zero carbon ‘floating’ development for Preston

Green, innovative and zero carbon project development on our doorstep in Preston, Lancs, !

The RIBA have recently awarded a zero carbon design as the visitor center at the new Brockholes Wetland and Woodland Nature Reserve in Preston, to regenerate a former quarry site into a major visitor attraction.
The project called “A Floating World”, consists of [...]

time for built environment transition?

We may now have a handbook for sustainability change in our sector.
When facilitating sessions on sustainability in the built environment, I often get delegates to ’stand in the future’, 2030 is always a good date, imagine what buildings and our use of them would be like, and try to identify what messages they would send [...]

The Grid Works

SLengineer has changed its name to Grid Works with its latest issue to reflect the magazine’s goal of documenting and reporting how companies and people are using online services and tools to support and enhance their work in engineering and science related fields. Available as pdf here
in this issue:
Walking into the Map [...]

wanted … eco home builder

I have for a while now been exploring Second Life’s contribution to the built environment - on themes of collaboration, education and usability.
One of these ideas is to create a UK Level 6 Eco Home within second life to use as an educational device. A meeting a month or so ago with Pam Broviak [...]

a real school for the future - without eco-bling

Education Guardian reports today on the development of Acharacle School on the Ardnamurchan peninsula in Scotland.  The report by Tariq Tahir, should make ‘essential ‘ reading for those involved in school design, construction and in community assets. In addition the school childrens blog ‘they are building outside our class‘ illustrates how construction can be a [...]

on building school futures …

school things on my radar this weekend…
In May the Lancashire Construction Best Practice Club will be held at Devonshire School, Blackpool an exemplar school that is a significant step forward in the design of learning environments for young children. Details of the event and site visit will be posted on the Events pages [...]

Get Sus

Its always a pleasure to read the Get Sus e-newsletter from Melanie Thompson, and so more than happy to promote here.
This edition is a thoughtful piece : EcoBuild - Construction with a hint of green?
I do like that expression!
Melanie makes the point that the industry should not moan about the number of consultants now in [...]

Sponge green guide to buying a home

Bit late on this one as it has been picked up by Mel at Elemental and Phil at Zero Champion, but worth relaying across to isite readers is the Sponge guide to green home buying - a check list you can print off and take with you.
Nice
Reminds me of the 10 Principle guide to slow [...]

efficien-cities

Its clean and its efficient and its possible  - its efficiencity - whilst the government dither on policy Greenpeace have produced an attractive and informative animation to show just what is possible in our towns and cities.  It is a animated and illustrated portal to many of the initiatives and emerging technologies in the built [...]

Women into work events NW

I have been asked to communicate the events being held through Elevate and Women Into Work over the next month or so.
The training is free and is available to all female staff within the built environment sector - including accounts, reception , administration, trades, office and professional.
Training on offer includes:
Communications
Managing Safely
Mentoring?
Positive Action
Get more [...]