Built Environment Solutions That Built Environment Solutions That Meet Goals For Sustainability Meet Goals For Sustainability

OutcomesOutcomes

Mike O’Connell and Chris Kane Mike O’Connell and Chris Kane BRANZ LtdBRANZ Ltd

Presentation toPresentation toInternational Conference on International Conference on

Sustainability Engineering and Sustainability Engineering and ScienceScience

88thth July 2004 July 2004

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OverviewOverview

Climate change and buildingsClimate change and buildings Sustainable design and constructionSustainable design and construction Strategies for climate change Strategies for climate change Barriers and challengesBarriers and challenges Opportunities and benefitsOpportunities and benefits NOW HomeNOW Home

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Building for survival or disaster?Building for survival or disaster?

“…“…to make no demands on nature that nature to make no demands on nature that nature cannot continue to answer, and to refrain from cannot continue to answer, and to refrain from squandering the limited resources whether of squandering the limited resources whether of material (or) biological capital, on which all future material (or) biological capital, on which all future generations, as well as ourselves, depend for generations, as well as ourselves, depend for survivalsurvival””

1972 - 1972 - Alex Gordon, RIBA Annual Conference, UKAlex Gordon, RIBA Annual Conference, UK

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Climate change impactsClimate change impacts

Hailstorm (Sydney) Flooding - Lower N Island 2004

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Business as usual?Business as usual?

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Or…sustainable construction?Or…sustainable construction?

““Sustainable construction is the set of Sustainable construction is the set of processes by which the building and processes by which the building and construction industry operates and delivers construction industry operates and delivers built assets to meet the aims of sustainable built assets to meet the aims of sustainable development”development”2004 2004 – – Rachel Hargreaves, Green PaybackRachel Hargreaves, Green Payback

What’s required to reduce carbon?What’s required to reduce carbon? Technology exists for 80-90% less COTechnology exists for 80-90% less CO22

……but constraints!but constraints!

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Strategies/approaches to reducing Strategies/approaches to reducing urban carbonurban carbon

Preferred Policy PackagePreferred Policy Package NEECSNEECS Adaptation (NZ Climate Change Office, BRANZ guidance)Adaptation (NZ Climate Change Office, BRANZ guidance)

Kyoto Protocol dependent policiesKyoto Protocol dependent policies Built environment policy (Construction Industry Council)Built environment policy (Construction Industry Council) Urban Design Protocol (MfE)Urban Design Protocol (MfE) Building Bill, NZ building codeBuilding Bill, NZ building code

Sustainability inclusionsSustainability inclusions

Education - e.g. Education - e.g. The Green Payback The Green Payback (BRANZ)(BRANZ) Voluntary initiatives – e.g. NOW Home, BEACON PathwayVoluntary initiatives – e.g. NOW Home, BEACON Pathway

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ChallengesChallenges

Unsustainable status of existing building stockUnsustainable status of existing building stock

Key constraintsKey constraints Consumer attitudeConsumer attitude Lifestyle choice Lifestyle choice - avg. home 195 m- avg. home 195 m22!!

‘‘Business As Usual’, silo thinkingBusiness As Usual’, silo thinking Decreasing industry skill base Decreasing industry skill base Lack of awareness, information disseminationLack of awareness, information dissemination Slow uptake of renewablesSlow uptake of renewables Energy demand vs. supplyEnergy demand vs. supply

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Constraint – e.g. silo thinkingConstraint – e.g. silo thinking

……required collaboration with the client, his required collaboration with the client, his professional and technical advisors, and the professional and technical advisors, and the building team undertaking to building team undertaking to integrateintegrate design design factors for which they are normally separately factors for which they are normally separately responsible. responsible. DecisionDecision thus becomes a concurrentthus becomes a concurrent and notand not a sequentiala sequential processprocess

((Shepard 1971, cited in Cole 2004Shepard 1971, cited in Cole 2004))

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OpportunitiesOpportunities

Sustainable buildings in practiceSustainable buildings in practice New/retrofitted: 3-10 fold less New/retrofitted: 3-10 fold less energyenergy use use Proven financial benefits for low-carbon buildings Proven financial benefits for low-carbon buildings

((Kats et al 2003Kats et al 2003)) 2% investment in ‘green’ features2% investment in ‘green’ features ►►life cycle savings of 20% of construction costs life cycle savings of 20% of construction costs

……but can this translate to NZ?!but can this translate to NZ?!

What action can we take in NZ?What action can we take in NZ? Warm Home Energy Rating SchemesWarm Home Energy Rating Schemes EBEX21EBEX21®®/CarboNZero/CarboNZero®®

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Ancient sustainability!Ancient sustainability!

Barat, Yemen

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Sustainable buildings - Sustainable buildings - international international

Condé-Nast, 4 Times Square, NY

‘Passiv Haus’, Austria

BedZED, UK

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Sustainable buildings - NZ Sustainable buildings - NZ

Paraparaumu library (image courtesy Warren & Mahoney)

ZALEH, Wanaka

Strawbale house, Canterbury

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Benefits and co-benefitsBenefits and co-benefits

BenefitsBenefits Reduced resource consumption, waste, etcReduced resource consumption, waste, etc Lower business/household operational costsLower business/household operational costs

Environment Canterbury EOC – energy savingsEnvironment Canterbury EOC – energy savings

Improved employee productivity, personal well-beingImproved employee productivity, personal well-being ING Bank, Amsterdam – 15% less absenteeismING Bank, Amsterdam – 15% less absenteeism

Co-benefitsCo-benefits Synergies with adaptation (natural cooling/warming)Synergies with adaptation (natural cooling/warming) Improved local air quality – warmer houses vs. cleaner Improved local air quality – warmer houses vs. cleaner

emissions, emissions, ► reduced ► reduced PMPM1010, etc, etc

Health – improved building envelope Health – improved building envelope

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Typical Kiwi HomeTypical Kiwi Home

Our home aspirationsOur home aspirations privacy, security, etcprivacy, security, etc warm/cosy in winter, cool/open in summerwarm/cosy in winter, cool/open in summer the dream…the dream…affordabilityaffordability!!

Built for the view, not for the sun!

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The NOW Home The NOW Home

Prototype Prototype NOW HomeNOW Home - Waitakere City - Waitakere City Construction consortium (includes BRANZ)Construction consortium (includes BRANZ) Design principles incorporated from startDesign principles incorporated from start Practice to make a differencePractice to make a difference First stage of more involved project (First stage of more involved project (BEACON PathwayBEACON Pathway)) Exemplary voluntary initiative in absence of tougher NZBCExemplary voluntary initiative in absence of tougher NZBC

Built for the sun, not the property lines!

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