By partner Simon Lewis, managing associate Michelle Essen and socilitor Ryan Lavers What a year it’s been for building safety The construction sector has seen a significant amount of progress in this area over the last 12 months. To give some perspective on how things have changed, we’ve looked at the
Gloucestershire Airport runway refurbishments to begin in January 2022, with completion expected in the summer VolkerFitzpatrick awarded contract to deliver works Delivery will be project managed by Ridge & Partners LLP Phased delivery will enable airport to remain operational throughout Gloucestershire Airport has appointed VolkerFitzpatrick, one of the UK’s leading
Introduced to Parliament in June 2021, the Building Safety Bill establishes a new regime that will overhaul the building safety system in England and Wales. It brings in a stringent framework for high-rise buildings, which will strengthen regulatory requirement before building work commences, through construction and before occupation. The Bill,
How can building design create wellbeing for people and the planet? The sustainable buildings and communities concept Build for Life addresses multiple challenges in the building industry, based on a new way of thinking about our new and existing living places. What if we could live more sustainably, connected and
New commitments to reduce CO2 emissions from homes by up to 30 percent over current standards has been welcomed by the UK’s leading supplier of ground source heat pumps, and UK-based manufacturer, Kensa Heat Pumps. Coinciding with the manufacture of it’s 10,000th heat pump, the Cornish-based company calls for the
Almost a third (30%) of credit managers ‘guess’ their bad debt reserve requirement Less than one in ten (9%) are given any steer/model by their auditors Construction businesses seeking to take the guesswork out of bad debt provision at Financial Year End could benefit from a new free service being
Employers don’t always do things right when hiring and terminating employees. If you work in Toronto and have been fired or laid off, your employer should issue you a reasonable termination notice. In Canada, proper notice is based on various factors. These include seniority of the position, duration of tenure,
Designing and building an eco-friendly home improves the environment while saving energy, water, and noise. But you also save on maintenance and other costs associated with running your home. Sustainable home building can reduce waste, improve energy efficiency, and reduce water utilization throughout the lifetime of the home. Additionally, building
By partner Simon Lewis, managing associate Michelle Essen and socilitor Ryan Lavers What a year it’s been for building safety The construction sector has seen a significant amount of progress in this area over the last 12 months. To give some perspective on how things have changed, we’ve looked at the biggest leaps forward in 2021; and have also cast an eye towards 2022 to consider what we can expect next. Building Safety Bill The most talked about legislative development in 2021 was the steady progress of the Building Safety Bill, which was officially laid before Parliament in July. While it was based in large part on the draft that was circulated for comment in 2020 and was therefore in many respects already familiar, its provisions are being increasingly scrutinised in its passage through Parliament. The Bill’s proposed changes are considerable, and include: more-than-doubling the limitation period for bringing a claim for breach of s.1 Defective Premises Act 1972 (DPA). This requires residential buildings to be habitable and built in a professional or workmanlike manner with proper materials. The Bill increases that limitation period from 6 to 15 years – and it would apply prospectively (going forward) and also retrospectively, meaning that claims that are currently time-barred would become an option again, inserting a brand new s.2A into the DPA, which would extend the DPA to cover subsequent building works (as s.1 only covers the original construction of the building), with a limitation period of 15 years prospectively, bringing s.38 Building Act 1984 into force, to allow claims for damage caused by breach of Building Regulations, with a limitation period of 15 years prospectively, establishing a new Building Safety Regulator (BSR), and creating a new “duty-holders” regime – where duty-holders would have greater responsibility to explain how they are managing safety risks and to show the BSR that a building is safe for occupation. Duty-holders would include existing duty-holders under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, such as (Principal) Contractors, (Principal) Designers, and the Client. As we have said before, we are still just at the start of our journey with the Building Safety Bill. The effects of the changes it will bring and its impact on industry, including around risk and insurance, are hot topics of discussion which we explored with industry leaders recently. In the meantime, the Bill continues to make its way through Parliament, and is expected to receive Royal Assent in 2022. It is worth reiterating though that the Bill when it becomes law will have a more limited effect in Scotland, which has its own building and fire safety regime. Fire Safety Act 2021 The Fire Safety Bill, which we have considered before, was given Royal Assent in April, becoming the Fire Safety Act 2021. It was not smooth progress into law for the Bill, as the House of Lords requested leaseholder protection on three separate occasions because it wanted building owners to be responsible for the costs of remedial works, or a system of government grants or loans in place if leaseholders were to bear the cost of repairs themselves. In the end, the Act did not take this leaseholder protection into account, and instead it is possible for building owners to pass the costs of fire safety works onto leaseholders via increased service charges or similar. Again, the position in Scotland is different, as the Fire Safety Act only applies to England and Wales. Cladding Remediation – Government Funds The Building Safety Fund (BSF) of £1bn, which was set up in 2020, has continued to provide support in 2021 to help landlords who own residential buildings of 18m or more in height to remove unsafe non-aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding. The aim of this fund is to protect leaseholders from the cost of these remediation works through increased rent payments or service charges. 