“Climate Change” – we hear this term everywhere, especially this week as the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) is being held in Glasgow. Climate Change is at the forefront of our minds and building construction is a major culprit. According to the UKGBC (UK Green Building Council), the built environment contributes around 40% of the UK’s total carbon footprint https://www.ukgbc.org/climate-change/. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has developed the 2030 Climate Challenge to assist architects design within a climate conscious trajectory towards reaching net zero carbon emissions for new and retrofitted buildings by 2030. The Royal Society for Ulster Architects (RSUA) has recently welcomed proposed changes to Building Regulations by the Department of Finance requiring new buildings in Northern Ireland to be more energy efficient (https://www.rsua.org.uk/news/important-step-forward-in-northern-irelands-response-to-climate-emergency-as-government-embraces-nearly-zero-energy-buildings/).
Farren Architects realise we have an important role to play towards a more sustainable future. Sustainable building design is essential for reducing our impact on the climate as well as the rate of consumption on our natural resources and greenhouse gases.
What can Farren Architects do to make your home or building more sustainable?
The first thing to understand is that to us, each building or site, whether a complete new build or an extension or refurbishment of an existing building, is unique.
When designing new buildings, we consider and encourage efficiency and the use of sustainable resources. If you have an existing building, retrofitting with sustainable energy sources is one way we can contribute to lowering carbon emissions of buildings.
We encourage Passive House standards on our new builds and renovations/extensions. This is a sustainable and innovative way to design and build a home without the need to use as much energy as would be used in a traditional home. It can also be used in schools, supermarkets, all types of buildings, not just houses. It is essentially an ultra-low energy building.
Orientation and Positioning
When considering how to make your building sustainable, the first thing we look at and explore is the orientation and positioning of the building. Glazing will be carefully placed to make the most of natural sunshine and ventilation. This passive solar gain warms the building naturally reducing the reliance on artificial heat and ventilation. We also advise using windows that are as high quality as possible to ensure minimal heat loss.
Insulation
High quality insulation is a must. A super insulation can be used to ensure excellent heat retention. This creates an envelope of insulation that is unbroken by interruptions ensuring the building holds as much warmth as possible.
Thermal Bridging
‘Thermal bridge free’ detailing ensures we reduce/eliminate junctions in the construction that can easily be weak spots in the ‘insulating envelope’ of the building. For example, window or door frames can act as cold bridges or ‘heat highways’ leaking warmth straight to the outdoors without this careful attention to the detail of how they are connected and integrally wrapped into the thermal envelope of the building.
Airtight Construction
Your home can be designed to have a continuous airtight outer shell and ultimately excellent draught proofing as the building has few gaps and holes. The amount of air entering the building can be drastically reduced. Airflow can be looked at during the design stage as well as using high quality construction.
Ventilation
Adequate ventilation and a heat recovery system circulates fresh air through your home ensuring it remains at room temperature and ensures no warmth from air is lost.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is also considered on our designs as a way to ensure a build remains environmentally sound. We can incorporate renewable energy such as solar or wind into our initial designs and plans. This will be dependent upon the location of the building.
Protecting and Conserving Water
Water recycling can be incorporated into our design, whether it is Rainwater Harvesting Systems that collect rain and reuse for irrigation or flushing the toilet, or in more complex systems can even be suitable for drinking, or Greywater recycling, which collects relatively clean waste water from baths, sinks, washing machines, and other household or office utilities, and reuses for the garden and watering plants. Water recycling can save litres of water each day, saving money on your water bill (if applicable) and reducing the need for it to be added to sewer water, where it would need to go through stringent filtering systems which uses a lot of energy.
Green Areas
We have designed green areas and gardens in built up areas to remove pollution and offer a haven for wildlife. Roof top gardens are a good consideration for those smaller sites. Plants help reduce smog and pollution by taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen back into the atmosphere.
Local Sources
Choosing to use sustainable materials from local sources can help reduce carbon footprint by reducing the emissions associated with transportation. We can help with forming a balance between availability and cost of locally sourced materials and materials from elsewhere. Building materials can also be reused to cut down on cost and reduce carbon footprint.
As well as leading the way to a greener future with lower carbon emissions and lower energy usage, there are loads of benefits of living in a sustainably designed home. Costs of energy bills would be lower compared to a traditional building, for example lower heating bills. The air quality would be cleaner and healthier, rooms would be comfortable all year round - warmer in winter and cooler in summer. As less radiators are required, you have more wall space. Less technology (e.g. heating) means less repairs, lower maintenance costs and cost savings at the construction stage. Acoustics inside your home would also change from a traditional build, much more peace and quiet!
If you are interested in reducing the ecological footprint of your build whilst achieving construction quality, please do get in touch. We all have a part to play when it comes to climate change.
