March 11, 2013
In what is undoubtedly a coup for both David Cameron his government’s “green deal” scheme, number 10 Downing Street has won a coveted BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) award in the ‘In-Use’ category. The award looks at structures that have improved most, year on year, becoming sustainable buildings.
What does a BREEAM award stand for?
Launched in 1990, BREEAM claims to be the world’s foremost environmental assessment method. To date over 1 million buildings have been registered for assessment, of which 250,000 have been certified.
Basically BREAAM looks at a number of factors when determining a building’s sustainability, ranging from energy use to ecology. More specifically, the method investigates a building’s water usage, energy consumption, internal environment, waste management processes, transport and pollution.
To qualify for an award in the “In Use” category candidates need to score 70% or more in total.
How sustainable is nr 10 Downing Street?
The assessment conducted on nr 10 Downing Street covered the period between March 2011 and March 2012, during which electricity consumption went down by 13.5%. In essence though, the 300 year old building won the award based on the culmination of improvements undertaken over the past five years.
These improvements included low energy lighting using motion detection, low use water fittings, a system that uses the heat generated by IT equipment to warm up water, new boilers and the installation of a subterranean water tank in the garden; which collects and saves water for times of drought. The 152 workers in the building must be relieved to have the project completed, bringing an end to the sight of workers in waterproof trousers traipsing through the garden.
The Guardian reports that 90% of all construction waste was also recycled.
Speaking to The Guardian, Howard Parsons, project manager at no 10 Downing Street explained why they applied for a BEEAM assessment; “It was important for Downing Street to have an independent and impartial assessment of the success of the environmental and sustainable initiatives undertaken, and their effectiveness in reducing energy consumption and cost. The assessment has mapped our progress so far and highlighted areas for future focus in our drive for continuous improvement.”
Shining examples of sustainable buildings
The BREEAM Awards Ceremony highlighted the fact that there are actually a number of sustainable buildings in the UK. Greenbuild News listed the winners for 2013:
- In-Use Special Award – 10-12 Downing Street
- Industrial – Armstrong Point, Wigan
- Refurbishment Special Award – Bowker Street, Manchester
- Fire Station – Carlton Fire Station, Nottingham
- International Offices – Challenger, France
- Data centres – Cobalt Data Centre 2, Newcastle
- Education – Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen, Bridgend
- International Other Buildings – De Balk van Beel, Leuven
- Healthcare – Edge Lane Hospital, Liverpool
- Other Buildings – Five Pancras Square, London
- Prisons – Kitchen and VT Workshops, HMP Thameside
- In-Use Parts 1 and 2 – Kanyon, Istanbul
- In-Use International (Pilot) – Le Hive, Paris
- Offices – One Angel Square, Manchester
- Multi-residential – Llys Ton Extra Care Centre, Bridgend
- Courts – Newport Magistrates Court
- Retail – Waitrose, Bracknell
It would seem that developers and architects have become aware of the benefits of going green, ensuring that the UK can boast of a number of sustainable buildings on its soil. One can hope that more buildings will be converted and that crews in protective clothing will be seen constructing more eco-friendly structures buildings going forward.
February 21, 2012
The public eye is on UK construction companies while they investigate the means to improve the safety of cycling. Concern about whether these attempts reflect a serious commitment towards improving the supportive sport infrastructure is at the forefront of many Londoner’s minds due to the previous lack of response by the Transport industry.
Following a cycling campaign in The Times, major UK construction companies are getting involved in the proposal to increase marked cycling lanes in urban areas and to urge drivers to take more care on the roads. Despite the extraordinary range of health benefits that accompanies cycling, Londoners have emphasized that the UK will not see a shift towards the sport without investing in separate bicycle lanes and other infrastructure. After a spate of fatalities in the Capital, speculation about the transportation of heavy goods in traffic and the impact on cyclist’s safety is rife among the public. With 16 cyclists dying on London roads in 2011, 13 of which were hit by lorries and vans, many perceive is as the duty of big UK construction companies to look at vehicle safety methods.