2021 also saw a brand new fund created – the Waking Watch Relief Fund – to provide an additional £30m for applicants to the BSF to fund waking watch (i.e. building patrols to detect fire), since the cost of fire alarms are not covered by the BSF funding. This fund was announced in December 2020 and opened for applications in January 2021. £22m of the £30m available was to be spent in cities where private-sector buildings were deemed most at risk due to their prevalence of built-up areas (namely Greater London, Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Newcastle and Bristol), with the remaining £8m planned for other private-sector buildings in England plus all social-sector housing over 18m . The fund closed in April, reopened in May to distribute unused funding, and then closed again in June. It is also worth noting that in the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor said “we’re also confirming £5bn to remove unsafe cladding from the highest risk buildings partly funded by the Residential Property Developers Tax”. We know about that Tax but details about what constitutes the rest of that funding is still awaited. Changes to Planning Permission Requirements The Hackitt Report’s recommendations included the addition of several “Gateways” to check that newly designed buildings are safe for residents to live in. In August 2021, Gateway One came into force, in the form of new planning requirements. Now high-rise developers must consider fire safety in new developments at the planning permission stage, to be evidenced as a part of the planning permission process through the submission of a fire statement. Local authorities are expected to engage with the Health and Safety Executive when reviewing the fire statements provided by developers, but this role is expected to be taken over by the new BSR when it is operational. Gateways Two and Three under the Building Safety Bill will be before the building works start and when the building works are completed respectively, and are anticipated to come into force around late 2023. What to look out for in 2022 We anticipate a number of other significant developments in building safety in 2022: Phase 2 Grenfell
Gloucestershire Airport runway refurbishments to begin in January 2022, with completion expected in the summer VolkerFitzpatrick awarded contract to deliver works Delivery will be project managed by Ridge & Partners LLP Phased delivery will enable airport to remain operational throughout Gloucestershire Airport has appointed VolkerFitzpatrick, one of the UK’s leading engineering and construction companies, to deliver a Civil Aviation Authority (CCA) approved upgrade to Gloucestershire Airport in 2022. The work will be carried out in four phases, with the primary focus being the resurfacing of the crosswind (04-22) and main (09-27) runways. There will also be new runway lighting and upgrades to signage and drainage, as well as the installation of below ground infrastructure in readiness for a new radar system. One of the airport’s three runways will remain open while works are carried out, albeit operating at reduced capacity. When all work is complete, the airport’s existing ‘north/south’ runway will permanently close to make way for the development of the new business park, CGX Connect. Phase one works, starting in January 2022, will see the crosswind runway resurfaced. The aim is for this work to take place throughout the night, after airport closure, to minimise any potential impact to operations. Phases two and three will follow in Spring 2022, with work taking place during the day and throughout the night to ensure work is completed as quickly as possible. This phase will see the resurfacing of the main runway, new runway lighting installed, upgrades to signage and draining, and the installation of below ground infrastructure. Phase four will be the testing and commissioning phase of the project in readiness for anticipated completion and resumption of normal operations by Summer 2022. Kevin Berry, VolkerFitzpatrick Operations Director, comments: “We’re well versed in working on projects like this, having completed similar works at Glasgow, Birmingham and Gatwick Airports. These upgrades will place Gloucestershire Airport firmly at the top end of aviation standards and technology, which will help unlock numerous opportunities and benefits for the airport and surrounding area.” “These are transformational times for Gloucestershire Airport,” continues Karen Taylor, Gloucestershire Airport Managing Director. “These upgrades are essential to the continued smooth running of operations and, along with CGX Connect, will really elevate the quality and status of the airport, along with its profile as a ‘gateway for growth’ for all those significant developments being brought forward across the region. “Keeping two runways open at all times is a challenge but ensuring as little impact as possible to airport operations and the surrounding area is key. The appointment of VolkerFitzpatrick and Ridge & Partners LLP, both of whom have vast experience of working on projects just like this, will help ensure these upgrades are completed smoothly and on time.” Ridge & Partners LLP will work alongside VolkerFitzpatrick, providing project and commercial management services for the runway upgrade. Justin Wright, Senior Project Manager at Ridge & Partners LLP explained how the work will be carried out. “To reduce disruption during phase one, we plan to work on the crosswind runway at night – the longer winter nights will help with our progress. Work on the main runway will then take place on both days and nights to accelerate progress and ensure a swift completion. “We are looking forward to engaging with local businesses and residents to make sure that this transformational project is delivered as smoothly as possible and realises significant benefits for the region.”
