used to determine benchmarks ofenvironmental performance.

In the BREEAM scheme, several credits areavailable for aspects of the site and its location.These include proximity to local amenities andpublic transport, existing ecological value andwhether the site has been previously built upon.In the study the following three locationscenarios were assessed:

● Poor location (where no location credits areachievable)

● Typical location (where a selection of creditsare achievable; a brownfield site with limitedaccess to local amenities and publictransport, in an edge of town location)

● Good location (where all location credits areachievable)

An overview of the study results, including thepercentage increase on base build cost formeeting a BREEAM pass, good, very good orexcellent rating are provided in Appendix D.

Findings illustrated that reaching the higheststandards does incur costs, but carefulconsideration of design and specification at anearly design stage can provide significantsavings compared with an ad hoc approach.Low- or no-cost options identified, included:

● Specifying water efficient appliances

● Ensuring all timber is procured fromsustainably certified sources

●Committing to good construction practice(such as the Considerate ConstructorsScheme - see section 8 for furtherinformation)

● Providing low energy lighting

● Incorporating the principles of passive solardesign

The complete findings of this study have beenpublished in a BRE Trust report entitled Puttinga Price on Sustainability (FB10) and is availablefrom the BRE bookshop: www.bre.co.uk

A second report ‘Eco Chic or Eco Geek: Thedesirability of Sustainable Homes’ has beenpublished by the SPONGE SustainabilityNetwork which indicates the premiums thatdevelopers can achieve by building sustainablehomes. The main findings were:

● 52% of homebuyers are prepared to pay morefor a sustainable home

● 92% of homeowners would like sustainabilityfeatures offered as options on new homes,64% of homeowners think these featuresshould be compulsory

● 73% of homebuyers think energy efficient orwater saving features would be fairly or veryimportant when choosing their next home

● 2/3rds of homeowners would be prepared topay a monthly charge for sustainabilityservices

The executive summary of this report is availablefrom www.spongenet.org/lifestyle/

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3Putting a priceon sustainability

This guide discusses the themes of sustainabledesign and construction and illustrates therequirements of the Code for SustainableHomes

This guide does not contain case studies. Casestudies relating to sustainable design andconstruction can be found in Appendix D of theMayor of London’s Supplementary PlanningGuidance on Sustainable Design andConstruction www.london.gov.uk

Proposers of all development should submit asustainable design and construction proposalwith their planning application, in order tostrengthen their case.

This guide is not intended to tell designers howto design or what a sustainable building shouldlook like. It has been created in order tohighlight the key principles of sustainable designand the expectations of the Greater LondonAuthority and many local planning authoritieswith regard to the information on sustainabledesign and construction that should be suppliedwith planning proposals.

Certain developments are referable to the Mayorand will be required to comply with policycontained within the Mayor’s SpatialDevelopment Strategy, the London Plan. To findout more about the London Plan anddevelopment criteria for strategic referrals, visitwww.london.gov.uk.

The Mayor’s Climate Change Action Plan: ActionToday to Protect Tomorrow should also beconsidered when planning new developments.http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/environment/climate-change/docs/ccap_fullreport.pdf

There are a range of sustainable developmentappraisal methodologies and checklistsavailable, including BREEAM. It is becoming astandard requirement by local planningauthorities for new developments to meet aBREEAM1 standard:

● Residential developments can be assessed bythe Code for Sustainable Homes methodology

● Major non residential development can beassessed by BREEAM

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4How to use this guide

5Sustainabilityappraisalmethodologiesand checklists

1 BREEAM is a widely accepted as a benchmark for measuring environmental performance. It offersindependent assessment of a proposal using a range of criteria for which credits are given to reward positivesteps taken. BRE/ICE have developed a civil engineering companion assessment tool.

This guide addresses the following key themesof sustainable design and construction:

● Sustainable Design

❍ Ensuring land is safe for development

❍ Ensuring access to and protection of thenatural environment

❍ Reducing negative impact on the localenvironment

❍ Conserving natural resources and reducingcarbon emissions

❍ Conserving economic and social well-being

● Sustainable Construction

❍ Applying the principles of sustainability tothe construction process

In addition to sustainable design andconstruction, this guide also describes howproposers of development can facilitatesustainable living, through provision of facilitiessuch as cycle storage and recycling spaces andinformation on services operation (heating,water, ventilation, etc) for building occupiers.

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6The key themes of sustainabledesign and construction

Photo: Alexis Maryon

7SustainableDesign

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Throughout the UK there are thousands of sitesthat have been contaminated by previous use.Often this is associated with industrialprocesses or activities that have now ceased,but where waste products or remaining residuespresent a hazard to the general environment.

In London it is imperative that land is reused fordevelopment rather than development of green-field sites such as parks or woodland. As such,the development of contaminated sites mayoccur.

Proposers of development on potentiallycontaminated sites should arrange pre-application discussions with the planningdepartment and other regulators, including theEnvironmental Health and Building Controldepartments of the local council, the council’sarchaeological and nature conservation advisersand the Environment Agency (where pollution ofcontrolled water and the waste managementimplications of land contamination are likely tobe issues). Such discussions can help to identifythe likelihood and possible extent and nature ofcontamination and its implications for thedevelopment being considered. They can alsoassist in scoping any necessary environmentalimpact assessment and identify the informationthat will be required by the council to reach adecision on the application when it is submitted.

The DETR Circular 2/2000 Contaminated Land:Implementation of Part IIA of the EnvironmentalProtection Act 1990 gives statutory guidance onthe new regime for the treatment ofcontaminated land, as set out in Part IIA of theEnvironmental Protection Act 1990.

7.1.1 Remediation of contaminated land

Many early reclamation schemes in the UKrelied on the use of cover systems to limitexposure to contaminants at the surface of asite. The construction of physical barriers canrepresent a relatively simple low-costreclamation strategy, but is a predominantlycosmetic exercise that simply concealscontamination and results in property blight andincreased liability.

Alternative techniques such as bio-remediation,soil vapour extraction and soil washing areestablished in the UK and are frequentlycheaper than disposal. Therefore, there will be ageneral favouritism for on-site treatmentexpressed by local councils. The EnvironmentAgency will also generally be consulted whenthese remediation techniques are considered.

Bioremediation treats the contamination in situ,obviating the need to excavate and removelarge quantities of materials. The technique isbased around introducing microbes into the soilthat eat the contamination over a period ofmonths. It is particularly successful in thetreatment of hydrocarbon contamination, oftenfound on redundant garage and car breakerssites.

In most cases, bioremediation is not the singleanswer to a contamination problem, but shouldbe considered as part of an overall reclamationstrategy. Bioremediation is very effective inpermeable, sandy soils or gravels. It is lesseffective in heavy clays where it is difficult tobreak down the soil structure to one amenableto oxygen transfer and biodegradation activity.

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7.1Ensuring land is safe fordevelopment

Bioventing - this can be used to biodegradecontaminants above the water table, in theunsaturated zone. Extra oxygen is suppliedthrough one or more monitoring wells fitted withperforated pipes, to improve conditions fordegradation. Contaminant vapours are removedthrough peripheral boreholes, which promoteairflow through the contaminated soil. Nutrientscan be added to improve degradation.

Biosparging - this is effective in the saturatedzone below the watertable. Air is injected intothe saturated zone through boreholes finishedwith screened wells. It then forms small bubblesin the groundwater, encouraging the dissolutionof oxygen and the movement of air towards thesurface. As the air rises, it picks up the volatilecompounds in the groundwater and transfersthem to the unsaturated zone.

Injection and recovery (pump and treat) - thiseffectively creates the conditions of a bioreactorin the treated medium. Contaminatedgroundwater is pumped to a treatment tank onthe surface where nutrients and oxygen, alongwith other treatment substances such assulphate and nitrate are added. The partiallytreated groundwater is pumped back into thecontamination zone, where it stimulatesmicrobial activity2.

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2 Data Source: Environment Business Magazine (June 2002)

Code for Sustainable Homes: EcologyEco1: Ecological Value of the SiteCredits are awarded for developing on sites oflow ecological value, as assessed by a qualifiedecologist.

Eco2: Ecological EnhancementA suitably qualified ecologist should beemployed and all their key recommendationsshould be adopted. Additional credits areawarded if 30% of their other recommendationsare also adopted.

Eco3: Protection of Ecological FeaturesIf the site has features of ecological value thenprotection of these during site clearance,preparation and construction works warrants 1credit.

Eco4: Change of Ecological Value of the SiteUp to 4 credits can be gained if the number ofspecies present on the site is increased oncethe development is built, this would need to beverified by an ecologist.

Eco5: Building FabricCredits are awarded for building high densitydevelopments:

Ratio of net internal floor area: Net internal ground floor area CreditsHouses - 2.5:1, Flats - 3:1 1Houses - 3:1, Flats - 4:1 2

Open and green spaces can contribute to apositive image and vitality of areas. As Londonbecomes more compact and intensive in its builtform, the value of these open spaces willincrease. Open spaces will need to fulfil amultitude of functions, from educational tosocial and cultural to sport and recreation aswell as visual respite from the hard urban areas.

Urban green space has a number of beneficialimpacts on the microclimate of our towns andcities where the consequences of climatechange will be most severe. By creating daytimeshade and evaporative cooling at night, greenspace can moderate the urban heat islandeffect. With greater precipitation expectedduring winter months, green spaces will absorbstorm waters, thereby helping to lower the riskof urban flooding.

Green spaces and water spaces occupy two-thirds of London’s land area and encompass adiverse range of natural environment. Of this,about a third of the total area is in privategardens, a third in parks or in sports use and afurther third is in a wide range of othercategories, including much wildlife habitat.These open spaces support over 1500 speciesof flowering plants and 300 types of birds. Thediversity of wildlife they support adds topeople’s enjoyment of these areas.

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7.2Ensuring access to andprotection of the naturalenvironment

Code for Sustainable Homes: Health and Wellbeing Hea3: Private SpaceA credit is awarded if a private or communalprivate space is provided for residents of thedevelopment. 1m2 per person is required.