The plan is to ensure security for cyclists specifically around building sites, lorries and vans. Leading UK road constructions companies will need to work together with the TfL and freighting industry in order to amend the issue at hand. One of the Directors at the UK Contractors, Stephen Ratcliffe spoke about discussions for implementation of these plans being at a very early stage. According to Ratcliffe, the protection of onsite construction workers is the focal point of negotiations at the moment.
With a third of the UK’s construction labour force getting involved in improving cycling safety, workers will need to take special measures to ensure their own safety during the implementation of their strategy. Taking steps to ensure that workers retain high visibility at all times is pivotal to their general protection around road and building sites. Due to the potentially harsh weather conditions that construction workers face on the job, waterproof trousers are a practical means of following precautionary procedure while addressing the issue of making London’s roads safer for cyclists.
May 24, 2011
If you are a complete geek and digital freak you would want to be in Paris on May 27-28. The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, is hosting an invitation only internet summit where the movers and shakers of the online world will get together to tackling issues ranging from privacy and copyright to the role the internet played in political uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. Some internet leaders are advocating a hands-off approach to the Internet pitted against those who favour more regulatory control. This is in preparation for the G8 summit to be held later in the week at the French resort of Deauville where the conclusions will be presented.
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Google’s Eric Schmidt and News Corp’s Rupert Murdoch are among luminaries to attend the roundtable meetings and internet workshops. The main area of discussion will be the future of the internet in regards to copyright and security. Sarkozy commented that the internet is a place to be concurred but it cannot become the Wild West. The internet world cannot become a lawless society, where people are allowed to pillage artistic works with no limits. The internet needs to focus on managed firewalls, internet plans, security and solutions. Sarkozy also told French bloggers and web entrepreneurs at a meeting earlier this year that the law was flawed and needed further work.
Although the internet usage summit is to improve security for all users it has not gone down lightly for all. Some guest on the prestige list did not accept Sarkozy’s invitation. Cory Doctorow, a Canadian blogger, author and advocate of copyright liberalisation, said he had declined Sarkozy’s invitation to attend the so-called e-G8. He also called the event a whitewash.
The internet has played a pivotal role in recent major issues globally; including the troubles in the Middle East and North Africa. It is therefore important to regulate internet access providers and discuss and dissolute any looming internet problems.
March 15, 2011
As an extension of the smoking ban, London’s health department issued a new law that prohibits the advertising and display of cigarettes in stores around the country. This means that cigarettes need to be stored out of sight below shop counters.
The new law will be introduced gradually to the UK as part of the smoking ban, with it only coming into effect in the larger stores and supermarkets by April 2012. It won’t be enforced amongst smaller shops and cafes until 2015, “except for temporary displays in certain limited circumstances”.
The ban is part of the laws that government has already introduced on smoking, whereby the advertising of cigarettes is prohibited, and the long-objected ban on smoking in public places. Aids discovered by clinical research which help smokers reduce and quit their habit are also supported by the National Health scheme.
The government believes that the advertising and display of cigarettes is encouraging young people to smoke, and they are considering enforcing the sale of cigarettes with plain packaging. While the government would like to introduce a policy where it bans smoking in cars or in front of children, David Cameron is uncertain whether it would be possible to enforce this or not. He also believes that it is not just smoking bans which are needed, but a shift in people’s mindsets.
There is little that those with regulatory affairs jobs can do to limit the production and sale of cigarettes. Statistics from when the smoking ban was first introduced showed that the majority of adults who smoke started when they under the age of 18, and each year over 300,000 children under the age of 16 try smoking. The government hopes that one of the effects of the smoking ban will be to decrease the number of people who smoke.
This new law as part of the smoking ban has been received with mixed reactions by retailers, many of whom are concerned about the cost of refitting their stores, as well as already reduced profit margins. Many people also remain unconvinced as to how the smoking ban will prevent younger people from trying smoking.
Yesterday, UK Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Nicolas Sarkozy met at Lancaster House to sign a historic defence treaty, detailing the sharing of military resources between the 2 nations.
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