Introduced to Parliament in June 2021, the Building Safety Bill establishes a new regime that will overhaul the building safety system in England and Wales. It brings in a stringent framework for high-rise buildings, which will strengthen regulatory requirement before building work commences, through construction and before occupation. The Bill, which has been welcomed by leading building control and regulation expert, Bureau Veritas, includes a range of new measures – including competence requirements, duty holder accountability, a ‘golden thread’ of building information and mandatory reporting to a newly-appointed Building Safety Regulator. Crucially, it also includes a three-stage ‘gateway’ process. Gateway One regulations were enforced on 1 August 2021, whilst it is anticipated that the remaining two gateway regulations will come into force by 2023 as the Bill passes through Parliament. It is hoped that the new process – when fully enforced – will provide the home-building industry with the necessary framework it requires to deliver safe homes, along with clear accountability on those undertaking design and construction work. Andy Lowe, Technical & Training Director for Building Control at Bureau Veritas, said: “The Building Safety Bill is an absolutely crucial requirement for the construction industry. However, with mandatory regulations being introduced at different times, there is a very real risk of developers waiting for legislation to be introduced before making the necessary changes needed to ensure a smooth process to regulatory compliance – risking delays and increased costs at various approval points.” The requirements of Gateway three are a prime example of this. Gateway three will occur at the completion stage of a building and will be considered – like Gateway two – as a stop/go point. If requirements of the Gateway are not met at this stage, the Building Safety Regulator will not provide final certification; resulting in the developer needing to retrospectively correct noncompliant or defective work, risking lengthy delays to occupation and unbudgeted costs. Andy continued: “There is a slight misconception that Gateway three and the registration process for a new building are the same thing. It’s important for developers to fully understand the requirements of each stage of the gateway process ahead of planning and development to ensure they are not met with costly delays – whether they are mandatory now, or not. “Gateway three will take place when a building has been completed, and approval from the Building Safety Regulator must be obtained before it is formerly registered for occupation. Whilst it seems simple enough, there is a lot to consider at this stage with the application requiring plans and documents that reflect the ‘as built’ building, with paperwork demonstrating how the building works comply with the various new regulations. This is part of the ‘golden thread’ approach. “Only when the Regulator is satisfied a building meets all the requirements is it eligible for registration – and this must be done by the Duty Holder (or Principal Accountable Person), who identifies with having overall responsibility for the building safety risks. “Overall, the Gateway process will provide a very clear framework that will require regulation compliance at every stage of the build. It’s a necessary change for the industry, however construction companies are going to need to evolve quickly to meet the changes; particularly those working on large and longer-term projects. We’d therefore urge the industry to plan for these important changes now, irrespective of when the various Gateways are set to be introduced, or risk potential delays and increased costs further down the line.” Bureau Veritas works with developers as an independent third party throughout the building lifecycle to help reduce risk and to achieve compliance. This includes supporting on the ‘golden thread’ approach, and meeting the gateway requirements. For more information on the detail of the Building Safety Bill, download Bureau Veritas’ free ‘Understanding the Building Safety Bill’ webinar. To find out more about Bureau Veritas’ services or to discuss individual requirements with a member of the team, call 0345 600 1828 or visit www.bureauveritas.co.uk.
