AB Architects, Glasgow, Scotland, Green Design

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Green Design

AB Architects

GLASGOW LANARKSHIRE RENFREWSHIRE AYRSHIRE DUNBARTONSHIRE ARGYLL STIRLINGSHIRE LOTHIANS FIFE EDINBURGH . THROUGHOUT SCOTLAND

Useful links

The Green Register

The Association for Environment Conscious Building

Centre for Alternative Technology

Scottish Ecological Design Association

Energy Saving Trust

The Carbon Trust

SUST The Lighthouse on Sustainability

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes

Green Street

GreenSpec

Sustainable Build

Eco Renovation Network

As specialists in sustainable design we are able to offer advice if required on a variety of measures to reduce carbon emissions from the building once complete, use of resources during construction, and relative embodied energy of building materials.

Sustainable design does not necessarily cost more. There are several techniques possible where by careful design the potential carbon footprint of a building can be substantially reduced at no cost.

Obviously as more is spent on sustainable design features the carbon footprint can be reduced further, at the extreme end with the possibility of carbon-neutral buildings with little or no heating requirements. There are many products and building techniques at the moment which claim green credentials (including many which make little difference and some which are actually damaging to the environment). The key is to ensure that any additional outlay on environmental features is firstly going to do some good and secondly that you get the best possible return (in terms of potential carbon reduction) for your investment. This is obviously important from an environmental point of view but also in terms of reducing your running costs for the building as far as possible, particularly given the potential for future significant rises in the cost of energy as fossil fuels become more scarce. This is where we can provide advice from practical experience.

Techniques we have experience/ knowledge of include:

Passive solar design

Design for beneficial local microclimate

Highly insulated and airtight construction

Energy efficient heating and lighting systems

Passive stack and whole house ventilation

Brownfield and contaminated sites

Local sourcing of materials and labour

Material specification with regard to environmental impact

Material specification with regard to toxicity of materials and internal air quality

Design for maintainability

Design for flexibility