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.
A presentation from the EAUC Annual Conference 2012 about some of the projects being funded by HEFCE under the Revolving Green Funds and some good advice on how to plan for...
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how Kingston University has accelerated sustainability work across the urban campus.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see Keele University's commitment ‘to develop an environmentally aware and sustainable outward-facing campus community’.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight see how Lancaster University identified the need and constructed new build residences on campus that met four sustainability objectives.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how Cambridge Regional College are leading the way in environmental sustainability achieving a top environmental accreditation.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how City College Plymouth has made a difference to its approach to Sustainability over the last 10 years.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how Coleg Gwent has made a pledge to embed sustainable development as a core principle of the college.
This is a letter by the Department of Communities and Local Government on the implementation of Display Energy Certificates.
An EAUC guide on the primary areas of impact and influence in relation to the contributing factors and intervention measures regarding climate change.
Intute Environment provides free access to high quality resources on the Internet. Each resource has been evaluated and categorised by subject specialists based at UK universities.
A presentation and links to reports from CIMA identifying their work on role of accountants in embedding sustainability.
City College Plymouth took a bold new step in erecting two wind turbines on the roof of their innovation centre.
The CEEQUAL Scheme Manual for Projects is directed at the assessment of civil engineering projects with a clearly defined project boundary and timescale.
A short study about selected Korean Universities who are using solar energy experimentally for only a few buildings.
A HEEPI Report on the European Union Emission Trading Scheme, EU Environmental Performance of Buildings Directive and the proposed Carbon Reduction Commitment.
The EAUC has published this abridged version of our forthcoming Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Insight Guide to inform institutions about the CRC.
This design guide outlines how the University of Bristol aim to build more energy efficient buildings.
A report which examines the extent to which departments and executive agencies are meeting targets to make their new buildings and major refurbishments more sustainable.
This document sets out the University of Bristol's requirements in incorporating sustainable construction principles into the design of all its Capital Projects.
This report summarises the current status of construction resource efficiency, and proposes 10 key actions to reduce waste production and divert waste from landfill.