How can building design create wellbeing for people and the planet? The sustainable buildings and communities concept Build for Life addresses multiple challenges in the building industry, based on a new way of thinking about our new and existing living places. What if we could live more sustainably, connected and healthy? This is one of several fundamental questions addressed in the Build for Life concept, developed by VELUX who launched the Build for Life conference and rooted in a strong commitment to show how it is possible to build sustainably and enable happier and healthier living places. Build for Life is founded on the understanding that the way we build today has an enormous impact on people, as well as the ecosystems that sustain us. It provides a compass for designers, city planners and building professionals along with suggestions for how to meet some of the most pressing dilemmas we face: Environment: Buildings alone are responsible for around 39% of global CO2 emissions and 40% of the world population need new homes (UNEP, 2015), meanwhile we need to reach net zero emissions before 2050 to curb the climate crisis. By using low impact materials and focusing on the LCA of a building we could meet the demand for increased housing without depleting the Earth’s resources. Healthy: We spend up to 90% of our time indoors but fail to build for a healthy indoor climate by applying a one-size-fits-all logic to our buildings and compromising on the quality of construction materials. By designing with healthy indoor principles and healthy materials we can create buildings that don’t just make you less sick but actually make you healthier. Affordability: 2.5 billion more people are expected to live in cities by 2050. At the same time most places worldwide have seen a substantial and steady increase in housing prices, making our built environment unaffordable for the people who would benefit from them the most. By designing a built environment that focuses on affordability by design, shared living, and new business cases we could unlock housing for the people that will benefit from it the most. Community: Even though we live closer, and are more connected than ever we feel more lonely, anxious and stressed. One in five people in Denmark, for instance, long for community and a sense of belonging. By designing a built environment that enables community through sharing, participation, identity, and safety we could increase wellbeing and improve overall health whilst reducing anxiety, loneliness, and stress. “Homes and communities should be centred around healthy and regenerative design principles to be designed for both people and planet. Build for Life is more than a design concept, it is a way of thinking and living”, explains Lone Feifer, Director of Sustainable Buildings, the VELUX Group. Build for Life is a regenerative approach for our future built environment VELUX launches Build for Life as part of its wider sustainability strategy and as a contribution to the UN’s SDG11 (Sustainable Cities And Communities), taking its +18 years of best practices in sustainable buildings to a new, next level. The concept is expanded in a Compass Model, outlining seven strategic drivers – flexibility, quality, environmental, healthy, community, local, affordability – to guide the building and development process. These drivers enable collaborators across sectors to follow an easy, open-source framework for developing and transforming buildings for the future. Build for Life goes above and beyond the design level by shaping a new common language and way of thinking aimed at the entire industry, fuelled by the strong belief that only by working together across the industry we will be able to achieve healthier and more sustainable living places for all. The Compass Model had been created in partnership with EFFEKT architects, MOE engineers, LeaderLab and the VELUX Group. The Compass is intended as a partnership platform and invites more partners with likeminded visions to lead the change within the built environment. Leading by example: Principles for Living Places To show how to build sustainably, the VELUX Group has, together with partners EFFEKT architects and MOE engineers developed five principles for practice examples. The principles take a point of departure in the typical market benchmark, and describe the different improvement and reduction as compared to that. The principles address healthy, scalable, shared, simple and adaptive.
