What does sustainability mean to you?
Much has recently been written about sustainability and it is core to the Draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) document published by The Department of Communities and Local Government in July 2011 responses to which are currently being considered by the Government.
This document is aimed at “achieving sustainable development and positive growth – making economic, environmental and social progress for this and future generations”.
At a recent meeting at a local council planning office much was stated about the need to ensure a new development would be sustainable and I thought I knew what was meant but when I asked each of the council officers for their interpretation of “sustainability” I received very different responses depending on their particular job and some of their requests were conflicting!
According to Wikipedia “sustainability is the capacity to endure”. We are used to endurance when dealing with planning authorities!!
There is no definition of “sustainability” in the draft NPPF document and some local planning authorities appear not to have an agreed definition so please let me have your views. I will start the ball rolling with a couple of definitions for us to consider:
1. sustainable development means new construction that is good for the economic, social and environmental life of the countryside;
2. sustainable development is that which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Do you agree with these definitions? Or do you have your own defintion of sustainability? Please let us know in the comments below.
Energy saving in the Home – Part 2
In our first blog post on energy saving in the home we concentrated on the bigger changes you could make to your home including loft insulation, draught-proofing windows and cavity wall insulation. While all of these will help you save money in the long term they will also cost you the most money to implement. You’ll be pleased to know that there are also a number of changes you can make which will cost you absolutely nothing, here are a few:
Energy saving in the kitchen
Even if you’re just cooking a simple pasta dish there are a few things to take into consideration to save energy. When you boil the kettle, make sure you only fill the kettle with the amount of water you need. If you are boiling your pasta on an electric hob make sure that you use a flat bottomed pan and if you are using a gas hob make sure that the flames are low. Remember that whatever type of hob you are using you should cook with lids on the pans.
You can also take some simple procedures with your fridges and freezers. Firstly make sure that you keep your fridge and freezer at the correct temperature. The correct temperature for a fridge is 2 – 3°C and the correct temperature for a freezer is -15°C, keeping them at these temperatures will also help to prevent the growth of potentially harmful bacteria. To make sure that your fridge and freezer stay cool keep them away from the cooker and allow air to circulate behind them. Finally you should regularly defrost your fridge and freezer, a good tip of when to do this is once you can see about half an inch of ice around the insides.
Saving energy in the utility room
You should make sure that your washing machine is full before using it and use a low temperature when possible. When your wash has finished rather than use a tumble dryer to dry your clothes hang them outside or if the weather doesn’t allow you to do this then hang them up on a clothes maid inside.
Energy saving around the house
There are a few other things that you could do around the house including switching the lights off when you leave a room and closing the windows as well as the curtains or blinds in the evening to keep the heat in. Another important way you can save energy is to turn any electricals off at the wall including your TV, computer, DVD player and any games consoles rather than leaving them on standby.
We hope these tips help you to save energy within your home and if you do have any others to share please leave them in the comments below.
Green Roofs
The UK government launched the green infrastructure partnership at the begining of the month; their aim is to create more green space within towns and cities. This partnership has no financial backing from the government but it does have the support from influential groups like the ‘Landscape Institute’.
One of the most popular features in European cities is green roofs which are a great use of space to create something so beneficial. However, green roofs have had a slow uptake in the UK for a number of reasons including the fact that the benefits of these roofs weren’t properly understood and there have been some cases where planning permission has not been granted due to assumptions that they may create more noise or overlook neighbours properties. This new partnership should help to overcome some of these issues.
This partnership will make a difference to the quality of everyday life for people living within cities as it will give them access to gardens, meadows and even allotments. As well as having environmental benefits green roofs also have financial benefits including providing insulation and increasing the value of a property.
There are three different green roof categories intensive, semi-intensive and extensive. Intensive green roofs require a lot of maintenance so are very labour intensive whereas extensive roofs are the complete opposite and perfect for people who have busy working lives.
If a green roof is something that you’d be interested in then contact McCormick for advice on planning applications to help you get started.
Tips on Energy Saving in the Home
Making your home energy efficient can reduce carbon emissions as well as saving you money on household bills so we’ve put together some tips on how you can save energy within your home:
1. Loft insulation
With approximately 25% of heat in your home escaping through the roof it makes sense to get your loft insulated to prevent this loss of heat. Not only does an insulated loft keep your home warm in the winter it also keeps your house cooler in the summer. A loft is quite straight forward to insulate as long as it is easily accessible and doesn’t contain any damp. You can still apply for a loft insulation grant but you need to be quick as this scheme will be stopping in 2012.
2. Draught-proofing windows
Most draughts in the home arise from unwanted gaps in windows that lets warm air escape and welcomes cold air in. Stopping these window draughts is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to save energy. You can buy draught proofing strips that create a seal around the window frame to stop any draughts. There are two types of strips, self-adhesive foam strips which are the cheapest option or metal or plastic strips with brushes attached, these are the more expensive option but they are more durable and will last longer.
3. Cavity wall insulation
If your home was built after 1920 it’s more than likely that there is a gap between its external walls. In order to make your home more energy efficient this gap will need to be filled to stop heat from escaping. You will need to call in a professional to insulate your walls; all they will do is drill small holes in the outside walls of your house and fill the cavity with insulation. You may even be eligible for a grant for cavity wall insulation, however these grants are also coming to an end in 2012.
All these are great ways to make your home more energy efficient and will help you save money on household bills. However, if you live in a listed building its best to check with a conservation officer before making any changes to find out what you can and can’t do. Watch out for further tips coming soon!
Trees & Planning Applications
Planning applications are often not straightforward. We were recently called out to meet with a client who wished to extend his home by adding a single storey extension to his kitchen to form a modern garden room. On visiting the site we noted there was a mature Lebanese Cedar tree in the garden and close to the house and on further enquiry were advised that it is protected under a Tree Preservation Order.