7.2.1 Open spaceEnabling easy access to the naturalenvironment

The design of new development should:

● Identify opportunities to improve access toand the accessibility of open spaces, throughsupport for public transport, cycling, walkingand improving access and facilities fordisabled people.

● Identify opportunities for improving linkagesbetween open spaces and the wider publicrealm.

● Ensure that the open space can be used andowned by the community (e.g. provision ofallotments and access to green space forthose without gardens)

● Make use of interpretation to help improveaccessibility and foster understanding andownership of common land.

● Ensure convenient and enjoyable access tonature by prioritising increases in biodiversitywhere sites are within or near to areasdeficient in accessible wildlife sites.

Providing new and enhanced greenspaces to serve the community

Where development is taking place within anidentified area of open space deficiencydevelopment presents an ideal opportunity tocreate new publicly accessible open space. Youcan assess how your development meets thisrequirement using the London’s Open Spacehierarchy (London Plan Table 3D.1) . A growingrequirement of residents is the provision of play-space for children on a development.

Code for Sustainable Homes: Health and WellbeingHea3: Private SpaceA credit is awarded if a private or communalprivate space is provided for residents of thedevelopment. 1m2 per person is required.

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14 Photo: Courtesy of Renewable Energy Association

7.2.2 Natural environment andbiodiversityWith a few simple steps, developers can ensurethat they improve the aesthetic qualities of theirsite and comply with biodiversity legislation. Anoverview of the process by which developerscan achieve these objectives is presented in thedesign for biodiversity guidance available at:www.d4b.org.uk/policiesAndGuidance/index.asp. It isproduced by the LDA and outlines the criticaldrivers and principle processes which promoteindustry best practice.

All developments can be improved if the Designfor Biodiversity sequential tests are applied:

● Retain, enhance or create features of natureconservation value and avoid harm

● Mitigate for impacts to features of natureconservation value

● Compensation for the loss of features ofnature conservation value

Green roofs

All development can incorporate opportunitiesfor biodiversity whatever their relationship toexisting habitats and species. Climbing plants,green walls, green roofs, roof gardens, terraces,balconies, courtyards, permeable surfaces,living fences, pergolas, arbours, window boxesand nesting and roofing structures will allfacilitate the creation of new habitats.

With the exception of green roofs, all othergreen building techniques should be well knownto developers. Green roofs are vegetated roofs,or roofs with vegetated spaces and are alsoreferred to as eco-roofs and roof gardens.Green roofs have been with us for centuriesranging from the hanging gardens of Babylon tothe turf roofed dwellings of Ireland andScandinavia. Modern green roofs have largelydeveloped in the last 50 years, with increasingsophistication to meet a growing range ofneeds.

Most of this technological advance has beenmade in Germany; demand in the 1970s and1980s has lead to a £39 million industry. Themodern green roof systems are highly durableand in addition to encouraging biodiversity,provide a number of key sustainability andenvironmental benefits:

● Extended roof life - green roof protectswaterproofing membrane from climaticextremes

● Energy conservation/ fuel bill savings throughinsulating properties

● Reduction in heat island effect throughevaporative cooling

● Reuse of aggregates provides a cost saving -a 1000m2 green roof could provide a £10,000saving on the cost of materials3

● Improved aesthetics for the area

● Noise amelioration, again through insulationproperties

● Improved air quality and health benefits

● Reduction in surface water run-off anddrainage costs - the soil provides temporarystorage of storm water, which drains offslowly, or is captured by the roots of theplants or leaves and then evaporates

3 Data Source: http://www.livingroofs.org

7.3Reducing negative impact of development on the local environment

Increased densities and mixed uses are neededto meet certain sustainability criteria. Howeverdesign needs to address the associated risks ofthis type of development increasing otheradverse effects on the local environment, suchas noise, air, light and water pollution andnegative microclimate effects.

7.3.1 NoiseExcessive noise can impact upon health,productivity and quality of life at home, in theworkplace or at school. There are a number ofdesign and layout principles that can reduce theadverse impacts of noise. The balance betweennoise reduction and other needs should bestruck on a place-specific basis, taking accountof potential changes in noise sources, and incompeting needs, over the lifetime of thedevelopment.

Principles for layout design

Sound quality - the overall soundscape shouldbe considered at the early design stage,identifying any sound features or ‘soundmarks’of special interest e.g. flowing water.

Noise mitigation through good design - LocalEnvironmental Health Officers (EHOs) canimpose construction phase and operationalnoise limits on many types of noise at any time.Noise limits are much easier to comply with iftaken into account in the design and planningstage and many can be addressed at thedesign stage through optimising the site layout.Uses likely to generate significant noise shouldbe separated from those areas requiring quiet,by the greatest practical distances. Where this isimpractical, uses likely to generate greatestnoise should be separated from areas requiringquiet by screening, isolation or other acousticdesign methods.

Noise generating activities - Noise generatingactivities should be identified and low noisealternatives used where practicable. (Sources ofnoise generating activities include air handlingequipment, pumps, fans, vehicle manoeuvre,loading/unloading, etc.) Human voices cancause nuisance - for example, schoolplaygrounds, sporting venues and late nightentertainment

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Building design and internal layout

Building over noise sources - such as railways,roads, car parks, bus depots, etc. can be aneffective way of designing out noise, althoughsuch sites can be expensive to develop andthere can still be a problem on exiting orentering a building. Surfaces within openingsmay need to be sound absorbing to avoidreverberation increasing noise levels. Specialattention is needed to prevent both airborne andstructure-borne noise.

Planning of buildings and rooms - buildingsand rooms whose uses are not susceptible tonoise should be located to act as screens orbaffles between noise sources and quiet areas.Also there is a need to consider juxtaposition in‘stacking’ for example placing bedrooms of oneflat below the living area of another flat is likely togenerate noise problems. Windows or ventilationsystem design should incorporate acousticfeatures to address noise, especially at night.

Façade continuity - High-density developmentfollowing traditional street blocks, includingnoise barriers that fill in the gaps betweenbuildings can significantly reduce noise on the‘quiet side’ of the street block. However, façadereflectivity (reflection between opposing,acoustically hard building surfaces) increasesnoise levels, particularly in ‘urban streetcanyons’ and façades at the wrong angle canreflect sound into quiet areas. In compact urbanenvironments, the use of absorptive barriersurfaces is preferable to inclining surfaces toreflect sound upwards.

Tightly-enclosed spaces between buildings -these can be tranquil, but can also ‘trap’ sound,including that emanating from poorly designed,installed or maintained ventilation plant, wastefacilities, vehicle manoeuvring, neighbours, oraircraft. Acoustic absorbency within ‘courtyard’areas should normally be maximised, by, forexample, use of dense vegetation andacoustically soft ground. The balance ofadvantage between contained and more openlayouts depends on the relative contributions ofdifferent noise sources.

Tall buildings - may receive noise from a widerarea than lower ones. Acoustic balconies forexample with absorptive surfaces to avoidreflection off the underside into windows below,and stepping back of the upper floors canprovide significant benefits.

Positioning of building services - buildingservices such as air extract ducting should bepositioned away from sensitive windows andproperties and be isolated from the structure toprevent structural noise. Particular care shouldbe taken to avoid or attenuate fan and ventnoise on the ‘quiet side’ of buildings withpassive alternatives sought wherever possible.

Noise insulation - except where localsoundscape quality is high or can be improved,good practice includes achieving noiseinsulation standards beyond those required byBuilding Regulations and Planning PolicyGuidance 24, particularly for roofs, glazing andparty walls and floors. Lobbies with two sets ofdoors creating an air lock can reduce theescape of sound for example, from late nightentertainment premises.

Selection of materials - materials with a higherdensity normally provide greater resistance tothe passage of airborne sounds, but may bevulnerable to impact noise particularly if hardsurfaces are used. Composite or sandwichconstructions may be specified to perform avariety of acoustic functions.

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7.3.2 Air pollutionReducing emissions from the use of the buildingare largely brought about via methods used toimprove energy efficiency. However, in additionto ensuring the highest standards of energyefficiency, proposers of development shouldensure that the building services plant:

● Has the lowest emissions possible

● Will not present a health risk

Improving the efficiency of plant will generallylead to lower emissions; approximately 20 percent of the oxides of nitrogen emitted in Londonare directly from buildings, mainly from theburning of natural gas. Low NOx burners shouldbe used whenever practicable, however ifbiomass boilers are installed these will have ahigher NOx emission rating than a standard gascondensing boiler.

Building services should be readily accessibleso that they can be easily maintained andregularly checked and cleaned to ensure theyare operating efficiently and do not present ahealth risk. Emissions of carbon monoxide are aparticular issue.

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Code for Sustainable Homes: Health and Wellbeing HEA2 Sound Insulation Credits are awarded for the insulation of aproperty against noise pollution. Theperformances required below should beassessed using either Robust details or pre-completion sound testing.

Level of sound insulation achieved CreditsAirbourne 3dB higher, impact 3dB lower 1Airbourne 5dB higher, impact 5dB lower 3Airbourne 8dB higher, impact 8dB lower 4Detached property 4Separating walls and floors only occur 3between non-habitable spacesSeparating walls and floors only occur 3between habitable and non-habitable spacesSeparating walls and floors only occur 3between non-habitable spacesSeparating walls and floors only occur 3between habitable and non-habitable spaces

Code for Sustainable Homes: PollutionPol1: NOx Emissions Boilers that have low NOx emissions should bespecified to gain credits under Pol1, as shownin the table below. Where biomass boilers arespecified very low NOx ratings are not usuallyachievable.

NOx Emissions of Boiler CreditsGreater than 100mg/kWh 0Less than 100mg/kWh 1Less than 70mg/kWh 2Less than 40mg/kWh 3Class 4 boiler 1Class 5 boiler 2

7.3.3 Light pollutionLight pollution has emerged as a significantissue in populated areas. Light pollutionobscures the night sky, is wasteful of energyand can disrupt the lives of people living in andaround new developments. Public safetyrequires that highways and public areas are litup at night, but by using directional lighting,both light pollution and energy costs can bereduced.

