Small projects and the low-carbon agenda

The ever-tightening grip of low-carbon regulations is imposing design restrictions on all construction projects. Here, Neil Storkes, NBS Technical Author and Architect, proposes the need for greater attention to detail on smaller projects and suggests how NBS and associated products may help.

When Parts L and F of the Building Regulations (England and Wales) were last updated in April 2006, it was widely agreed that the changes would require a much more interactive approach by design teams, particularly requiring architects to involve environmental consultants in the design process from the earliest stages of a project, regardless of its size and complexity.

Both Part L (Conservation of fuel and power) and Part F (Ventilation) of the Building Regulations are due to be updated in October 2010 with a proposed 25% increase over current requirements. As part of the move towards zero-carbon architecture, there is a further commitment to revise both parts in 2013 (anticipated 44% increase) and 2016 (zero-carbon new homes). A move to zero carbon for non-domestic new-build projects by 2019 is also anticipated, with public sector projects required to be zero carbon by 2018.

Similar strategies are proposed in both Scotland and Northern Ireland as part of a realignment of their respective Building Standards in response to the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and other European initiatives on renewable energy and climate change.

However, there are continuing uncertainties about the strategy and targets for upgrading the existing building stock and the difference between projected and actual energy performance in many completed projects.

Following the last update of Parts L and F in England and Wales in 2006, much of the construction industry were left pondering how to achieve the increased requirements. One result of the new requirements is designers' increasing reliance on environmental science and calculation. There is a suggestion that some architectural consultants have lost the initiative on low-carbon design by passing the task of managing their designs over to engineers who know how to use the various software packages that are available! Based on our experience of the last changes to the Building Regulations in 2006, it therefore seems likely that further increases in requirements will leave many consultants, planners, building inspectors and contractors floundering!

A lack of understanding of the revised Building Regulations by many in the construction industry, particularly those operating at the domestic end of the market, will limit the opportunity for creating innovative and effective projects in this sector, and poor or uninformed workmanship on site will severely compromise even the best designed and specified projects. Statistics recently published by new homes website SmartNewHomes.com suggested that one-third of the UK's total carbon emissions come from homes. It is therefore imperative that the knowledge gap at the domestic end of the construction market is addressed, and that this traditionally conservative sector becomes more willing to embrace innovation as well as improving standards of workmanship. This will require a more adventurous and open-minded approach to design, specification and construction by designers, planning and building regulation authorities, funding bodies, contractors and clients alike, and for new-build, extension and refurbishment projects.

On many smaller schemes, no construction professional will be employed through the life of the project to ensure that the required design and workmanship is achieved. After Building Regulations plan approval, the Building Inspector may be the only person visiting the building site in a critical capacity, and his remit is typically limited to checking compliance with the submitted and approved information. The situation may be further compromised by site visits being limited to inspecting excavations for foundations and then roof construction, with no intermediate inspections being made of wall and floor constructions.

In September 2009, the Department of Communities and Local Government published Future of Building Control: Implementation Plan. As part of a proposed major overhaul of the Building Regulations system, it is suggested that the building control service will not only be responsible for ensuring that building work complies with building regulations, but that it will also be tasked with the delivery of safe, healthy, accessible and sustainable buildings. It is also proposed that, for the first time, comprehensive Building Regulations guidance will be given for small works including loft conversions and domestic extensions – starting with the introduction of guidance for lofts in October 2010.

So how can NBS support the process of a move towards significantly more demanding thermal and construction standards for buildings and also mitigate some of the increasing gaps in knowledge regarding low-carbon design and construction? With regard to the issues of specification and workmanship, one way would be that the submission of a 'proper and appropriate materials and workmanship specification' should be a mandatory requirement as part of all Building Regulations applications for all projects, and therefore by implication, be part of all building contracts [formal or informal] regardless of the size of the project, and whether a construction professional is involved or not. Its mandatory inclusion as part of a minimum submission package would be a significant step forward in ensuring that all of these projects achieve their design and specification aspirations, and also provide Building Inspectors with more of the information they require to achieve their new goals.

Finally, in a culture where, increasingly, ignorance is no excuse for poor performance, all construction professionals need to be better informed. In addition to our comprehensive master specification service, NBS provides industry guidance to subscribers through our website and other associated services. Other related services such as The Construction Information Service (CIS), available through subscription to IHS, provide access to up-to- date and comprehensive technical and regulatory information on sustainability and other critical issues.

Related NBS information:

Articles:

• Low carbon buildings – standards, assessment systems, tools
• Zero carbon homes – the impact on the industry
• NBS products for 'small works' specification

Selected links:

• Green building
• Sustainable development

May 2010

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