corus system - carbon zero, neutral or greenwashed?

I couldnt let the Corus ad on the Building website go without comment.
Is the Corus Confidex Sustain® zero carbon, cradle to cradle, building envelope systems nothing more than elaborate greenwash? It would appear the claim of being carbon zero (and occasionally zero neutral in the same marketing) is based soley on carbon offsets.  A case [...]

3DCamp

Suddenly find myself with the possibility of speaking about our second life activities on the Public Works Island and International Eco Code Park at the 3DCamp in Limerick on the 24th May.
By a coincidence I will be travelling through Limerick on route to family holiday that day. The event will be live within second [...]

on the zero carbon house

Barratt Developments has unveiled what it calls the first zero-carbon house developed by a volume housebuilder, built at the Buildings Research Establishment in Watford, packed with the latest technology, including solar panels, rainwater harvesting and an air source heat pump.
Its new kind of concrete walls and floors, combined with super insulation and triple-glazed windows, means [...]

a guide to zero carbon homes

Zero carbon homes in 100 words.
The UK Green Building Council released a report this week defining what a zero-carbon house should be in practice. Download from here
Still to read in detail but on first read appears to be a welcomed, considered and helpful guide, with a time-line to help organisations on a route to zero.
There [...]

constructing excellence to restructure?

Paul at ExtranetEvolution carries the news that Constructing Excellence is to restructure, maybe even downsize to focus on delivering value to membership.
Constructing Excellence has announced an organisational restructure to enable a sharper focus on its core business of delivering value to its membership.
Over the last two years, Constructing Excellence has moved from its original Government [...]

rethinking construction - ten years after

From Constructing Excellence:
Reviewing change in the UK construction industry and the next ten years, your chance to shape the future of the industry by learning from the past
CE are reviewing the last ten years of improvement and its impact, kick-started by John Egan’s landmark report - Rethinking Construction - and before that the Latham [...]

revolutionary wind turbines

Selsam is flying wind-turbines for maximum power. It’s like a kite, only with giant spinning blades. Looks so scifi …. resembling a field of wind-swept reeds swaying on the horizon
Source: twitter from inhabitat

kits and mortars

Fresh approach to blogging at Kits and Mortar. Follow Suw & Kevin Charman-Anderson as they learn about building an eco- and cat-friendly house. They have no land, and no budget, just a healthy obsession with building their own home… and trying to do so through blogging.

smart building technology through second life

Oliver Goh, Business Development Manager, Implenia presented through second life on the topic of smart building management through second life.
Controlling buildings through virtual worlds - no investment required by the client or customer, Implemia use second life as a cost effective approach to managing their buildings on behalf of their customers
This has been written up [...]

on greening existing buildings

Within a month of the release date for the UK Construction Sustainability Strategy ( due 11 June) we see another initiative announcement from government:
a parliamentary enquiry into the greening of existing offices, shops and warehouses, aimed at providing industry leaders and public figures the opportunity to contribute evidence that will go into the final [...]