New commitments to reduce CO2 emissions from homes by up to 30 percent over current standards has been welcomed by the UK’s leading supplier of ground source heat pumps, and UK-based manufacturer, Kensa Heat Pumps. Coinciding with the manufacture of it’s 10,000th heat pump, the Cornish-based company calls for the revised Building Regulations standards for new build homes, due to be brought in from June 2022, to be a catalyst for flexibility to be viewed as a key factor when assessing renewable energy solutions rather than efficiency alone, and hopes for Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) ratings to reflect this following the Part L and F revisions to the regulations. “We welcome the launch of the latest Part L standards which will encourage more housebuilders to consider low carbon heating choices. We remain convinced that our solution – small ground source heat pumps in each dwelling, linked to a communal ground array – provides the best outcomes for the house builder, house purchaser, environment, and electricity system especially as our ‘split ownership’ model divorces the cost of the ground array from the housebuilder,” explains Simon Lomax, CEO of the Kensa Group. “To support deployment, it is vital that SAP can accurately assess the performance of emerging system architectures and technologies. Many ground arrays can utilise waste heat to bolster the source temperature to improve efficiency and reduce running costs and carbon emissions. This advantage must be reflected in SAP. Equally, the most appealing solutions, for house builders and house owners, will be heat pumps integrated with heat batteries to maximise the ability of the heat pump to operate when electricity is both low cost and low carbon. Pure efficiency is no longer the key metric: flexibility is more important to deliver the best outcomes for all stakeholders.” Kensa’s ‘split ownership’ model is currently being demonstrated through an ERDF funded scheme in Cornwall called Heat The Streets, featuring street-by-street ground source heat pump deployment delivered by Kensa Utilities. Kensa Utilities, and other entities, will fund, own and maintain the underground infrastructure in return for a small standing charge levied on each connected property. Simon continues, “the superior efficiency, flexibility, reliability, and durability of a ground source heat pump will ensure total running costs and ownership costs fall below those of an air source heat pump.” Kensa’s Green Streets augmented reality experience, premiered at COP26 and modelled on the real ‘Green Street’ in Glasgow, demonstrates how a 30% reduction in carbon emissions in new builds along with the decarbonisation of heat in existing homes and business can be achieved, and the flexibility the technology brings to the electricity grid, whilst lowering environmental and societal costs.
Almost a third (30%) of credit managers ‘guess’ their bad debt reserve requirement Less than one in ten (9%) are given any steer/model by their auditors Construction businesses seeking to take the guesswork out of bad debt provision at Financial Year End could benefit from a new free service being provided by Debt Register, a global payment accelerator. Or, businesses can use an individual involuntary arrangement to help them seek financial stability and freedom. Loading a company’s five largest outstanding debts onto the automated Debt Register collections platform, with a very high chance of collecting those debts, could significantly improve the accuracy of bad debt provision. This will in turn improve the visibility and accuracy of a company’s true financial position and its bottom line, with all the inherent advantages this brings in terms of access to future lending and credit. The proposal follows research that suggests that almost a third (30%) of credit management professionals guess at a figure when assessing the level of bad debt reserve they require at Year End, while less than one in ten (9%) are able to look to any financial model provided by their auditors. More than a third (35%) opt for generic, age-based percentages to arrive at a figure while a quarter (26%) look to their experience of similar debt. Gary Brown, Founder of Debt Register, believes the survey proves what he has long thought: that the current process of providing for bad debts is invariably guesswork: “Speaking to firms and accountants, many companies have no clear picture of how collectable or otherwise certain debts are, and make provision simply by taking a best guess,” he says. “By passing the five oldest or longest-standing debts through our platform, however, there is a very real chance that those debts will be settled. This means the actual bad debt figure being provided for will be more accurate. because there would be no need to reserve for those invoices at all. “Indeed, even if the money is not collected, then that also helps takes the guesswork out of the process and gives the company and the auditor something more tangible to refer to than a vague model. Either way, Debt Register gives companies a tool that supports a more accurate financial position.” Real case scenarios with current Debt Register clients have already proven the point and the age of the debt appears not to be a barrier to its collectability. One customer uploaded a debt that was 888 days overdue, and the debt was settled in 27 hours. In a more remarkable example, an uploaded debt that was 1499 days overdue was paid within 45 minutes. Debt Register is, first and foremost, a global payment accelerator that enables a business to identify late invoices on their ledger and allow the platform to do the rest. This includes validating the customer contact’s email against a database of some 90 billion addresses to a 93% degree of accuracy. The platform contacts the debtor automatically and in the appropriate