A positive approach to the problem ofexcessive lighting

Effective illumination should be well directed andalmost invisible from a distance. The lightingscheme should not exceed that which isrequired for the satisfactory undertaking of thetask involved.

Proper design and planning - It is possible toreduce many of the negative effects of lightingthrough proper design and planning, usinglighting only where and when necessary, usingan appropriate strength of light and adjustinglight fittings to direct the light to where it isrequired. Illuminance should be appropriate tothe surroundings and character of the area as awhole. Avoid ‘over lighting’ and use shields,reflectors and baffles to help reduce light spill toa minimum. Use specifically designedequipment that once installed minimises thespread of light above the horizontal.

Direction of light - Direct light downwardswherever possible to illuminate its target, notupwards. Many floodlit buildings are lit from theground with the beams pointing into the sky.This often leads to columns of stray lightpointing up into the sky creating vast amountsof light pollution and wasting energy. Providelighting that does not glare on approach andwhich places light onto the ground and not intothe sky where it is wasted. In other cases,simply lowering the angle of the beam will stoplight from overshooting the building into the sky.

To keep glare to a minimum, ensure that themain beam of all lights directed towards anypotential observer is kept below 70 degrees. Itshould be noted that the higher the mountingheight, the lower the main beam angle shouldbe. In places with low ambient light, glare canbe very obtrusive and extra care should betaken in positioning and aiming. Whereverpossible use floodlights with asymmetric beamsthat permit the front glazing to be kept at ornear parallel to the surface being lit.

Sensor switches - For domestic and smallscale security lighting use ‘Passive Infra RedSensors’ (PIR). If correctly aligned and installed,a PIR Sensor that switches on lighting when anintruder is detected, often acts as a greaterdeterrent than permanently floodlit areas, whichalso allow the potential intruder to look forweaknesses in security i.e. open windows.

Types of lamps - Low pressure sodium (LPS)street lamps which scatter their orange light allaround, including skywards, are a commonsight along many streets and in residentialareas. An increasingly popular alternative,however, is the full cut-off, high pressure sodium(HPS) lamp, although these are more expensiveto install. Full cut-off lamps prevent any lightfrom being emitted above the horizontal and theHPS creates a bright pinkish white light, whichis carefully directed to avoid light trespass. In arecent survey, 85% of drivers stated that theyprefer the light from HPS lamps. HPS lamps arethe preference for lighting sports pitches for thesame reasons.

18 Photo: Courtesy of The Guinness Trust

Solar powered lighting

Wherever possible seek to use solar poweredlighting. Solar powered lighting schemes can beinstalled at a significantly lower cost than grid-connected systems, while helping to meetLondon’s greenhouse gas reduction targetsthrough the use of renewable energy.

7.3.4 Water pollution and flooding

Much of London is situated on a floodplain andtidal water levels in south east England arerising each year. Flash flooding can occuralmost anywhere, especially in built up areaswith a high proportion of impermeable surface.Predicted climate change with increases instorm episodes and sea level rises mean that itis vital that developers address a development’ssurface water run off.

By incorporating Sustainable Urban Drainagesystems (SUDS) - as an alternative to traditionalapproaches to managing runoff from buildingsand hard standing - the total amount, flow andrate of surface water that runs directly to riversthrough storm-water systems can be greatlyreduced, thereby preventing flooding incidentsand pollution of waterways.

Implementation of SUDS can lead to costsavings such as avoiding or reducing the needto construct or access surface water sewers orpipe connections to distant outfalls. By usinglandscaping features that would already beprovided as part of the site scheme (e.g.grassed amenity and car parking areas) SUDSoffers further cost savings. Based on percolationdrainage, SUDS may also control pollution forexample by incorporating petrol and greaseinterceptors.

Wherever possible multiple benefits from SUDSshould be sought, such as wildlifeimprovements and water conservation. SUDSshould also be linked to large scale catchmentbased flood management. If SUDS cannot beprovided on site, consideration should be givento making a contribution to off site SUDS.

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Code for Sustainable Homes: Energy Ene6: External LightingTo gain points under this credit all burglarsecurity lighting should have● Maximum wattage of 150W● Movement detecting control devices● Daylight cut-off sensors

All other security lighting should have:● Dedicated energy efficient fittings● Fitted with daylight cut-off sensors OR timers

The SUDS Technologies

Short of preventing surface-water run offthrough water conservation methods such asrainwater harvesting and grey-water recyclingthere are four general methods of control:

● Permeable surfaces and filter drains

● Filter strips and swales

● Infiltration devices

● Basins and ponds

Green roofs also reduce surface water run-off.The soil provides temporary storage of stormwater, which drains off slowly, or is captured bythe roots of the plants or leaves and thenevaporates. See Section 5.2.2 for moreinformation on green roofs.

Permeable surfaces and filter drains

In urban areas, impermeable hard surfacing,especially over a large ground area, can causeflooding. Filter drains and permeable surfacesare devices that have a volume of permeablematerial below ground to store surface water.Runoff flows to this storage area via apermeable surface. This can include:

● Grass (if the area will not be trafficked)

● Reinforced grass

● Gravelled areas

● Solid paving blocks with large vertical holesfilled with soil or gravel

● Solid paving blocks with gaps between theindividual units

● Porous paving blocks with a system of voidswithin the unit

● Continuous surfaces with an inherent systemof voids

The water passes through the surface to thepermeable fill. This allows the storage,treatment, transport and infiltration of water.Both the surface and the sub-base of apavement must allow the passage of water - forthis reason, porous asphalt laid on aconventional impermeable base is not apermeable pavement.

The amount of water stored depends on the voidsratio of the permeable fill or sub-base, the planarea and depth. Water can be disposed of byinfiltration, an under-drain, or pumped out.Overflow can be via a high level drain or controlledsurface flow. In some situations the water shouldnot be stored for extended periods as it can affectthe strength of the surrounding soil.

The permeable fill or sub-base traps sediment,thereby cleaning up runoff. Recent researchshows that they also provide some treatment forother pollutants, such as oil.

The variety of surfaces is wide enough for alandscape architect to select a hard landscapestyle to suit the style of the development. Bytheir nature, filter drains and permeable surfacesensure an efficient use of space.

Filter Strips and Swales

Filter strips and swales are vegetated surfacefeatures that drain water evenly fromimpermeable areas. Swales are long shallowchannels whilst filter strips are gently slopingareas of ground.

Both devices mimic natural drainage patterns byallowing rainwater to run in sheets throughvegetation, thereby slowing and filtering theflow. Swales can also be designed for acombination of conveyance, infiltration,detention and treatment of runoff.

Swales are usually designed as conveyancesystems, but can also be designed with checkdams to increase attenuation and, whereapplicable, infiltration. Filter strips only attenuatethe flow slightly but they can be used to reducethe drained impermeable area.

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Swales and filter strips are effective at removingpolluting solids through filtration andsedimentation. The vegetation traps organic andmineral particles that are then incorporated intothe soil, while the vegetation takes up anynutrients.

Swales and filter strips are often integrated intothe surrounding land use, for example publicopen space or road verges. Local wild grassand flower species can be introduced for visualinterest and to provide a wildlife habitat. Careshould be taken in the choice of vegetation astussocks create local eddies, increasing thepotential for erosion on slopes. Shrubs andtrees can be planted, however, in this case thevegetated area will need to be wider and have agentler slope.

Infiltration devices

Infiltration devices drain water directly into theground. They may be used at source or therunoff can be conveyed in a pipe or swale to theinfiltration area. They include soakaways,infiltration trenches and infiltration basins as wellas swales, filter drains and ponds. Infiltrationdevices can be integrated into and form part ofthe landscaped areas.

Soakaways and infiltration trenches arecompletely below ground, and water should notappear on the surface. Infiltration basins andswales for infiltration store water on the groundsurface, but are dry except in periods of heavyrainfall.

Infiltration devices work by enhancing thenatural capacity of the ground to store and drainwater. Rain falling onto permeable (e.g. sandy)soil soaks into it. Infiltration devices use thisnatural process to dispose of surface waterrunoff. Limitations occur where the soil is notvery permeable, the water table is shallow or thegroundwater under the site may be put at risk.

Infiltration techniques:

● Provide storage for runoff. In the case ofsoakaways and infiltration trenches, thisstorage is provided in an undergroundchamber, lined with a porous membrane andfilled with coarse crushed rock. Infiltrationbasins store runoff by temporary and shallowponding on the surface;

● Enhance the natural ability of the soil to drainthe water. They do this by providing a largesurface area in contact with the surroundingsoil, through which the water can pass

The amount of water that can be disposed of byan infiltration device within a specified timedepends mainly on the infiltration potential of thesurrounding soil. The size of the device and thebulk density of any fill material will governstorage capacity.

Runoff is treated in different ways in aninfiltration device. These include:

● physical filtration to remove solids

●adsorption onto the material in the soakaway,trench or surrounding soil

● biochemical reactions involving micro-organisms growing on the fill or in the soil

The level of treatment depends on the size ofthe media and the length of the flow paththrough the system, which controls the timetaken for the runoff to pass into the surroundingsoil. Pre-treatment may be required beforepolluted runoff is allowed into an infiltrationdevice.

Infiltration systems are easily integrated into asite. They are ideal for use as playing fields,recreational areas or public open space.Infiltration basins can be planted with trees,shrubs and other plants, improving their visualappearance and providing habitats for wildlife.They increase soil moisture content and help torecharge groundwater, thereby mitigatingproblems of low river flows.

21Photo: Courtesy of Renewable Energy Association

Basins and Ponds

Basins are areas for storage of surface runoffthat are free from water under dry weather flowconditions. These structures include:

● Flood plains

● Detention basins

● Extended detention basins

Ponds contain water in dry weather, and aredesigned to hold more when it rains. Theyinclude:

● Balancing and attenuation ponds

● Flood storage reservoirs

● Lagoons

● Retention ponds

● Wetlands

The structures can be mixed, including both apermanently wet area for wildlife or treatment ofthe runoff and an area that is usually dry tocater for flood attenuation. Basins and pondstend to be found towards the end of the surfacewater management train and are, therefore,used if source control cannot be fullyimplemented, if extended treatment of the runoffis required or if they are required for wildlife orlandscape reasons.

