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Editorial advisory panel
Laurence Aston, Director of Mechanical Engineering, Morgan Professional Services
David Clark, Partner, Max Fordham Consulting Engineers
Patrick Conaghan, Partner, Hoare Lea Consulting Engineers
David Hughes, Building Services Consultant, MTT Consulting Philip King, Director, Hilson Moran
Chani Leahong, Senior Associate,
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Stephen Lisk, President, The Society of Light and Lighting
Professor John Swaffield, CIBSE Past
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Ged Tyrrell, Managing Director,
Tyrrell Systems
Ant Wilson, Director, AECOM
Morwenna Wilson, Graduate Engineer, Arup Terry Wyatt, Consultant to Hoare Lea
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From the editor
Opportunities for change
A
nd so it’s official. The UK government’s own chief construction adviser (CCA) confirms that the plethora of policy initiatives that
have flooded the industry in recent years has been a hindrance as well as a help in the battle to ‘green’ the nation’s building stock. Paul Morrell’s first major announcement since taking up the new CCA post is a palpable hit against his own paymasters. The body he leads, the Innovation & Growth Team (IGT), is studying whether the construction industry is ‘fit for purpose’. The IGT’s interim report, before the final
version is issued at the end of the year makes, for both refreshing and disturbing reading (see page 9). After years of government carbon- cutting targets and mile-high consultation documents, the IGT goes to the heart of why doubts remain that the aims will ever be met: any low-carbon plans for both new-builds and refurbished properties must be measured against the actual performance of these structures; and a rigorous programme of publicly funded post-occupancy evaluations is needed to provide the intelligence that is now lacking about purportedly green buildings and technology. The report, of course, does not make this case
There is some good work going on in the industry to bring this about. One notable example is the Construction Industry Council’s programme – in which CIBSE is involved – to develop the notion of ‘carbon-critical’ design. Another is the BSRIA-led Soft Landings framework on pre and post-occupancy joint working between professionals.
As CIBSE’s own assessment of key aspects of
The loss of building intelligence
has been a major stumbling block to making targets
achievable
quite so starkly; but it does gently imply that the loss of such intelligence has been a major stumbling block to making the policy intentions and targets achievable. The buck doesn’t stop solely with central and local government, of course. Another significant point highlighted in the report is that professionals across the construction supply chain must get their act together, literally, in working seamlessly towards the fulfilment of low-carbon design intentions.
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the new Part L 2010 shows, much greater attention must be given to the fabric of the building at the design stage, ensuring it is as low-carbon as possible, before a load of expensive mechanical gizmos and renewables are planned in and fitted (see page 22). CIBSE’s recent workshops for professionals to comment specifically on the targets for ‘zero carbon’ non-domestic buildings offer a valuable insight – a pre-election focus group, if you like – of what a range of professionals, young and experienced, feel is needed to make the government’s laudable aims achievable (see page 24). I’d urge the main political parties, in drawing up their election manifestos, to take
note of these views (and CIBSE’s assessment), if they are serious about greening the building stock. The Conservatives’ apparently glib comments to date on their panacea for change – unleashing private sector investment and streamlining the Building Regulations (see page 27) – raise more questions than answers, and have the smack of empty ideology. I don’t make a party political point; I do hope that the manifestos and debate from all parties will offer much more clarity, for the sake of all professionals in the construction industry.
Bob Cervi, Editor
bcervi@cibsejournal.com
April 2010 CIBSE Journal
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