language, requesting that the payment is settled, and ensuring the invoice is correct and not in dispute. By leveraging its relationships with leading credit reference agencies (CRAs) to report unpaid and overdue debts, debtors are encouraged to settle any overdues promptly to avoid their credit scores being negatively impacted. In short – there is now a tangible and direct consequence for those companies should they continue not to pay an undisputed, overdue invoice. Along with shortening the timeframe of remittance, Debt Register provides a series of tools to credit managers including auto-translation for use within multiple territories. The system is intelligent, recognising different time zones, working days and cultural nuances including national holidays or religious festivals, and schedules the dispatch of any communications accordingly. To date it has successfully recovered debts in 71 different countries and six out of the seven continents “Using the free service means a business has nothing to lose and everything to gain,” Gary concludes, “and converts a guess into something closer to the truth.” For a free trial, go to: https://debtregister.com/freetrial/
Employers don’t always do things right when hiring and terminating employees. If you work in Toronto and have been fired or laid off, your employer should issue you a reasonable termination notice. In Canada, proper notice is based on various factors. These include seniority of the position, duration of tenure, similar employment, and salary range. If you have an issue at the workplace, hiring an employment lawyer is the best way to protect your rights as a team member. You also get the right advice on the notice you’re entitled to and protect your legal rights to ensure you’re not exploited. An employment lawyer in Toronto has the experience and knowledge required to handle workplace issues and help employees when they need legal assistance. Here are five ways such a lawyer can help you: 1. Reviewing Any Job Offers You Receive An employment lawyer in Toronto doesn’t only come in handy when you get fired. An attorney can help you when you’re getting started with a new career by reviewing your job offers and employment contracts before you sign them. In doing so, the legal expert can check termination clauses carefully to ensure there are no loopholes. An experienced employment attorney like Stacey Ball and other similar firms review all the details in an employment contract and ensures you sign a document that places you in a good place even before starting the new job. 2. Filing Lawsuits For Wrongful Dismissal Team member rights are stipulated in employment laws. If your employer violates those laws in the workplace, you need to talk to an employment lawyer in Toronto to get the legal counsel you need if you get fired illegally. As a legal expert, your attorney can analyze the conditions surrounding your dismissal and review your employment contract and the law to establish whether there are grounds for filing a lawsuit against your employer. Further, the lawyer can provide you with the legal representation you need if you decide to file a lawsuit for wrongful dismissal and ensure that you receive just compensation for illegal termination. 3. Pursuing Compensation For Workplace Injuries Compensation for workplace injuries is among the many cases that employment lawyers in Toronto handle. If you get sick or injured at the workplace, an employment attorney can help you file a claim against your employer. The lawyer can pursue the matter to ensure that you’re compensated fairly for the sickness or injuries, including claiming payment for all initial medical costs, long-term recovery costs, and lost wages. 4. Negotiating Severance Package If your employer fires you illegally, there will likely be attempts to offer you a low severance package to save money. An employment lawyer in Toronto can advise you with legal advice if the severance package your employer offers you is inappropriate based on the current law and context. For employees who opt to retire early, consulting an employment attorney can help them prepare a gradual exit plan that meets their needs and those of their employers. Working with a lawyer also addresses any legal issues that can arise from a speedy exit. 5. Classifying Employees Correctly When dismissing employees illegally, some employers try to limit liability by classifying full-time employees as independent contractors intentionally. Most do this because full-time, regular employees are entitled to more benefits than independent contractors. Some benefits that employers want to avoid include statutory holiday pay, vacation pay, dental, and other medical benefits. An employment lawyer in Toronto can help you ensure you’re appropriately classified by your employer and enforce your rights in case you’re not. 6. Protecting You Against Harassment And Discrimination Discrimination and sexual harassment are unfortunate incidents that frequently occur in the workplace. Employment laws protect workers from all forms of harassment or discrimination. Getting an employment attorney ensures that you get legal advice on how to handle these situations in the workplace. If you’ve been discriminated against or become a victim of sexual harassment at the workplace, getting a good employment lawyer allows you to get the legal guidance you need to pursue justice. Employment lawyers can help you navigate a harassment or discrimination lawsuit since they’re conversant with the law. Final Thoughts If you work in Toronto, hiring an employment lawyer can help you safeguard your rights in many ways. The lawyer can help you get a fair severance package if you get laid off or fired unlawfully. The attorney can also negotiate a suitable early retirement package and ensure that you are compensated adequately if you get injured at work or fall ill.