Basins and ponds store water at the groundsurface, either as temporary flooding of drybasins and flood plains, or permanent ponds.These structures can be designed to managewater quantity and quality.

Basins and ponds can be designed to controlflow rates by storing floodwater and releasing itslowly once the risk of flooding has passed (abalancing pond).

Basins and ponds treat runoff in a variety of ways:

● settlement of solids in still water - havingplants in the water enhances calm conditionsand promotes settlement

● adsorption by aquatic vegetation or the soil

● biological activity

Basins and wetlands offer many opportunitiesfor the landscape designer. Basins should notbe built on, but can be used for sports andrecreation. Permanently wet ponds can be usedto store water for reuse, and offer excellentopportunities for the provision of wildlifehabitats. Both basins and ponds can be part ofpublic open space.

Onsite Storm Detention Systems

Onsite Stormwater Detention (OSD) is an optionwhere sustainable drainage systems are notpracticable due to soil and ground conditions.This is normally achieved by installing largediameter pipes, culverts or tanks. The basicprinciple of on-site storage is that during heavyrain, surface water run-off from roofs, car parksand large paved areas is directed to a storagetank. Water is stored and normally dischargedto main sewer using suitable flow control device.At the end of the heavy rain, the storage tank istypically emptied either through use of a gravityor pumped system, ready for the next storm.Alternatively, stored water can be used forgarden irrigation, which involves a pumpdrawing water from storage tanks/pipes and afilter. An outfall will, however, still be required toavoid overflow if stored water is not fully used.

Planning for SUDs

It is important to consider using SUDS early inthe design process. Wherever possible, SUDSshould be integrated within the layout of thedevelopment site. However, it may beappropriate to develop SUDS over a wider areaserving a number of sites, each developmentmaking a contribution to the implementationand management costs of off-site SUDS.

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The land-take implications of SUDS should beidentified early in the design of site layout. TheSUDS approach adopted will determine the landrequirements, although in some cases this maybe zero (e.g. use of permeable paving). A simplecontribution to SUDS can be provided by theinstallation of water butts for new dwellings(thought should be given to the positioning ofrainwater down pipes to enable water butts tobe installed). These are particularly effective inreducing the impact of heavy summer storms,which can cause flash floods. The land take ofSUDS can also be combined with other landuses, such as amenity areas.

The developer should seek the advice of theEnvironment Agency and County Engineer onthe design criteria and performance parametersat the outset. Submission of a technicalappraisal of the proposed SUDS will be requiredto demonstrate it will meet the agreed criteria.

Maintenance Requirements

The satisfactory performance of SUDS dependsnot only on good design but also adequatemaintenance, and provision for this must bemade from the outset. Planned maintenanceoperations are likely to be more intensive duringthe early establishment of balance ponds, andmay include initial de-silting on completion ofconstruction (sand, silt and other constructionwaste may enter the SUDS whilst constructionis ongoing). Vegetated SUDS will require routinemaintenance to control growth ranging fromregular grass cutting (swales and filter strips) toannual meadow grass cutting (for basins) orlonger-term management for the vegetation inponds.

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Code for Sustainable Homes: Surface Water Run-Off Sur1: Reduction of Surface Water Run-Off from SiteA Mandatory Requirement to meet any CodeLevel is that peak run-off rates and annual run-off volumes post development must not exceedthe previous conditions for the site.

In addition credits can be gained where SUDSare used to provide attenuation of the followingpercentage of water run-off from hard surfacesdepending on the situation of the site:● 50% in low flood risk areas● 75% in medium flood risk areas● 100% in high flood risk areasAn additional credit is awarded if run-off fromroofs is also attenuated according to the abovecriteria.

Sur2: Flood RiskCredits are awarded for development in lowflood-risk areas or for the provision ofattenuation measures if the development is in amedium or high flood-risk area.

Flood Risk CreditsLow 2Medium with measures 1High with measures 1

7.3.5 MicroclimateSignificant amounts of new development,especially tall buildings can have a markedeffect on local climatic conditions. Thesenegative effects can be mitigated throughcareful consideration of the design.

Avoid creation of wind tunnel effect - this isparticularly marked alongside watercourses orwhere a design creates a canyon effect thatfunnels winds to cause strong and very localisedwind effects. A wind environment assessmentfor tall buildings over for example 10 storeys(this size of development is likely to be referableto the Mayor) can identify these effects at thedesign stages. All proposals for tall buildings ofthis size should undertake a wind environmentassessment to compare the wind environmentto be created with that existing. The wind tunneltest should be designed to predict the windvelocities occurring in the public realm andaccessible landscaped areas for comparisonagainst the Lawson criteria. The Lawson criteriadefine acceptable windiness for differentactivities such as sitting, walking and standing.

Avoid creation of deep shadows particularlyover water bodies - these can have asignificant effect on the biodiversity in the waterand consequent hydrological effects.

Improve local climatic conditions by theretention of natural vegetation and welldesigned landscaping. This can result inreduced wind speeds, appropriate shading andshelter, increased moisture retention and evenlocal cooling of the air. The design should takeinto account details of surrounding landscapethat affect wind patterns and solar gain.

Reducing the likelihood of overheatingin developments

It is important to design buildings so thatexcessive solar gain is minimised. Initially thisshould be through the orientation of thebuilding. This could include the use of solarshading, louvers and careful tree planting toallow excess sunlight to be blocked out in thesummer and allowed entry in the winter.Buildings should be designed with a highthermal mass to ensure that the urban heatisland effect is ameliorated in the winter but heatis retained in the winter. The use of green roofswill act to increase the thermal mass of thebuilding.

Un-natural ventilation should be minimised toprevent excess heating of the air surroundingthe development. Instead natural ventilationsuch as operable windows and passive stackventilation should be maximised.

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Code for Sustainable Homes: Health and Wellbeing Hea1: DaylightingCredits are awarded when dwellings aredesigned to ensure that adequate daylighting isprovided. Daylighting factors would need to beassessed by a qualified daylight consultant.

Daylighting Factor CreditsKitchen >2% 1Living Room > 1.5% 1 credit Dining Room >1.5% for all 3Study >1.5%

An additional credit is awarded if all the roomshave a view of the sky.

7.3.6 EnergyEnergy use affects all aspects of sustainabledevelopment. Energy is used for transportation,for heating, lighting and ventilation, for theprovision of water, for the procurement ofmaterials and for landscaping, construction anddemolition, and waste disposal. Energy is atheme that runs through the entirety of thisdocument.

This section of the document will address theissue of energy in buildings. Energy is used toprovide building services such as heating,cooling, hot water, lighting and for poweringother appliances. Encouraging energy efficient,low carbon development as part of sustainabledesign is an important part of the UK strategy toreduce emissions.

The Greater London Authority and manyLondon Boroughs require that all developmentfollows the principles of the energy hierarchy, asdefined in Green Light to Clean Power: TheMayor’s Energy

Strategy: www.london.gov.uk

Use less energy

Passive Solar Design

Passive solar design (PSD) is a blend of intuitionand simple design rules, which ensures thatbuildings capture maximum light and heat fromthe sun whilst acting as a buffer against theworst of the elements.

PSD can only be considered at the designstage; it provides a one-off opportunity to saveenergy during the lifetime of a building, generallyat no cost. In modern housing, up to 20-25% ofheating and lighting energy can be saved by theapplication of PSD principles.

There is sufficient scope within the parametersof PSD to create interesting and varied layoutsand townscape. In the case of offices, schoolsand other public buildings, features with a PSDfunction such as ventilation stacks and atria canbe designed in ways that add interest andcharacter.

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The Energy Hierarchy

1. Use less energy

2. Supply energy efficiently

3. Use Renewable Energy

Conserving natural resources and reducing carbon emissions

● Incorporate passive heating and cooling● Improve insulation

● Cut transmission losses through local generation● Use combined heat and power and

community heating

● On site: install renewable energy technologies,such as solar water heating, photovoltaics,biomass heating/ CHP and wind turbines

● Off site: Import renewable energy generated elsewhere

➦➦➦

‘be lean’

‘be clean’

‘be green’

It is very important to realise that PSD principlescan be applied equally effectively in housing andcommercial developments, which have anentirely conventional appearance. For example,a typical 18th century farmhouse could providea useful design checklist: orientation towardsthe south, main living room widows in the southfaçade with splayed side reveals to maximiselight penetration, possibly a long north slopingroofline down to single storey rooms at the rearof the house accommodating the kitchen, larderand a few small windows.

The application of PSD will always beconstrained to a certain extent by building andlocation specific factors.

The principles of PSD

Virtually all buildings enjoy free energy and lightfrom the sun; the objective in PSD is tomaximise this benefit by using simple designapproaches which intentionally enable buildingsto function more effectively and provide acomfortable environment for living or working.The following principles of PSD should beapplied to a development during the designstages:

● Orientation - The capture of solar gain canbe maximised by orientating the main glazedelevation of a building within 30 degrees ofdue south

● Room layout - Placing rooms used for livingand working in the south facing part of thebuilding will reduce reliance on artificial lightingand heating methods

● Avoidance of overshadowing - Carefulspacing of buildings should seek to minimizeovershadowing of southern elevations,particularly during the winter when the sun islow

● Window sizing and position - In housing,smaller windows should generally be used innorth facing elevations to prevent excessiveloss of heat

● Natural ventilation - Atria and internalventilation stacks projecting above the generalroof level can be used to vent air as thebuilding warms during the day, with cool airbeing drawn in through grills in the buildingfaçade

● Lighting - In offices the avoidance of deep-plan internal layouts and the use of atria, rooflights and light reflecting surfaces can helpreduce the need for artificial lighting

● Thermal buffering - In order to reduce heatlosses, unheated spaces such asconservatories, green houses and garageswhich are attached to the outside of heatedrooms can act as thermal buffers

● Landscaping - Landscaping, including theuse of earth bunds, is often used as part of anoverall PSD approach providing a bufferagainst prevailing cold winds and shading forsummer cooling. See Section 7.3.5Microclimate for further information.

