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.
November 3, 2010
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.
The unprecedented 50-year defence treaty means France and the UK will share troops, aircraft carriers and nuclear warhead testing sites. It is hoped that the signing of this defence treaty will help both governments cope with the restrictions of their defence budgets. President Sarkozy said at a press conference that the signing of the defence treaty and nuclear pact “shows a level of trust and confidence between our two nations that is unequalled in history”.
The new nuclear treaty will involve the joint development and testing of nuclear warheads between Britain and France. While these efforts will be collaborative, it is understood that each country will be in control of its own nuclear defence systems and there will be no sharing of nuclear secrets.
While the treaty has caused some to speculate about Britain and France becoming too dependent on each other for defence, the Prime Minister and President have assured the public that the purpose of the defence treaty is to strengthen the sovereignty of each nation, not to dilute it. The military co-operation, they say, will allow France and the UK to weather the financial crisis and deal with reduced budgets while remaining fully in control of their military resources.
The signing of the defence treaty will lead to the creation of a Combined Joint Expeditionary Force, which will see around 5000 troops from both countries training side by side. With a long history of military rivalry between Britain and France, and rumours of a somewhat frosty relationship between Mr Cameron and President Sarkozy, many UK reporters are asking whether the 2 nations will ever trust each other enough. The whole world will be watching the developments that follow from the signing of this historically monumental, unprecedented defence treaty.
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.