Built environment/wellness
Our cities, buildings and man-made environment plus issues around health and wellness
Hydrogen for UK home heating ruled out; still important for industry
The 2nd National Infrastructure Assessment report came out during the third week of October. This is particularly interesting: "The Commission’s analysis demonstrates that there is no public policy case for hydrogen to be used to heat individual buildings. It should be ruled out as an option to enable
Place-based approaches - economic and social value
Engaging communities in the right way can improve economic resilience, lives and the environment.
Home energy electrification - more complicated than you think.
We tend to think about home electrification as one of the easiest transitions. Good alternatives already exist. We 'just' need people to switch to electricity for home heating/cooling and cooking. Then we factor in home EV charging, and job done. But, the reality is a lot more
Better building regulations can drive greener buildings
Getting involved in updating building codes might seem technical and a bit boring. But, it's probably the best and most efficient, at scale solution to creating a more sustainable building industry.
20's plenty?
The introduction of a 20 mph speed limit in built-up areas in Wales has not been without controversy. So emotive was the move that a no confidence vote in the minister who led the introduction of it, Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters, was brought although was easily defeated. The
Building regs backlash in Germany
German Housing Minister Klara Geywitz, Finance Minister Christian Lindner and a number of other senior cabinet members of the German coalition have expressed their concern about potential revisions to the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which would include mandatory renovations for buildings with the worst energy performance. The
Climate change spreading the impact of infectious diseases.
Tropical diseases are coming to a community near you, even if you live in the temperate 'north'. A recent FT article highlighted this topic, which we wrote about last year (perhaps they read our blogs? ). Some health issues that will arise from climate changes and environmental degradation don&
Commercial building cooling: design playing its part
Optimising existing HVAC helps, but initial design choices can also regulate temperature passively. Cooling is a large part of a commercial building's energy footprint so an important consideration.
How much are green buildings worth?
Green buildings are cheaper to operate, more attractive to tenants, and they are future proofed, protecting the landlord against additional refurbishment spending as building standards get tougher. And, they are only slightly more expensive to build. So, if the financial markets are efficient, green commercial buildings should be worth more.
Cooling food - regular, salty and constant volume.
Modern fridges and freezers do a great job keeping food fresh but have some sustainability issues. Solutions exist now and there are some interesting early stage ones too.
Retrofitting away operational and embodied carbon
Retrofitting can save on costs and GHG emissions by improving operational efficiency.
Minimising cost over runs - part 2
Making sure the cost estimates for a project are meaningful is essential, as is verifying the expected benefits. But, equally important is how you mange complex projects - we can learn some useful lessons from architect Frank Gehry