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Energy Efficiency

The energy efficiency of a building is determinedlargely by its design, the choice of materials andthe choice of plant and equipment. Increasingthe energy efficiency of a building will enable agreater proportion of its energy demand to bemet by renewable energy and will allowproposers of development to meet higher levelsof the Code for Sustainable Homes andcouncils’ integrated renewable energy policy ina more cost effective way.

London Renewables has produced a toolkit forplanners, developers and consultants givingdetailed guidance and information onincorporating energy efficient and renewableenergy technology and design intodevelopments. The toolkit includes technologyguides that contain descriptions of energyefficiency measures and technologies to beconsidered at the earliest stages of design:

● Selection of heating system (includescommunity heating systems)

● Insulation

● Lighting and appliances

● Glazing

● Ventilation

● Cooling

● Controls

The use of electric heating systems instead ofgas powered heating systems results in doublethe amount of carbon emissions. It is thereforestrongly discouraged by many local councilsand the GLA. An exception to this may be in thetop storeys of very tall buildings, where gascentral heating poses a health and safety risk.However, high density buildings of this sortpresent a perfect opportunity for communalheating, obviating the need for gas on the topstoreys and providing further carbon savings.

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Code for Sustainable Homes: EnergyEne1: % improvement on the TERThere is a Mandatory Requirement for theimprovement of the Target Emission Rate aboveBuilding Regulations, as shown in the table below:

Code Level % improvement of TER over DER1 102 183 254 445 1006 True Zero CarbonThis reduction in carbon dioxide emissions canbe achieved through both energy efficiency andrenewable energy technologies

Ene2: Heat Loss Parameter (HLP)(The total fabric and ventilation heat losses fromthe dwelling divided by the total floor area.(W/m2K).) If the HLP is less than or equal to 1.3then 1 credit is awarded or if the HLP is lessthan or equal to 1.1, two credits are awarded.

Ene3: Internal Lighting Credits are awarded for the proportion of fixedinternal light fittings installed which arededicated to be energy efficient. 40% and more- 1 credit, 75% or more - 2 credits.

Use renewable energy

Renewable energy is energy derived fromrenewable or replaceable resources, such as thesun, wind, water and plant material. Varioustechnologies are suitable for the London areaand they should be integrated with energyefficient design and technologies for maximumbenefit.

The London Borough of Merton first introduceda planning policy which stipulates that 10% ofeach new development should reduce predictedCO2 emissions by 10% through the provision ofon site renewable energy equipment. The aim ofthis policy is to reduce the amount of energyused in buildings, which is produced throughthe burning of fossil fuels. This is an importantconsideration due to the fact that the burning offossil fuels causes climate change through therelease of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.Since then many London boroughs haveadopted similar policies, some of which nowrequire that 20% of the development’s expectedcarbon emissions are offset through the use ofrenewables. This is in line with the draft changesto the London Plan.

In order to adhere to such policies, the followingapproach could be taken:

1.Ensure building is energy efficient by design(e.g. incorporate passive solar design, highlevels of insulation etc)

2.Calculate predicted energy (electricity andgas) usage for the building

3.Calculate predicted CO2 emissionsassociated with the building (using CO2multiplication values for electricity and gas)

4.Select renewable energy technologies andcalculate CO2 emissions offset through theirapplication

5.Calculate % of CO2 emissions offset throughuse of renewable energy technologies

It is essential that the development is made asenergy efficient as possible. This will ensure thatthe capital outlay for the renewable energyequipment is reduced, as the predictedenergy/CO2 emission levels to be offset will belower.

London Renewables has developed a toolkit toassist developers in understanding the detailedrequirements of a building integrated renewableenergy policy, ensuring swift passage throughthe planning process. The Toolkit providesdetailed information on the range of renewableenergy technologies currently suitable forapplication in London, including their feasibilityfor specific development types and their typicalcapital cost and contribution to carbon dioxidesavings. The following renewable energytechnologies are addressed:

● Wind turbines

● Photovoltaics

● Solar water heating

● Biomass heating

● Biomass combined heat and power

● Ground source heating

● Ground source cooling/ borehole cooling

28 Photo: Courtesy of British Wind Energy Association

Code for Sustainable HomesEne7: Low and Zero Carbon Technologies Credits are awarded if 10 or 15% of the site’stotal carbon dioxide emissions are offsetthrough the use of low and zero carbontechnologies. A feasibility study of low and zerocarbon technology options must be completedor low carbon buildings

Supply energy efficiently

Community and District Heating

Community or district heating uses a centralboiler plant or building based systems to supplyheat to dwellings via insulated undergroundwater mains. The advantages of moderncommunity heating systems are:

● Having one central boiler plant providesgreater flexibility to change fuel sources infuture, e.g. if gas becomes expensive whilebiomass fuel sources become cheaper andmore widely available.

● Central systems can reduce maintenancecosts (and legal bills resulting from accessproblems) particularly for housing associationsor local authorities who are obliged toundertake annual inspections of individual gasappliances.

● Related to the point above, the systems aresafer as they avoid combustion appliances inthe home, this is especially important in high-rise developments, where gas boilers pose asafety risk on the upper storeys.

● The use of central plant can allow bettermatching of heat generation to demandresulting in general improvements in efficiency.

● It allows bulk purchasing of fuel, potentiallyleading to reduced running costs foroccupants.

● The heat exchanger unit, which is similar to aconventional wall hung boiler in size does nothave to be mounted on an external wall asthere is no flue.

A developer considering a communityor district heating system

The developer would need to identify or set upa company (such as an Energy ServicesCompany or ESCo) to install, manage andoperate the scheme including billing tenants andhomeowners for the energy used.

The capital cost of a community heatingsystem, taking into account the installation ofthe heat main, is likely to be more thanindividual boilers. The main factor affecting costis the density of homes and the number ofconnections that need to be made to theunderground heat main. If connections can bekept to a minimum and distribution pipe-workruns above ground where possible, costs canbe reduced. For this reason high risedevelopments are the most suitable for acommunal heating system.

A community heating network could be fuelledeither by high efficiency gas boilers, biomassfuelled boilers or by a combination of boilersand CHP plant. These options could all beassessed as part of a detailed feasibility study.Biomass would require a reliable supply ofappropriate fuel to be sourced.

There are already a considerable number ofcommunity heating systems in London and acost effective option would be to link up withexisting schemes that have spare capacity. TheGreater London Authority carried out a strategicanalysis of where community heating is likely tobe most feasible in London due to the existingheat demand. The study shows specific areaswhere community heating infrastructure couldbe developed, building on existing networks.The study looked in detail at the ThamesGateway area. It is available to download from:http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/environment/energy/docs/comm-heating-summary.pdf

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Combined Heat and Power (CHP)

When electricity is generated in central powerstations around 60-65% of the primary energy isrejected as waste heat into the atmosphereoften via the familiar cooling towers we seedotted around the landscape. Combined heatand power units generate electricity locally sothat waste heat can be used for beneficialpurposes. Where all the waste heat generatedcan be used, CHP units will have overallefficiencies of up to 80-85% compared to 35-40% for conventional power stations. They canbe used as standalone units (mini CHP) in asingle building or as the primary generator ofheat and power for district or communityheating schemes.

CHP systems produce roughly twice as muchwaste heat as they generate electricity. To beviable economically they require a large andconstant demand for heat. This can sometimesmake their application to energy efficient newhousing problematic. Current insulationstandards mean the requirement for spaceheating is very low and demand is present foronly part of the year: the only constant sourceof heat demand is for domestic hot water and interms of reducing CO2 emissions much of thisdemand could be met by the use of solar waterheating instead (in low rise dwellings). For CHPsystems to be economically viable they need torun for at least 4,000 hours per year. They aremore suitable for leisure centres with swimmingpools and hospitals that have a high, year roundheat demand or in mixed use developmentswith suitable heat demands. However, newhousing or office developments may be able tomake use of existing CHP schemes nearby.

Decentralised systems

Where a centralised system is not feasible andrenewables can not be used to provide all of theheating and cooling requirements the remainingdemand should be met through an efficientenergy supply. Gas boilers with at least a 90%efficiency rate should be specified.

7.3.7 MaterialsDuring the year 2000, 27.8 tonnes of materialswere used by the construction sector inLondon. Reusing and recycling constructionmaterials is the most sustainable choice. Wherenew materials are used, consideration should begiven to local sourcing, the energy used in theirmanufacture and their toxicity.

This document does not provide specificguidance on individual material types. Moredetailed information on common materials canbe found in the Green Guide to Specificationproduced by BRE.

Sustainable and responsibleprocurement and use of materials

When procuring and using materials, thefollowing should be considered:

● Maximise the reuse of existing buildings ormaterials - existing buildings can berefurbished or extended without the need forsubstantial use of new materials from primaryresources. Alternatively, consider re-use ofbuilding materials, such as slate or clay rooftiles, bricks and wooden structural beams thatcan be safely removed from a building prior todemolition.

● Reduce waste - specify and purchase onlywhat is needed for the project

● Use materials with low lifecycleenvironmental impacts - have considerationfor the impacts of material extraction,processing, manufacture, transport, use anddisposal. This should include considerations ofbiodiversity impacts such as the use of peat,weatherworn limestone and other materialsfrom vulnerable habitats. This applies tolandscaping materials as well as buildings:

❍ Minimise use of products containing CFCs,HFCs, PVC and formaldehyde gluedchipboard

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❍ Maximise use of recycled materials ormaterials from sustainable sources (e.g.Forest Stewardship Council [FSC] timberand recycled aggregate which avoids theaggregate levy and the landfill tax)

❍ Maximise use of materials with lowembodied energy - avoid materials such asaluminium, unless a whole life energy ortechnical case exists for its use

❍ Use local materials - procure materialslocally (wherever practical) to reduce theirtransportation impacts

● Maximise the proportion of materials andcomponents that can be re-used at theend of the building’s life - by designing fordeconstruction and disassembly. Avoid theuse of composite materials where possible.

