REVIEW
More than 1500 stands packed out both the north and south halls at London’s Excel Exhibition Centre.
Ready, set, go!
Achieving energy efficiency performance targets will be tough, but Ecobuild 2012 proves we’re up for the challenge
Ecobuild is the world’s biggest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment. It is the best environmental networking event there is, the seminars are excellent, the stands are
comprehensive and as a result; those involved in the built environment industry attend in their thousands.
R
esponding to the, not insubstantial, amount of regulation, codes and
standards, and the speed of their introduction, continues to provide a challenge for many working in the industry. Whether it is the latest on Part L; or the Definition of Zero Carbon and the Code for Sustainable Homes; how
BREEAM is evolving; or what changes are anticipated for SAP. Getting to grips with what building green really requires is the single biggest challenge facing the sector right now and Ecobuild has positioned itself perfectly to assist the industry in learning about and sharing ideas on best practice. The meteoric rise of the event over recent years is no coincidence. The rapid growth reflects the important role bottom- up ‘green thinking’ has in the built environment of today and tomorrow. Eco credentials can no longer be considered a project ‘add-on’ – the green agenda is set to shape every aspect of building design, material specification, lifetime service provision and building methodology.
Since sustainability became 20 | Architects Choice |
ArchitectNews.co.uk
desirable, developers, manufacturers and designers alike have been all too keen to jump on the eco bandwagon. But half-hearted greenwash won’t cut it any longer. A major theme at this year’s Ecobuild event was the need to take real action and achieve real results.
One factor that is proving to be a particular stumbling block for the industry is the performance gap between the predicted energy efficiency of new builds at design stage and built- performance. Speaking at Ecobuild, director of the Good Homes Alliance Jon Bootland shocked audiences with findings from recent research by Leeds Metropolitan University which shows just how many new homes are failing to meet their carbon
emissions reduction targets. “Tested homes exhibit an average performance gap of about 60 percent between their designed heat loss standards and those achieved once constructed,” Bootland said. “Some dwellings had a heat loss rate of up to 120 percent higher than their design intended.” Many of the seminars and conference programmes taking place over the three-day event focused on closing this gap. Ecobuild’s feature-rich show floor meant that visitors were also able to gain vital information, advice and practical experience across many other areas. The Practical Installer feature provided live demonstrations designed to help installers take advantage of the growing demand for micro- renewable technologies, whilst
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52