Designing and building an eco-friendly home improves the environment while saving energy, water, and noise. But you also save on maintenance and other costs associated with running your home. Sustainable home building can reduce waste, improve energy efficiency, and reduce water utilization throughout the lifetime of the home. Additionally, building with a long-term mindset will extend the house’s lifespan. Durable, quality construction materials and green features will ensure that your sustainable home is built to last. Considerations For A Sustainable Design And Building A sustainable home should have a positive physical and psychological impact on its inhabitants while having the least negative impact on the environment. When planning and building a sustainable home, there are some things to consider, including residential renewable energy solutions, minimizing energy use, avoiding environmental toxins, and using raw materials and resources responsibly. The planning stages of new construction should consider features such as location, size, and orientation. To minimize a home’s carbon footprint, a building’s location must be close to public transportation, shopping, recreation, and schools. It must also be level with unobstructed sunlight. Sustainable housing enhances the quality of life, reduces the impact on the environment, requires less maintenance regarding sustainable materials, and is built with non-toxic materials. Here are some things to take note of in the planning and building of an eco-friendly home: 1. Orientation The orientation of the building should optimize passive heating and cooling as well as the production of solar energy and for maximum sun exposure. Specifically, a northern roof orientation is ideal for solar panels. In cold climates, draft-free, double-glazed windows are the best choice. In contrast, triple-glazed windows and insulated frames with no gaps are best for warmer temperatures in using new technologies such as double glazing, special coatings, and non-conductive frames as you build a sustainable home. A thermally-passive design, which incorporates insulation and orientation, is essential for energy-efficient homes. You should consider the site condition and orientation before designing your house. Choose an area that inspires you and meets your privacy, lighting, air, and water needs. Align your house along the east-west axis with north or south-facing windows. 2. Reusing Materials In this day and age, it makes sense to reduce the number of purchased materials when you can get reclaimed ones that are still in good condition. In addition, most materials such as reclaimed wood can be decked out using environmentally-friendly decorating ideas to look fresh and new. Also, reusing will save you the money, time, and energy necessary to produce a new product. 3. Energy-Efficient Appliances Consider purchasing energy-efficient appliances such as ovens, refrigerators, and dishwashers when you have a budget for new appliances. Check for Energy Star logos on each device for detailed information about its energy efficiency. Talk to your energy supplier about renewable energy solutions. Rooftop solar panels could have enormous benefits for your home and lifestyle. Your home could entirely or partially operate off clean, renewable energy, which is positive for the planet and your power bill. 4. Eco-Friendly Materials In contrast, conventional and ordinary building materials have a substantial impact on people’s health and the environment. On the other hand, eco-friendly materials are in tune with the environment and don’t harm the ecosystem. What type of materials are you considering for your new house? Choose those that can absorb solar heat such as sand, cement, and lime bricks. These are fire-resistant and scarcely absorb water. You can use other alternative building materials such as rammed earth, green concrete, plastic bricks, bamboo, rice husk ash concrete, timbercrete, straw bales, sheep’s wool insulation, and reclaimed or recycled metal. 5. Smart Meters Putting a smart meter in your home can ensure that you save energy by automating tasks such as turning off your appliances at specific times. In addition, smart meters can connect to your devices and control them, allowing you to conserve energy. The most immediate benefit of smart meters is that the consumers won’t receive any erroneous electrical bills. In addition, smart meters will help reduce energy usage and the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. A green product, therefore, is the outcome of its installation. 6. Solar Power Installing solar panels on your roof is the best way to ensure you get enough energy and reduce your heating bills. They protect from fires and short circuits while lowering your heating bills. If you haven’t set up solar panels yet, do so when building your roof. A significant portion of solar energy’s appeal is its many benefits, including decreased greenhouse gas emissions and increased home value. In addition, solar energy is one of the most accessible forms of renewable energy currently available. 7. Living Walls Living walls such as virtual gardens can be attached to the interior or exterior walls. Some vertical gardens are extensive greenery displays while others are potted plants mounted to the wall vertically. A living wall can appear in any shape or size and enhance the aesthetics of any home or office. Having a living house combines the harmony of nature with human comfort. Grass-covered walls and vegetation-covered roofs keep the air clean and fresh, and vegetation cools the entire building in the heat of summer. A vertical garden or green wall can provide a lot of natural beauty and offer some surprising health benefits. Plants act as natural air purifiers, filtering pollution and chemicals from the air and metabolizing them to release new oxygen. As a result, you’ll breathe fresh, clean air that’s refreshing and relaxing after installing a green wall. Conclusion Sustainable design elements are easy to incorporate into your new build and can put you on the path to living a greener lifestyle. A common misconception is that greener homes are also more costly to run and maintain. On the contrary, eco-friendly houses benefit the environment and your finances, which applies to both the construction process and the future. With the popularity of green homes growing rapidly, designing and building an eco-friendly home has never been easier. You can