● Use an appropriate palette of materials -specified to support sustainability objectivessuch as passive solar design and noiseattenuation, whilst considering their aestheticqualities

Maximising the re-use of existingbuildings

All planning authorities require that developmentproposals should demonstrate that there are noexisting buildings that could be adapted for theintended purpose where its reuse conforms toor has the potential to meet the standards forenergy, materials and water conservation set outelsewhere in the council’s policy documents.When re-using existing buildings the followingthings should be taken into consideration:

● Maximise the re-use of the buildings includingthe basements and roof spaces;

● Investigate the opportunities to incorporatemixed-uses within buildings, particularly publicaccess uses (retail, leisure etc) at ground floorlevel;

● Where other policies allow, considerincreasing the floor-space of the existingbuilding through additional floors and/orextensions;

● Review the function of any open land withinthe site, considering opportunities, forexample, to remove surface vehicle parking.

● Ensure that the works do not restrict theoccupation of the building by other uses in thefuture, i.e. create a building with greaterflexibility for future re-use.

Using pre-fabrication and modularconstruction techniques

Consider the use of pre-fabricated elements inorder to reduce total energy used in theconstruction phase, speed up assembly,improve quality and minimise defects andwastage. The source location of pre-fabricatedelements should be considered in order tominimise transportation.

Standardised or modular designs ofcomponents can reduce waste, while “just intime” construction techniques ensure that onlymaterials that are needed immediately are kepton site. Stockpiling materials can increaselikelihood of damage or deterioration.

Architects and developers can incorporate manyof these material selection principles into theircontractor briefs.

Designing new buildings for flexible use

Changing economic, social or environmentaldemands, climate change, and the introductionof new technology can result in the original useof a building being no longer viable and itsheating, lighting and ventilation systemsrequiring modernisation. Where buildings aredesigned for flexible use, the need for completerenovation (and the use of vast quantities ofnew materials) will be removed.

Ground floors are particularly suited to changesof use. Flexibility can be achieved by designingspaces which can be put to alternative purposes.

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Design attributes that contribute to achievingflexibility include:

● Use of a grid structure to provide a consistentand generic internal environment

● Use of non-load bearing partitions;

● Integration of additional service capacity andceiling heights to facilitate changes of roomuse and servicing requirements.

Specifying materials that do notcontain or emit toxic substances duringbuilding occupation

Internal air quality can be significantly improvedby the use of natural rather than syntheticproducts. Solvents and other chemicals canhave a negative impact on indoor air quality: lowsolvent finishing products should be usedwhenever possible (paints, varnishes etc). Someconstruction materials, furnishings and carpetscan also emit substances that affect people’shealth (e.g. formaldehyde). Care should betaken to provide adequate ventilation to removethese chemicals where their use is deemedessential.

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Code for Sustainable Homes: Materials Mat1: Environmental Impact of MaterialsMandatory Requirement: At least 3 of the 5 keybuilding materials must be A+ to D ratedaccording to the Green Guide to Specification(BRE). Additional credits are awarded the higherthe rating of the material.

Mat2:Responsible Sourcing of Materials – Basic Building ElementsCredits are available if the key building materialsare responsibly sourced (i.e. Forestry StewardshipCouncil accreditation or EMS certification)

Mat3: Responsible Sourcing of Materials – Finishing ElementsCredits are awarded were the finishing elementsare responsibly sourced. To gain credits underMat2 and Mat3 evidence must be provided forthe complete supply chain of the materials. Inorder to minimise the cost of gaining this credit afull review of supply chains should be carried out.

7.3.8 WaterLondon is amongst the driest capital cities in theworld and the effects of climate change arelikely to further reduce supply and increasedemand. Buildings and landscaping are majorwater consumers and, therefore, building designshould incorporate measures to avoid waterwastage. Appropriate specification of bathroomand kitchen devices and appliances can help toachieve major savings in water consumptionthroughout the life of the building. Largerdevelopments can also make use of waterrecycling systems or underlying groundwaterresources to provide water for certain functions(eg. toilet flushing).

Incorporating water saving devices

A range of products encourage sustainablewater use, including:

● Low flush toilets

● Waterless urinals

● Urinal controls

● Spray taps

● Automatic shut-off taps

● Water meters

● Water management software

● Flow controllers

● Flow restrictors

● Leakage detection equipment

● Data loggers

●Pressure reducing valve controllers

Making use of alternative watersources where possible

Grey Water Recycling

Water from basins, kitchens and food servicelocations that is slightly soiled can be used fortoilet and urinal flushing, cooling tower or boilermake-up water, landscaping and on-site waterstorage for fire fighting. Such systems requiredual piping to route the grey water andappropriate valves, filters and signage.

Countries outside the UK have already realisedthe benefits of recycling grey-water. In Tokyo,grey water recycling is mandatory for buildingswith over 30,000m2 of floor space or with apotential water reuse of more than 100m3 perday.

It is also possible to recycle black-water (waterused for toilet flushing and washing up) bypassing it through a black-water recyclingsystem that breaks down solids and purifies thewater ready for reuse. Black-water recycling canhave high maintenance costs and can beimpractical to use on confined sites. Both grey-and black-water systems should be checked forfunctionality and certified safe.

Rainwater Harvesting

Rainwater harvesting is the collection ofrainwater that would otherwise have entered thedrainage system, the ground or been lost to theatmosphere through evaporation. Largesurfaces such as roofs are ideal for rainwaterharvesting and the water captured can be usedto flush toilets, water gardens/ landscapes andsupply washing machines. Once captured, thewater undergoes a multi-stage cleaningprocess.

Systems should be connected to the mainssupply to ensure that water is always available,even at times of low rainfall. SUDS can also beintegrated with rainwater harvesting schemesalthough it cannot be relied upon to providewater attenuation during storms.

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The facilities for both rainwater harvesting andgrey-water recycling require maintenance toensure they work properly and do not causedeterioration of water quality. Where possible,facilities should be designed and scaled to bemanaged under a maintenance contract. Modelmaintenance agreements for rainwaterharvesting and grey-water systems are availablefrom CIRA: www.ciria.org.uk. Futuremaintenance arrangements should beaddressed in the earliest project planningstages.

Groundwater extraction

Sourcing groundwater from boreholes will helpto reduce the problems of rising groundwater toCentral London. Water from boreholes isgenerally at a stable and relatively lowtemperature (around 13oC) and can be used forcooling (replacing traditional refrigeration)although not at low enough temperature toprovide dehumidification. Water from boreholescan also be used as grey-water. However, waterquality varies across London and regularmonitoring is required for compliance withEnvironment Agency regulations. Also, withincreasing drier summers and highertemperatures, ground water cooling may not bea reliable or sufficient source of cooling in thefuture.

Local packaged sewage treatment systems

Local packaged sewage treatment systems canbe utilised for large new developments. Thesehave been successfully used to significantlyreduce water consumption and undergroundwater losses.

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Code for Sustainable Homes: Water Wat1: Internal Potable Water UseMandatory Requirement: Internal potable waterconsumption should be reduced to thefollowing no. of litres per person per day toachieve each Level of the Code:

Code Level Internal Potable Water Consumption

1 & 2 120 litres/person/day3 & 4 105 litres/person/day5 & 6 80 litres/person/day

105 litres can be achieved through the use ofwater efficient sanitary ware, however to achieve80litres per person per day either grey-waterrecycling or rainwater harvesting would berequired.

Wat2: External Potable Water UseAn additional credit is available for the installationof a collection system for irrigating landscapedareas in the development. If there is nolandscaped areas then the credit is automaticallyawarded. A water butt or rainwater harvestingsystem would meet this requirement.

7.4Ensuring comfort and security in and around the development

7.4.1 Internal air qualityExposure to airborne pollutants released fromwithin buildings can result in health impactsincluding Sick Building Syndrome - a complexproblem caused by a range of factors. The mostcommon symptoms are eye irritation andrespiratory problems.

A number of causes can be identified foradverse health within buildings:

● Asbestos - Inhalation of fibres can causescarring of lung tissue and an increased riskof developing lung, chest and abdominalcancer

● Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) -Released from many synthetic materials,furnishing and chemical products. Many VOCsare respiratory irritants.

● Carbon Monoxide - Problems arise withpoorly maintained equipment, when chimneysor flues are blocked, or if there is insufficientventilation to supply air to the appliance orwhere air intakes are located too close toroads or areas used for car parking.

● Fine Particles - less than 10_m in diametercan cause irritation and respiratory problems.

Mitigation for prevention of these problems isneeded by design.

Indoor air quality particularly in office buildingscan be improved by the appropriate use ofbuilding energy management systems to controlthe mix of supply and extract air. Air handlingunit filtration and pollution sensors can controlboth internal and external air to prevent thebuild up of CO2 inside buildings by diluting withexternal air and the ingress of high pollutionlevels.

7.4.2 Natural lightA lack of natural lighting in winter can haveadverse health effects. Office environments mayneed artificial lighting supplemented in winterwith light stimulation in the ultraviolet 280-400nm range. Development of deeper buildingplots, where natural light cannot penetrate,should include internal atriums and at thesmaller scale, sun pipes, directing sunlight intothe building.

Control artificial lighting with high frequencycontrol gear by daylight sensors. These can dimor switch off artificial lighting when daylightlevels achieve the specified illumination levels.This system will significantly reduce artificiallighting energy consumption and heat gains.

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Code for Sustainable Homes: PollutionPol1: Global Warming Potential of insulants All insulants should have a Global WarmingPotential (GWP) of less than 5 to score a credit.Insulants such as glass mineral wool or fibre,expanded polystyrene and polyurethaneinsulation would have a GWP of less than 5.

