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12 MAKING THE LINKS: BUILT ENVIRONMENT

Slateford Green, Edinburgh

THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE. SAFE, WARM, DRY HOMES ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR WELL-BEING. OUR BUILDINGS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE TO HOW COMMUNITIES LOOK, FEEL AND FUNCTION

12.1 The design, construction and maintenance of the built environment provide significant opportunities to contribute towards a more sustainable future. They have significant implications for energy use as well as health, transport, employment and communities. Safe, warm, dry homes are fundamental to our well-being. Our buildings make a big difference to how communities look, feel and function. They consume natural resources during construction, refurbishment and demolition but their greatest impact is the energy they use in operation. Energy used for heating, providing hot water, cooling and lighting our homes in particular is a major factor in our global environmental impact, accounting for 34% of our total energy consumption and 33% of our greenhouse gas emissions ²¹.

KEY ISSUES

12.2 The Scottish Building Standards Agency ( SBSA) works to promote the health, safety, welfare and convenience of people in and around buildings and the conservation of fuel and power. It is responsible for the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004, including Scotland's energy efficiency standards, which are currently the most demanding in the UK. The SBSA is reviewing the building regulations to determine ways in which they can be used to further sustainable development, which is one of the objectives of the Building (Scotland) Act 2003.

CASE STUDY

Slateford Green, Edinburgh

Slateford Green is a mixed tenure development by Canmore Housing Association, Edinburgh. The project demonstrates the financial viability of housing for sale that is car-free and incorporates sustainable construction methods.

With good access to many facilities and public transport, Slateford Green is an ideal site for a car-free residential development. The space that would have been devoted to parking spaces has instead been used for gardens, children's play areas and allotments.

Complementing the development is the Edinburgh CityCarClub, which gives members access to a fleet of vehicles that can be hired locally by the hour.

The construction is lightweight dry-fix with reduced costs through prefabrication and waste reduction.

Materials have been sourced for minimal environmental impact, reduced maintenance and their capacity for recycling.

Energy saving is achieved mainly by super insulation. The structure is clad with a breathing wall with 175mm of Warmcel with panel-vent sheathing. Most flats have conservatories providing passive solar gain to living spaces orientated into the south-facing courtyard. Natural ventilation is encouraged by passive stack ventilation and there is provision for retrofitting of photovoltaic panels to power lighting if and when practical cost-effective products become available.

Information sourced from 'Sustainable Housing Guide for Scotland', Fionn Stevenson and Nick Williams

www.dunedincanmore.org.uk

12.3 We are investing substantially in Scotland's infrastructure, providing an opportunity to ensure that public sector buildings meet high standards in terms of energy and wider resource efficiency, as exemplified in the joint Scottish Executive/ CoSLA 2003 strategy document Building Our Future: Scotland's School Estate²², which sets the vision for well-designed, well-built and well-managed schools.

12.4 Construction and demolition materials are a significant element in the overall environmental impact of our buildings, accounting for 2.2 million tonnes (24.4%) of waste going to landfill in 2001. The landfill tax and Aggregates Levy are encouraging businesses to find alternative uses for construction and demolition waste and alternative sources for construction materials. Other initiatives include the Executive's current consultation on proposals to require at least 10% recycled content (by value) in publicly procured construction projects; the Scottish Ecological Design Associations' guidance on minimising waste by designing for deconstruction; and an investigation by the SBSA of whether building regulations could be used to increase the amount of demolition materials that are recovered for reuse. Historic Scotland encourages the reuse of buildings of outstanding architectural or historic interest and their repair and restoration using traditional skills and materials.

12.5 As the number of households in Scotland increases, demand for additional housing has continued to grow and property prices have risen steadily. The Executive is committed to ensuring that the housing system as a whole delivers the homes that Scotland's people need and has set out its housing objectives and how they will be delivered in Homes for Scotland's People: A Scottish Housing Policy Statement²³. The statement emphasises the need for close relationships between the Executive, local government, housing associations, the private sector and tenants if the ambitious housing agenda is to be delivered. Sustainable development challenges relating to the physical fabric of buildings include:

• delivering energy efficiency in new build housing and in existing stock, in both the private and public sectors
• minimising waste in construction and promoting the use of recycled materials
• preserving and improving existing housing stock by measures to deal with the massive back-log of disrepair in all sectors.

12.6 Housing conditions overall are improving, with progressive falls in the number of homes suffering from condensation and dampness, but 73% of local authority housing, 64% of housing association housing and 70% of private sector housing currently fall short of the new Scottish Housing Quality Standard.

12.7 Although newly-built homes account for only about 1% of Scotland's housing stock - 25,100 completions during 2004 compared with an estimated 2,366,000 dwellings at the start of the year - they provide significant opportunities to further sustainable development, energy and resource efficiency and design excellence.

12.8 The SUST project, based at Glasgow's Lighthouse and funded by the Executive, promotes excellence in sustainable building design in both the private and social sectors as an integral part of our policy on architecture. Sustainability extends beyond our walls, to encompass the context, connectivity and identity of well designed places, as set out in the Executive's Planning Advice Note 67 on housing quality.

ACTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

• Public investment of £1.2 billion in affordable housing over the period 2005-06 to 2007-08, together with an estimated £500 million in private finance, will provide over 16,500 social rented homes and nearly 5,000 low cost homes for those who need them most.
• To improve the condition of Scotland's housing stock, a wide range of approaches has been adopted including primary legislation to drive up quality in private sector housing. All councils and registered social landlords are expected to ensure that their housing stock meets the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015, helping to ensure that houses are fit for the 21st century.
• SUST is to provide training on sustainable development to housing association committee members and staff during 2006.
• The Executive will continue to fund the installation of micro-renewables in homes across Scotland through its Scottish Community and Household Renewables Initiative ( SCHRI), and will monitor the DTI's progress towards implementing a Low Carbon Buildings programme (expected during 2006).
• The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive will be implemented from January 2006, with energy performance certificates required for public buildings and, by 2009, for every building when it is build, sold or rented.
• Early in 2006, the SBSA will issue a public consultation on changes to the standards on structure, environment, accessibility and energy, due to come into effect in May 2007. In spring 2006, it will complete the picture of how sustainable development is being furthered through the building standards system with a report on other aspects of buildings that can be controlled through the building regulations.
• In developing the new standards, the SBSA is considering how to deliver reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide and developing guidance on the installation of a range of low and zero carbon technologies.
• Through its policy on architecture, the Executive will promote sustainable, liveable housing in well planned developments.
• The Executive will monitor progress in delivering a built environment for a sustainable future as part of the reporting arrangements for this strategy.

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