Building Green
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Building Green is nothing more than a choice. You can either undertake a project in the normal way for example: Building an extension using modern and mass produced bricks, installing conventional heating and water systems & clearing debris and rubbish in skips. Or you can choose to undertake a project in a more environmental way for example: Building an extension using re-claimed bricks, installing simple energy saving ideas to a conventional heating and water system & Separating and recycling debris and rubbish. Building a project either way will produce good results, however building green has many advantages. Not only does the environment and the world we live in benefit but the overall end product is much more desirable and therefore valuable. If we look at the examples used above starting with the choice of bricks.
It is true that the use of a genuine re-claimed house brick is of more advantage to a project where the property is old. However many modern bricks are available if you want to find them. By using a re-claimed brick you are removing the need for a new brick to be manufactured. The process of manufacturing anything uses vast amount of energy & raw material, both of which cause huge problems to our environment. There is also no major lorry transport involved, as most bricks a kept local to supply local projects. The end product of the re-claimed brick extension is the disguise that there ever was an extension. The bricks are already weathered and as long as care is taken to match colour properly it should be difficult to pick out a new extension. In our experience many new extensions with modern bricks, stick out like a sore thumb. They are normally a compromise and detract from the building itself.
Every year modern conventional heating systems are required to be more energy efficient, this is a good thing. But there are more steps which can be taken to reduce the impact on our environment. By using the thermal energy of the earth a sunk water reservoir can be heated by 2-3 degrees before it reaches the boiler, thus reducing the amount of energy needed to heat your hot water. By using another sunken tank water known as grey water can be collected from bath, shower and sinks within the home and can be filtered and reused in filling toilet cisterns. Not only will the amount of water we use be considerably reduced, vast amounts of energy will be saved by not having to clean toilet cistern water to the standard of drinking water. Roof mounted solar cells can have the same effect as sunken water reservoirs. Passing water through the cells allows the suns energy to heat the water before it reaches the boiler.
Every year the cost of skips goes up. This is because the problem of our waste is becoming critical. There is a stat that says that 70% of landfill comes from building and development. In our homes we are beginning to recycle a lot of our household waste, the building industry however is far, far behind. The problem of course is financial. Everybody needs and wants to make a profit, but at what price. Surly to help the future generation we must put aside big profits and consider the future. Too clear a building site, it is easier to load a skip full of everything and anything and pay to have it removed. But removed where, Landfill!! With a little more effort and care the rubbish can be separated into wood, metal, glass, hardcore, topsoil, paper and plastics. Then the majority can be recycled and re-used. Some rubbish can be sold others will cost to have it recycled. So it may take more time and cost more, but the impact on our immediate environment is reduced substantially.
The examples above are not just ideas, they are simple ways that everyone can use and in the end lead to better and more valuable results. On the out set the cost of implementing such ideas will cost more. Re-claimed bricks on average cost twice what a modern brick costs, installing underground water tanks costs money and takes time to install & separating rubbish is labour intensive. But in the end done right the extra money spent will pay dividends in the future. The energy you save will cost less, and the property will be individual and worth more.
Over the past six years we have realised the benefits of developing in this way. We have renovated and developed many properties and the results have been amazing. All the projects on this site have in one way or another used every possible way of creating beautiful homes or offices which help the environment. There have been many occasions where more could have been done, but local authority and peoples mind set have held us back. The decision to change the way we develop is a choice. If you choice to BUILD GREEN then we can help you implement the smallest of the biggest idea and together we can make a difference.