7.4.4 Secure design of developments

The adoption of urban design principles cancontribute significantly to a safer environment.Development schemes could incorporatemeasures in their design, layout, siting andlandscaping to minimise the risk of crime andmaximise security. This may enable thedevelopment to gain the Secured by DesignAward which is sometimes required by localauthorities and which earns credits under theCode for Sustainable Homes Health andWellbeing section. Blank walls and parts ofbuildings such as loading bays, that cannotcontribute to passive surveillance, should notface onto public space but should be placed atthe backs of blocks. The adoption of the‘perimeter block’ layout can support thesemeasures, comprising frontages where thepublic realm is readily overlooked from adjacentproperties and the rear gardens are privatesecure areas which are difficult for third partiesto access.

The following issues should be considered whendesigning a safe development:

● Opportunities to incorporate passivesurveillance of streets, spaces, parking andservicing areas

● A ‘perimeter block’ approach whereverpracticable and appropriate

● Strong demarcation between public andprivate space

● Public areas are well lit and landscaping doesnot obscure views into and out of the space

● Developments are constructed of vandalresistant materials, and that maintenancearrangements are in place

● Installation of sprinkler systems and hard wiresmoke alarms where feasible.

7.4.3 Accessible to allMany buildings and environments are still notdesigned to accommodate the wide-rangingneeds of disabled people, people with youngchildren and older people. Access needs areoften an afterthought, added on at a late stageof the detailed design, rarely included as arequirement in the initial brief at the beginning ofthe process and resulting in undignified,segregated and inferior provision.

Many councils and the GLA require thataccessibility standards exceed those currentlyaddressed in Building Regulations, for example:

● All development should meet the principles ofinclusive design; to be used safely and easilyby as many people as possible without undueeffort, separation, or special treatment;

● New development should be accessible forpeople walking and cycling and travelling bypublic transport;

● Safe and convenient pedestrian, cycle andwheelchair access should be provided into thesite and pedestrian and wheelchair accessinto the building and around the site itself;

● Appropriate convenient access should beprovided within buildings for both theoccupiers and visitors. Measures to facilitatesuch access should not be separate fromgeneral access arrangements.

● E-enabling by the use of IT systems tofacilitate virtual access should be considered

36 Photo: Tony Sleep

Code for Sustainable Homes: Health and WellbeingHea4: Lifetime Homes 4 credits are available for implementing theprinciples of the Lifetime Homes scheme. The standards can be found at:http://www.lifetimehomes.org.uk/pages/16_lth_standards.html

7.4.6 Safe and secure parking for personal transport

Development proposals can contribute to safetyby ensuring that access to parking, servicingand storage areas are safe and secure. This canbe achieved through:

● Locating surface parking areas within theprivate defensible space of a residentialdevelopment on the street or in a wellsurveyed parking court overlooked by activebuilding frontages

● Ensure that parking, servicing and storageareas for cars, bicycles and other means ofpersonal transport are well illuminated

● Wherever possible providing bicycle facilitiesinside a building or close to the mainentrance, lit and unobstructed

● Designating bays for disabled people andpeople with small children close to the mainentrance of buildings

7.4.5 Safe routes to public transport

Developments that will impact upon publictransport provision, either through the creationof new routes or by increasing its usage shouldseek to ensure that access is:

● Clearly marked and easily accessible by allsections of society;

● In a location that is overlooked by activefrontages, on well-used and well-lit routes

● Away from landscaping and other vegetationthat could provide screening.

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Code for Sustainable Homes:ManagementMan4: Security 2 credits are available for gaining the Securedby Design Award for the development, thiswould require an architectural liaison officer orcrime prevention design advisor to be consultedat an early design stage.

7.4.7 Principles of flood resistant design (where applicable)

The Environment Agency is developing theconcept of flood compatible and flood resistantdevelopment. Some forms of development mayneed to be beside rivers. These should bedesigned so that they can be flooded withoutcausing any undue damage.

In other areas development can be designed tobe flood resistant. For example putting livingaccommodation on the first floor or building onstilts. Roof drainage can also be designed tocope with the higher levels of rainfall andincreased occurrence of storms expected fromclimate change.

Internal flood resistant design measures include:

● Solid floors rather than suspended floors

● Use treated timber to resist waterlogging ormarine plywood for shelves and fittings

● Fit electric, gas and phone circuits aboveexpected flood level

● Fit one-way auto seal valves on WCs

● Use water resistant alternatives to traditionalplaster or plasterboarding for internal wallfinishes

● Do not use chip board or MDF (eg in kitchenunits)

● Avoid fitted carpets on ground floor

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8SustainableConstruction

39

Many aspects of the construction process canhave a significant adverse impact on the qualityof the site and its surroundings. Through carefuland considerate planning, these impacts can bereduced.

Applying the waste hierarchy duringconstruction

As part of the construction phase the treatmentof waste is a crucial issue. The waste hierarchyprovides a framework for sustainable wastemanagement that is applicable during theconstruction phase. The adverse effects ofconstruction can be minimised by thepreparation a site waste management plan inline with this hierarchy:

● Reduce waste by specifying and purchasingonly what is needed for the project

● Sort waste streams to maximise recycling andreuse of waste and decrease landfill costs

Managing air quality

Identify potential sources of dust and other airpollution as early as possible and implement thefollowing dust control measures:

● Activities that may affect air quality orgenerate dust should be located away fromsensitive human receptors (e.g. hospitals,schools, housing) and ecological resourceswhenever possible.

● Completed earthworks should be sealed orreplanted as early as practicable.

● Where practicable, stockpiled materials shouldbe located to take account of the prevailingwind and any sensitive receptors. Stockpilesshould be dampened.

● Dust sources such as skips should becovered.

● Roadways (including haul roads), constructionsites and dust generating activities such asstone cutting should be dampened and sweptwhen required.

● Sites should be designed to accommodatewheel washer facilities as appropriate.

● Low emission vehicles and plant equipmentshould be used particularly for on-sitegenerators.

● Controls also need to be in place duringdemolition. Dampening down duringdemolition activities can assist with preventingdust pollution.

Using energy efficient and lowemission equipment

Equipment should be as efficient as possibleand well maintained to minimise energy use andemissions. This includes the vehicles thattransport materials and personnel to and fromsite.

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8.1Minimising the adverse effects of the construction process on site and surroundings

Code for Sustainable Homes: WasteWas2: Site Waste Management Plan/Construction WasteMandatory Requirement: A Site WasteManagement Plan including monitoring ofwaste generated on site and the setting oftargets to promote resource efficiency must beproduced and implemented.

Additional credits are awarded for includingprocedures and commitments for:● Minimising waste● Sorting, re-using and recycling waste

Minimising construction noise

Construction noise and disruption should beminimised through the specification oftechniques such as the use of framedconstruction and pre-fabricated components.These can reduce some of the noise impactsassociated with both the transportation and useof materials. Construction activities should beplanned to limit both the level and duration ofnoise, to minimise disturbance to premises andamenities in the area. Consultation with BoroughEnvironmental Health Officers (EHO) is neededat an early stage.

Building green

Composting organic wastes on site cansupplement topsoil for landscaping and alsoconserve topsoil on site with as little disturbanceas possible.

Protecting biodiversity

CIRIA has prepared biodiversity indicators forconstruction, which involve an assessment ofthe construction process. Areas of existing valuethat are to be kept and enhanced must besecured from harm during construction,including existing trees and waterside zones,preferably through being fenced securely. Otherimpacts to be avoided should include soilcompaction, and pollution of soils and water.Where construction activities require temporaryaccess over, or removal and replacement of,habitat these operations should be supervisedby trained staff, or a qualified ecologist.

Where protected species are involved there maybe a statutory requirement for obtaining alicence and the work may need to beundertaken in a particular season. Suchrestrictions can be quite wide (for example allnesting birds are protected from disturbanceunder the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, asamended).

41Photos: Tony Sleep

Code for Sustainable Homes:ManagementMan3: Construction Site Impacts Credits are awarded for monitoring, reportingand setting targets for:● CO2 /energy use from site activities● CO2 /energy use from site related transport● Water consumption from site activities

Adopt best practice policies in respect of:● Air (dust) pollution from site activities● Water (ground and surface) pollution● 80% of site timber is responsibly sourced

Code for Sustainable Homes:ManagementMan2: Considerate Constructors SchemeCredits are awarded where the developmentcontractors comply with the best practice sitemanagement principles outlined in ConsiderateConstructors or an alternative scheme.

● 1 credit for Best Practice score of between24 and 31.5

● 2 credits for Best Practice score of between32 and 40

Photo: Raf Makda

9SustainableLiving

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Through constructing buildings that aresustainable in design we are allowing thebuilding’s inhabitants to lead more sustainablelives. Building occupiers will experience lowerfuel and water bills, healthier living conditionsand draw comfort from the fact that they arehelping to protect the environment.

While responsible development can ensure thatresources are protected and carbon emissionsreduced over the lifetime of the building,occupiers can deliver further environmentalbenefits by choosing to live sustainablelifestyles. However, without the provision ofappropriate facilities or information, theseoptions can be restricted or even withdrawnaltogether.

By providing recycling facilities, bicycle storageand operational information for building services,developers will ensure that occupiers use thebuilding - and live their lives - in the mostefficient and sustainable way.

9.1.1 Promoting sustainable waste behaviour

London produces approximately 17 milliontonnes of solid waste every year. Of this,councils collect 4.4 million tonnes fromhouseholds and commercial and industrialsources as “municipal waste”. Household wasteaccounts for three-quarters of the totalmunicipal waste.

The vast majority of London’s municipal waste iscurrently disposed of in landfill. In 2002/03,landfill accounted for 71 per cent of municipalwaste, with around 90 per cent of this going tosites outside Greater London. A further 20 percent of London’s municipal waste is incineratedat the two waste incineration plants withinLondon, at Edmonton and Lewisham, where theprocess generates electricity.

The design of a development is critical to ensurethat sustainable waste management can beachieved. Without adequate waste andrecycling storage facilities, people are unable todevelop efficient sustainable waste proceduresin their homes, schools or workplaces.

