To achieve sustainable design, material selection, and construction are no different to those required to achieve any other aspect of good design. The process relies on an understanding of the potential environmental issues, to compliment and contextualise what is already known among these professional experts.
Sustainable construction has straightforward aims: to minimise waste on and off site; reuse materials and make use of those reused or recycled; avoid complex components that are difficult to recycle at end of life; and choose construction systems that can be delivered by local operatives by existing or new skill sets.
Design is a holistic process that seeks to create the best solution across a broad range of requirements, which includes social and economic sustainability as well as environmental responsibility. A good designer will always look first at exploiting the opportunities of the site and the client's brief to produce a building which, as far as possible, works passively to minimise energy and resource use. The next step is to incorporate technologies for minimising resource demand that are appropriate to the site, the building occupants’ needs and their capacity to manage and operate them. Also, designing to enable future change of use, easy maintenance, and eventual disassembly and reuse will lengthen the lifespan of a building and minimise its overall impact.
EAUC-Scotland's Sustainable Construction Topic Support Network (TSN) is open to all, providing an opportunity for those working in or with the further and higher education sector to share ideas and questions and to get together to hear from particular speakers or discuss topics of interest.
This is a video of a presentation from the Day 2 Keynote Address at the 2011 Annual Conference from Martin Hulme, Managing Director, Co-operative Estates.
A presentation from the EAUC annual conference 2011 on sustainable master planning.
A presentation which helps you to continue the learning and inspiration from the EAUC Annual Conference 2011 held at the University of York between the 11th - 13th April 2011.
A presentation from the EAUC annual conference 2011 on post-occupancy evaluations
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how the University of Winchester deal with carbon management, energy management, waste and catering in the most sustainable way.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how the University of Sussex gained initiation and full support to their environmental policy.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how South Lanarkshire College adopted a philosophy to do things differently with a strong focus on sustainable practices.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how Sheffield College is one of the city's greenest major developments to date.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how Queen Margaret University's innovative new campus showcases the benefits of sustainable development in Higher Education.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College is implementing sustainability into their buildings through student engagement.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how University of Bristol has had success in reducing its environmental impact over the last ten years.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how University of Bradford's Ecoversity current and past achievements as well as future goals.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how University of Southampton embed strategic direction, commitment, estate and change management into sustainability.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, learn about University of Leicester's growing environmental team and how they are making an impact across the University and city.
A practical insight into the implementation of internal environmental audits, showing their huge potential to improve operations and form a strong Environmental Management System.
A presentation from the EAUC Annual Conference 2012 which helps you to continue the learning and inspiration. Held at the University of York between 27-29 March 2012...
A video of keynote from the 2012 EAUC Conference from Simon Wright, Director of Infrastructure and Utilities at the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA)
An introduction to how buildings are used to interact with communities, staff and students with a case study from a University and College.
A presentation from the EAUC Annual Conference 2012 which shares the University of Sheffield and Royal Northern College of Music’s bids to champion greener living
A video and presentation from Richard Jackson, Head of Environmental Sustainability, University College London about what the sector might learn from the Olympics.