Why build sustainably?

What does sustainable really mean?  Has it just become another cliché, a band wagon to be jumped on?  The government talks about it, the economic giants demand it and the planet deserves it, but do we really understand it?  Sustainable can be defined as ‘development which meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.  But the word ‘sustainable’ is becoming a buzzword, we are hearing it so often, do we really take notice? Many of us recycle some of our rubbish, try to remember to turn off light bulbs, and think about driving less, we feel guilty that we are not doing enough, and wonder at the same time if, individually, we really can make a difference?  I also suspect that many of you may be flinching and think ‘do I really have to think about building sustainably too?’

The answer is most definitely ‘yes!’  The government has added the construction industry to the list of targets in it’s endeavours to meet the carbon emission reduction figures set out in it’s strategy for sustainable development.  And with good reason. Did you know that; 

Construction and use of buildings represents 50% of total energy use in Europe.

The construction industry is the largest consumer of resources of all UK industries, amounting to 6 tomes of materials per person per year.

Approximately 90 million tonnes of construction waste are generated each year, of which 13 million tonnes is unused materials. 

The facts prove we cannot continue to build as we do.  The knee jerk reaction is to build less, yet here in the south west we are faced with a lack of affordable housing and that too, is a major concern.  The task of meeting that need with a solution that minimises any impact upon our environment, whilst combining our ideals of 21st century living would seem impossible!  Thankfully the answer is available to us all in the form of sustainable, highly efficient homes.

These solutions can include building in cob, which is made from chalk or earth, properly maintained with lime mortars these houses will last hundreds of years.  Straw houses are another option.  It is an agricultural waste product, yet easy to build with.

Timber is an important aspect of most sustainable builds.  Although currently the western world uses tropical timber without realising the flooding risk it can have upon the countries where it is soured.  Even using timber from ‘sustainably managed forests’ usually means transporting the wood to the UK, a process which uses energy. To really build sustainably we can source timber close to the build site, eliminating the negative effects of transportation and without creating a flooding risk to poorer countries.

What we really have to do to cut down on the energy used within the construction industry is use locally soured materials.  But we also have look at the materials we are using.  For example, for each tonne of concrete produced, a tonne of carbon dioxide is also produced.   Lime, which is an traditional material, is infinitely more environmentally friendly and has many other advantages.

Sustainably built houses are more energy efficient.  Building with straw naturally provides highly insulated walls that are better sound proofed.   But there are plenty of other ways to reduce energy lost from new and existing builds.   Currently most new builds are only built to minimum regulations.   If British homes were insulated to Danish standards, carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by over half a million tonnes per year.

It all seems to make sense, but why isn’t it already happening?  As usual, it’s all down to cost.  The perception is that sustainable buildings are more expensive, when in fact it is often less expensive if it is done right, and the cost to the environment is also minimised. Saving energy in the home can initially cost more, like using wool insulation.  But over time, that cost is passed back to the homeowner in reduced utility bills.  That cost isn’t passed onto the builder, which is why it’s an expense most property developers won’t pay for. 

So, why should we build sustainably?  We now know that our construction industry is a major perpetrator of global warming, yet we are living in an area where more housing is needed but few truly sustainable builds are planned.  If all our buildings were sustainably built, it would go a long way to save energy and reduce carbon emissions, as well as the potential to save us money.     Building sustainably is not just a win-win option for our future, it is an imperative.

By Rob Buckley

DCRS

Dorset Centre for Rural Skills

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