We recognised that permission to extend the house could be affected by the tree and we therefore issued preliminary sketches of our proposals to the council’s arboricultural officer for his comments prior to finalising design proposals or submitting a planning application.
In agreement with the council we arranged for hand excavation of a simple trench along the line of the proposed wall that would be nearest to the tree and this was inspected by us and the arboricultural officer and photographs taken for record purposes. It was then confirmed by the council’s officer that a proposed extension on the lines envisaged would be acceptable from an arboricultural point of view and this gave our client the comfort to engage us to progress the design, apply for and obtain detailed planning permission.
Working in this way and resolving fundamental issues before finalising design is cost effective to our clients and can avoid lengthy delays during the planning application process, reduces the potential for a planning refusal and reduces potential costs to our clients.
McCormick Project Nominated for Award
We are delighted to announce that one of our recently completed projects has been nominated for the Northwest Building Control Excellence Awards.
The development, Cobblestones in Spurstow, has been nominated in the regional heats for the awards, which recognise quality builders and buildings throughout England & Wales and so having a property nominated is a great accolade.
The property belongs to Mr & Mrs Phillip Masters and the building work was completed by builders Johnson Brothers, of Bunbury, both of whom are delighted with the finished result.
The judging panel will now determine the leaders from each category, with the winner announced at the regional awards ceremony on 13th May, at the Reebok Stadium, in Bolton.
See more of our residential projects on our project pages, or if you would like to talk about your architectural requirements, please get in touch.
Bats & Planning Applications
If you’ve read our previous blog post about nature and planning applications, then you’re probably aware that you need to consider more than just your neighbours when creating an application for planning permission, and one particularly important consideration is the presence of bats.
There are currently 18 species of bats in the UK and they are protected under both UK & European legislation, so it is vital that developers and architects investigate the likelihood of bats appearing on their proposed development site.
Bats tend to be creatures of habit in that they usually return to the same roosts year after year and so even if they aren’t present at the time, it’s likely they will come back, which is the main reason that known roost sites are protected.
If you do find that your proposed development would affect bats either now or in the future then it doesn’t always mean that your plans end there. Often your proposed plans can be altered and work can be scheduled in such a way that disturbance to the bats can be minimised or avoided altogether.
If the development is a residential dwelling house then the local planning authority will notify English Nature (EN), and will also give details of any mitigating circumstances and modifications. It will then be up to EN to decide whether the development can continue.
In other cases, a bat specialist will need to be enlisted who will apply to DEFRA for a special license, and until this is granted the work cannot begin.
If bats are found to be present once work has started on the site, then you must cease immediately and seek advice from EN who will then advise on the best course of action and will enlist the assistance of the appropriate experts.
Our advice when making a planning application, would be to investigate the presence of bats as soon as possible during the development process, and if relevant, during site selection.
If you need help with planning applications then McCormick Architecture can help.
All About the Shard
After its initial conception back in 2000, we are finally in the penultimate year prior to Shard London Bridge’s unveiling. The skyscraper, currently under construction in Southwark, London will be the tallest building in the EU, have 72 floors and, most uniquely, will have a triangular shape and be clad completely in glass.
Renzo Piano designed the 1017ft building, which was initially conceived on the back of a restaurant menu after he was inspired by London’s train tracks and ship masts, and after its completion next year it is set to become a multi functional building, containing living, working and leisure spaces.
The Shard’s early designs were among the first to be progressed following a report compiled after the World Trade Centre terrorist attacks and so has been designed to maintain stability under difficult conditions.
Piano says he considers his design to be like a ‘shard of glass’ and it will certainly cut a fine figure through London’s infamous skyline, as it will sit near St Paul’s Cathedral, Tate Modern & Tower of London.
The use of angled panes of glass will reflect the state of natural conditions around the building and mean that the structure has the potential to look completely unique depending on the London weather conditions of any given day. There will also be a public viewing gallery on the top floor, offering the widest reaching views across London.
For more information on the Shard London Bridge development see www.shardlondonbridge.com
If you’re looking for an architect for a commercial or innovative project then the architects at McCormick are more than equipped to help.
Tower Triumph for Ice Cream Farm
Fans of Cheshire Ice Cream Farm in Tattenhall will be pleased to know that an enforcement notice against its tower (built without planning permission) has been overruled on appeal.
McCormick Architecture designed the new blue-painted timber-boarded building, which stands at about eight metres high. The square tower’s top is about two metres higher and finished in similar materials but with white louvers beneath a pointed roof.
The council argued that the tower was incongruous and had a detrimental impact on the natural beauty of the countryside. The inspector handling the appeal disagreed, finding it a harmonious and interesting addition with ‘a touch of whimsy’.
We’re delighted for our client but, of course, we would always advise that planning permission should be sought before building work begins!
BASF Create Eco House at University
Sustainability and energy efficiency seem to be the buzzwords in our field at the moment and it looks like the focus on energy efficiency and eco friendly housing is here to stay. However, a lot of people are concerned about the affordability of these types of projects, as well as their viability in the real world.
Well a project carried out at Nottingham University should hopefully allay some of these fears. The Creative Energy Homes at its University Park site were designed to allow testing of a variety of modern construction methods.
The project’s aim was to stimulate sustainable design ideas and encourage new methods of creating affordable, environmentally sustainable housing that also incorporates innovative design.
One house was created by leading chemical company, BASF, and its purpose was to demonstrate how innovative materials and technology can be used to create homes which are both energy efficient and affordable.
The BASF House was the first of six to be completed and all the houses in the project were created with aesthetics in mind, which we think will help change the often incorrect perceptions many people have about both affordable housing and energy efficient housing being unattractive.
