AJ SPECIFICATION: SUSTAINABILITY

We are pleased to see SusCon making a reappearance in the AJ Specification.

 
Completed in 2011, SusCon’s Sustainable Construction training and research centre in Dartford was awarded a BREEAM Education 2008 ‘Outstanding’ rating with a score of 88.5% against a design stage assessment. On completion this was the highest ever achieved for this category of building.

More information relating to SusCon can be found on our website, please visit www.stephengeorge.co.uk.

BULGARIA’S FIRST BREEAM CERTIFIED RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS RECEIVES BUILDING PERMISSION

Stephen George International are pleased to have received building permission for Izgrev which is Bulgaria’s first BREEAM certified residential building. The high-end residential building consists of 28 apartments designed for an international developer and is located in a quiet, leafy suburb in Sofia, Bulgaria.

STEPHEN GEORGE & PARTNERS ASSIST IN ENDORSING SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS

Stephen George & Partners have been working with the GreenSpec website as part of the new PASS assessment and endorsement system for sustainable building materials.

GreenSpec is one of the UK’s foremost sources of information relating to sustainable design and the specification of environmentally friendly building materials. PASS evaluates and endorses building products, materials, equipment and systems featuring ‘green’ characteristics.

Stephen George & Partners are contributing to the PASS process by undertaking technical assessments of submitted products. We have prepared a series of questions which we use to examine the practical aspects of the product before writing a short report encompassing our conclusions. This report then goes towards the final PASS endorsement along with a sustainability assessment prepared by GreenSpec themselves.

Stephen George & Partners were asked to undertake this task due to our award-winning experience in researching and specifying sustainable building materials.

The GreenSpec PASS website can be found here.

The main GreenSpec website can be found here.

SUSTAINABILITY IN ARCHITECTURE

Students at Leeds Beckett University gained real world insight into sustainability in architecture from one of our Directors.

Chris Halligan from our Leeds office lectured on the Specification of Sustainable Building Materials and how he came to co-author the "Stephen George & Partners Guide to Building Materials and the Environment ".

A regular lecturer on the subject of sustainability, Chris delivered this latest workshop as part of Futures Fest, the University’s programme to help students plan their final year of study and develop employability skills.

Future Fest involves activities tailored to students’ area of study – such as Chris’s workshop – as well as more general employability skills such as computing, CV writing and how to make yourself stand out to employers.

AWARD-WINNING ARCHITECTS SHARE TOP TIPS WITH ARCHITECTS JOURNAL

Stephen George & Partners have spoken up at a recent Roundtable with Architects Journal and Forticrete.

The AJ Roundtable is an opportunity for industry experts to share their thoughts on a given topic.

Chris Halligan, Director at Stephen George & Partners was recently invited to talk green specifications.As well as representatives from Architects Journal, Chris was joined by Forticrete and other architects.

Chris raised insightful points including the need for statutory legislation on sustainability and the importance of keeping materials green with suitability always in mind.

Concerns have previously been raised about the clarity of information when it comes to greening. The consensus from this Roundtable suggests that this is beginning to change.

Here at Stephen George & Partners, we're committed to sustainability, we're thrilled that Chris had the opportunity to share his top tips with other industry leaders.

Read the full transcript of the AJ/Forticrete Roundtable here.

STEPHEN GEORGE & PARTNERS NOW BREEAM ACCREDITED

Stephen George & Partners can now provide Accredited Professional duties for BREEAM rated buildings

Chris Halligan, Director and Chair of Stephen George & Partners Design & Technology group, has recently qualified as a BREEAM Accredited Professional. If appointed by the client at an early enough stage, an Accredited Professional (AP) can gain up to three credits under BREEAM.

The role of the AP is to act as the “Sustainability Champion” guiding and advising the design team and client in order to achieve a targeted BREEAM rating under the New Construction, Domestic Refurbishment or International assessment schemes.

This expansion to Chris’ role is a logical progression in his capacity as sustainability advisor within the practice which has already led to his co-authoring the award winning “Stephen George & Partners Guide to Building Materials and the Environment.”

Chris will be available to initially provide informal advice to clients considering BREEAM for their buildings and to explain how the Accredited Professional can help them attain the desired rating.