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Retrofit Guides
Posted on: 19 January 2012
By: mackene
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To explore the business opportunities emerging from the low carbon building and retrofit market, the Institute for Sustainability has produced a series of ‘Building Opportunities for Business’ Retrofit Guides. The guides draw on leading academic and industry experts and provide practical and commercially focused advice and best practice to both trades and professions including architects, surveyors, builders, project managers, plumbers and electricians. The guides are: 1: Introduction; 2: Surveying and assessing buildings for low carbon retrofit; 3: Planning low carbon retrofit projects; 4: Funding and procurement for low carbon retrofit projects; 5: Managing low carbon retrofit projects; 6: Improving the building fabric; 7: Improving the building services; 8: Green retrofit; 9: Living in a low carbon home; 10: Identifying opportunities and promoting low carbon retrofit; 11: Promotion programmes for low carbon retrofit; 12: Skills, training and accreditation.
The Retrofit Challenge: Delivering low carbon buildings
Posted on: 6 December 2011
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This report acknowledges that government policies such as the Green Deal, Renewable Heat Incentive, and Carbon Reduction Commitment have encouraged some businesses and households to improve with the energy efficiency of their buildings, but argues that more urgency is needed if the UK is to achieve an 80 per cent cut in emissions by 2050.
Towards Intelligent Construction Conference. London, 30 November 2011
Posted on: 30 November 2011
By: mackene
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The Conference title was chosen to reflect the need for the construction industry to adopt new and more effective ways of working, in order to offer better construction solutions and to deliver much better value for clients and customers. It is not about suppliers making minor modifications at the margins but rather the need for a fundamental reshaping of the technologies, processes and relationships that are applied within the industry. This includes smarter build solutions including the increased use of offsite solutions, the application of the principles of design for manufacture and assembly, the use of lean production techniques to eliminate process waste and the increased and intelligent use of Building Information Modelling. The Conference featured two significant Case Studies, the first being the British Land project at 122 Leadenhall Street in the City of London. Commonly referred to as the Cheese-grater, this stunning and technically challenging development is being constructed by Laing O’Rourke and will be completed 6 months ahead of schedule through the application of intelligent construction techniques, including the use of Building Information Modelling, with the use of offsite manufactured components accounting for 85% of the building. The second Case Study featured the development programme of elective surgery hospitals by Circle Health Properties. This substantial investment programme is characterised by the requirement for excellence in design, excellence in construction, excellence in use and excellence in customer experience. The expert client in collaboration with their supply chain is constantly challenging what it does and why it does it, as well as taking the learning points from each hospital project and applying the lessons to their next projects. This process ensures that tangible benefits in terms of more effective design and construction techniques, reduced cost of ownership, provision for adaptation, and the development of clinical and customer services are being achieved in a way that also ensures that waste in all its forms is being eliminated. The client’s supply chain is deploying Building Information Modelling both to manage the overall design and construction process and to drive efficiency in the building form. Presentations featuring both case studies are available online.
Low carbon design: The power to deliver change. Bristol, 22 November 2011
Posted on: 22 November 2011
By: isadm
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This RIBA event provided an opportunity to consider how we put into practice the latest thinking on sustainability, retrofit and low carbon technology, and the role of architects and built environment professionals in shaping the policy framework in which we work. A brief overview of the issues discussed is outlined in the twitter diary written by RIBA Yorkshire’s Ruth Donnelly.
Everyone needs a home
Posted on: 13 October 2011
By: mackene
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This paper presents the work of a number of Housing Forum working groups, covering issues related to localism, affordable housing, housing for older people and retrofit of the existing housing stock to deliver the low carbon agenda.
INSITE11 Conference: Rethink refurbishment. Watford, 4-5 October 2011
Posted on: 5 October 2011
By: mackene
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This event covered the following themes: Sustainable retrofit of buildings; Revitalising communities; Performance in operation; Wellbeing. Presentations and videos are available online.
Retrofit: Moving in and moving on. Nottingham, 16-17 September 2011
Posted on: 17 September 2011
By: isadm
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The annual conference of the sustainable building association, AECB, looked at issues around refurbishment as many of the Retrofit for the Future projects were coming to a conclusion. While recent focus has been on energy issues, this event aimed to look at some other areas that may have been bypassed. These include community involvement, usability, embedded carbon, ethics and language. Some presentations are available online.
Low carbon communities: Partnering design and engagement. London, 13 July 2011
Posted on: 31 July 2011
By: mackene
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Concerto is a European initiative that demonstrates the environmental, economic and social benefits of taking an integrated approach to sustainability projects, partnering technological solutions with community engagement. This event marked the end of the Lambeth Concerto Project. The conference aim was to show that only by coupling best practice in sustainable design and construction with community engagement can a truly low carbon community be created, and that this approach could be a key method of delivering the UK’s ambitious carbon reduction targets. The conference brought together professionals working in the sustainability sector to share experiences and best practice of what makes a successful eco-refurbishment project and how to build a low carbon community. The agenda for the day, the presentations from all the speakers are available online.
A guide for assisted living: Towards LifeHome 21
Posted on: 8 July 2011
By: mackene
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This RIBA/BRE Guide on Assisted Living aims to provide authoritative guidance for architects, other design professionals and many other interest groups on the appropriate design of new and refurbished homes to create the right sort of detailing and services both within the home and adjacent to the home that will enable those living with long term chronic conditions to remain in their homes and to lead independent lives for as long as possible. Creating flexible and adaptable homes will include the installation of digital services to create a safe and comfortable internal environment and, of course, to support the occupants’ health and wellbeing and their contacts with friends, family, carers and the wider community. The first section addresses building fabric and space issues, while the second looks at approaches to the integration of digital infrastructure into homes and small communities such as residential blocks. Presentations from the report launch, held on 30 June 2011, are available here.
CarbonAction2050
Posted on: 5 July 2011
By: mackene
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CarbonAction2050.com is an online action plan designed to inform those working and operating in the built environment on how to reduce carbon emissions, created by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) as part of its commitment to meeting the carbon reduction targets set out in the UK Climate Change Act 2008. The portal has been developed over the last twelve months by CIOB members who work in design, building control, education, project management, facilities management, conservation and sustainability. The overall aim is to focus on innovation and best practice that will make an immediate difference on the ground. Issues covered include: design; construction; operations and maintenance; refurbishment and retrofit; skills and education; and leadership.
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