Sustainable waste management

Sustainable waste management involvesproducing less waste, and dealing better withthe waste that is produced. The waste hierarchyprovides a framework for sustainable wastemanagement:

● Reduce (the amount of waste generated)

● Reuse

● Recycle

● Recovery (of energy and materials)

● Disposal (least desirable option)

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9.1Encouraging sustainable livingthrough building design andinformation provision

Designing for waste

Integration of sustainable waste managementprinciples into design includes:

● Storage and recycling facilities - Design ofsuitable individual or shared waste sorting andrecycling facilities (such as storage bins inkitchens and integrating recycling bins orcomposting areas into the building or sitefabric). Provision of local shared recyclingfacilities for new residential or mixed usedevelopments

● Composting - Provision of a compostingfacility in properties with gardens orlandscaped space.

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Code for Sustainable Homes: WasteWas1: Household Waste StorageMandatory Requirement: Sufficient space mustbe provided externally to hold the larger of thelocal authority waste and recycling bins provided.

4 credits are also awarded if the ALL thefollowing criteria are satisfied:● Internal storage for three recycling bins and a

landfill waste bin (30l) is provided● There is a local authority collection scheme

from the site or a private contractor whichcollects 3 types of waste or greater

● 180litres of external recyclable waste storageis provided

OR● Where there is no external recyclable waste

storage 2 credits can be gained if 60litres ofinternal storage is provided.

OR ● Where there is external recyclable waste

storage OR a local authority collectionscheme 4 credits can be gained if internalstorage of 30 litres is provided.

Was3: CompostingOne credit is awarded where acommunity/communal composting service,either run by the local authority or overseen by amanagement plan is in operation. If the dwellinghas a private garden then a composting bin willbe sufficient to gain this credit.

9.1.2 Travel PlansCarbon dioxide emissions from petrol-basedtransport are one of the contributors togreenhouse gas emissions and hence climatechange.

Car-free housing should be provided in locationsthat can support it. If residential developmentswhich are not car-free are provided in thoselocations, additional measures to encourage useof sustainable transport options should betaken.

A Travel Plan is a package of measures andinitiatives that aim to reduce the number of carjourneys made, by providing people with greaterchoice. When designing a new development it isimportant that sustainable transport isencouraged through the development andimplementation of a travel plan. All localauthorities within London are required to have atravel plan and many will be making this aplanning policy requirement.

Facilities can be provided in developments tosupport different transport modes such as theprovision of bicycle racks and secure storage orcharging points for electric cars. Workspaceswith showers should also be considered.

The development should include a network ofsafe pedestrian and cycle routes which followdesire lines, safe crossing points across allroads and the design of pavements to enhancethe interaction of people.

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Code for Sustainable Homes: EnergyEne8: Cycle StorageCredits are awarded for the provision ofweather-proof and secure cycle storage ● 1 credit is awarded if 1 cycle space is

provided for each 1-, 2- and 3- bedroomdwelling and 2 spaces are provided for 4 ormore bedroom dwellings

● 2 credits are awarded for 1 cycle space for a 1-bed dwelling, 2 cycle spaces for a 2- or 3-bed dwelling and 4 spaces for a 4 or morebed dwelling.

Ene9: Home OfficeIf a suitable place for a home office is providedto reduce the need to commute to work.Requirements are a room with a: ● 1.8m wall to allow a desk and filing cabinet to

be installed● 2 power sockets● 2 telephone points● Window● Adequate ventilation

9.1.3 Information provisionWhere a development has been designed withcare and consideration for its occupiers and theenvironment, it is essential that developersprovide comprehensive information and advicefor its ongoing management. This will ensurethat the development is used in the correct wayand that sustainable design features delivermaximum benefits.

9.1.4 Promoting reduction in energy use

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Code for Sustainable Homes:ManagementMan1: Home User Guide A non-technical guide should be provided forthe home-occupier. Credits are available forcovering the following topics in the guide:● Operational issues● Site and surroundings

Code for Sustainable Homes: EnergyEne4: Drying Space● One credit is awarded for the provision of a

drying line within the dwelling or in the privategarden to reduce the need for tumble dryers.

● For 1- or 2-bed dwellings the line shouldmeasure 4m+, for 3 or more bed dwellingsthe line should be 6m+.

Ene5:Energy Labelled White GoodsIf white goods are provided by the developer:● 1 credit is awarded if EU Energy Efficient

labelled A+ Fridges and Freezers areprovided AND/OR A rated washing machinesand dishwashers

● An additional credit is awarded if B ratedwasher dryers and tumble dryers are provided.

● If no white goods are to be provided a creditis available for the provision of information onEU Energy Efficiency Labelling.

Photo: Tony Sleep

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10Appendix B

PrincipleEnsuring land is safe for development

Ensuring access to and protection of the natural environment

Reducing negative impact of development on the local environmentConserving natural resources and reducing carbon emissions

Ensuring comfort and security in and around the development

Minimising adverse effects of the construction process on site and surroundingsEncouraging sustainable living through building design and information provision

EU/ CLG Publication● Planning Policy Statement 23: Planning and Pollution Control● Building Regulations, Part C – Site preparation and resistance

to moisture● Planning Policy Guidance 17: Planning for Open Space, Sport

and Recreation● Planning Policy Guidance 9: Nature conservation● Planning Policy Guidance 24: Planning and Noise● Building Regulations, Part E – Resistance to the passage of

sound● EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive

❍ Energy Performance Certificates: HIPs for all dwellings at thetime of sale or rent from June 2007

❍ All large public buildings to permanently display an energyperformance certificate

❍ All major planning proposals to consider community heating● Supplement under consultation to form PPS1: Delivering

sustainable development● Planning Policy Statement 23: Renewable Energy (Companion

Guide to PPS22)● The Planning Response to Climatic Change; Advice on Better

Practice. ODPM/ Welsh Assembly/ Scottish Executive● Building Regulation, Part L – Conservation of Fuel and PowerUpdated Building Regulations L1A (2006) – Conservation of fueland power in new dwellings. 5 criteria to meet:● Criterion 1: Predicted CO2 emissions no worse than target

(DER ≤TER)● Criterion 2: Design limits – e.g. minimum requirements for U-

values and air permeability● Criterion 3: Limiting the effects of solar gains in summer● Criterion 4: Quality of construction & commissioning of heating

systems (e.g. reduce thermal bridges, procedure for airpressure testing and commissioning)

● Criterion 5:Operating and maintenance instructions● Building Regulations, Part F - Ventilation● Building Regulations, Part M - Access to and Use of Buildings● Safer Places – the Planning System and Crime Prevention.

ODPM and Home OfficeN/A

N/A

Directives, policy statements and building regulations on sustainable design and construction

Useful websitesSustainable Construction: Practical guidance for planners and developers - which aims to assist inthe task of delivering more sustainable buildings. This is the outcome of a research project corefunded by the DTI. Visit www.sustainable-construction.org.uk to access information on sustainabledesign and construction measures and training materials.

Other useful websites include:

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11Appendix C

Name WebsiteAssociation for Environmental www.aecb.net

Conscious Building

Beddington Zero Energy Development http://www.peabody.org.uk/pages/GetPage.aspx?id=179

Building Research Establishment www.bre.co.uk

CABE www.cabe.org.uk

Carbon Trust www.thecarbontrust.co.uk

Centre of Excellence for Sustainables www.sustainable.doe.govBuilding

Chartered Institution of Building www.cibse.org.ukServices Engineers (CIBSE)

CIRIA www.ciria.org.uk

Combined Heat and Power Association www.chpa.co.uk

Constructing Excellence www.constructingexcellence.org.uk

Energy Saving Trust www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

Green Building Store www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk

High performance maps for facades www.fabermaunsell.com

Housing Corporation www.sustainabilityworks.org.uk

Integer www.interproject.co.uk

LEARN: Low Energy Architecture www.learn.londonmet.ac.ukResearch Unit

Lifetime Homes www.lifetimehomes.org.uk

Living roofs www.livingroofs.org

London Biodiversity Partnership www.lbp.org.uk

London Energy Partnership www.lep.org.uk

London Hydrogen Partnership www.lhp.org.uk

London Sustainability Exchange www.lsx.org.uk

SPONGE Sustainability network www.spongenet.org

Sustainable Homes www.sustainablehomes.co.uk

Tall Buildings www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

UK Green Building Council www.ukgbc.org

UK Government Sustainable Development www.sustainable-development.gov.uk

Putting a Price on Sustainability: Study Results

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12Appendix D

Naturally ventilated office - percentage increases in capital cost

Location BREEAM score % increase % increase % increase % increase (and rating) for pass for good for very good for excellent

for the base casePoor 25.4 (pass) 0% 0% 2% -Typical 39.7 (pass) - 0% 0% 3.4%Good 42.2 (good) - - 0% 2.5%Note: A small overall cost saving was identified resulting from the removal of air conditioning equipmentin the computer/ server room thereby enabling increased performance at no extra cost

LIFT health centre - percentage increases in capital cost

Location BREEAM score % increase % increase % increase % increase (and rating) for pass for good for very good for excellent

for the base caseTypical 44.3 (good) - - 0% 1.9%Good 48.4 (good) - - 0% 0.6%

Air conditioned office - percentage increases in capital cost

Location BREEAM score % increase % increase % increase % increase (and rating) for pass for good for very good for excellent

for the base casePoor 20.3 (unclassified) 0% 0.2% 5.7% -Typical 34.6 (pass) - 0% 0.2% 7.0%Good 37.1 (pass) - 0% 0.1% 3.3%

Domestic dwelling - percentage increases in capital cost

Location BREEAM score % increase % increase % increase % increase (and rating) for pass for good for very good for excellent

for the base casePoor 22.1 (unclassified) 0.1% 0.9% 3.1% -Typical 27.6 (unclassified) 0% 0.4% 1.7% 6.9%Good 29.7 (unclassified) 0% 0.3% 1.3% 4.2%