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Sustainable Design

Sustainable design
(also referred to as "green design", "eco-design", or "design for environment") is the art of designing individual properties, and the built environment in general, in a way that complies with the principles of economic, social, and ecological sustainability.

Sustainable design aims to reduce the possible negative effects on the environment as far as possible and makes the most of social and economic benefits.

Sustainable development can be described as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. It has increased in importance in both national and European policy guidance and is a pivotal consideration in the planning process.
The 2012 Olympic Stadium promises to be the most environmentally sustainable to date.
The needed aim of sustainable design in building is to construct properties in a way that reduces use of non-renewable resources, minimises environmental impact, and relates people with the natural environment. Sustainable design can be viewed as a necessary stepping stone towards achieving sustainability...

BBM Sustainable Design, award winning, Sussex-based architects, is one of the interesting new practices making the management of natural resources a priority. With modesty, economy and intelligence they adapt existing buildings to new realities. They design new buildings which work with the environment, not against it. 'Houses used to be machines for living in. Now they are organisms for living with. Altogether more wholesome’
BBM Sustainable Design, have demonstrated how local natural resources can be transformed into beautiful, affordable buildings.
‘We are entering a new age of energy and resource awareness and sustainability is a hot topic across all genres,’ says Duncan Baker-Brown, director of BBM.

‘There is a sea-change in attitude to how we value what we have. Amongst architects there is a discernible shift towards a more regional approach. We are stepping back into the vernacular tradition of sourcing local materials.’

(Duncan Baker-Brown RIBA and co-director, Ian McKay RIBA, have been creating environment conscious buildings for 15 years and in practice together for ten. As well as practicing sustainable architecture, they both teach and conduct research on the subject.)

Eco Construction

Building a structure that is beneficial or non-harmful to the environment.
This is done by increasing the use of recycled and reclaimed products and materials in construction and being resource efficient in the energy required to build it. Eco-friendly construction has developed in response to the often negative impact that buildings have upon our environment and our natural resources. This includes the transportation of materials and so Eco Construction will rely more on a local supply of materials. In more conventional building construction, the key to green success is the combining of new technology with the use of simple and readily available building materials.
Architects, engineers and builders worldwide are now using construction techniques that have been developed throughout human history, in response to local environmental concerns .
Local Councils and Housing Associations in the UK are now exploring the benefits of ecological construction and several estates constructed on these principles have been built in London.
Working towards Zero Carbon



Renewable Energy



Building Structures



Structure Completion



Finishes and Fittings



External Works



General Materials



Professional Services





The way the construction industry is changing



Being efficient with our energy will reduce our household and business energy bills, reduce the amount of energy we need to produce in the first place and cut energy related greenhouse pollution.

The Code for Sustainable Homes (and a similar code which is expected to address non-domestic buildings), puts the notion of carbon reduction and ‘zero carbon’ as its ultimate goal.
On the 27 February 2008 the Government confirmed mandatory rating against the Code will be implemented for new homes from 1 May 2008.
The Code measures the sustainability of a new home against categories of sustainable design, rating the ‘whole home’ as a complete package. The Code uses a 1 to 6 star rating system to communicate the overall sustainability performance of a new home. The Code sets minimum standards for energy and water use at each level and, within England, replaces the EcoHomes scheme, developed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE).
The Code also gives new homebuyers better information about the environmental impact of their new home and its potential running costs, and offer builders a tool with which to differentiate themselves in sustainability terms.
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Trade Suppliers


Trade Associations
& Professional Bodies
supported byBritishBuild


  • Acadamy for Sustainable Communities
  • Arboricultural Association
  • Architects Registration Board
  • Asbestos Removal Contractors Association
  • Association of Building Engineers
  • Association of Environment Conscious Building (AECB)
  • Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers
  • Association of Residential Letting Agents
  • Bar Council
  • BRE
  • British Association of Removers
  • British Board of Agreement
  • British Decorators Association
  • British Hardware and Housewares Manufacturers Association
  • British Institute of Architectural Technologists
  • British Plumbing Employers Council (BPEC)
  • British Property Federation
  • British Quality Foundation
  • British Security Industry Association
  • British Sign and Graphics Association
  • BritishBuild Accreditation
  • Bsi British Standards
  • Build Off Site
  • Builders and Contractors Guild
  • Builders Merchants Federation
  • Building Services Research Agency (BSRIA)
  • Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB)
  • Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
  • CITB-ConstructionSkills
  • City and Guilds of London Institute
  • Combined Heat and Power Association
  • Confederation of Roofing Contractors
  • Considerate Constructors Scheme
  • Construction Confederation (CC)
  • Construction Industry Council (CIC)
  • Construction Lean Improvement Programme (CLIP)
  • Construction Skills Certification Scheme
  • Constructionline
  • Corgi Gas Safety
  • CSA
  • Door and Shutter Manufacturers Association
  • Dry Stone Walling Association
  • Dulux Trade Contract Partnership
  • Energy Saving Trust
  • Environment Agency
  • Envirowise
  • Facilities Management Association (FMA)
  • Federation of Crafts and Commerce
  • Federation of Master Builders (FMB)
  • Federation of Plastering and Drywall Contractors
  • FENSA stands for the Fenestration Self-Assessment Scheme.
  • FETA - The Federation Of Environmental Trade Associations
  • FIDI Intercontinental Removers Federation
  • Guild of Architectural Ironmongers
  • Guild of Builders and Contractors (GBC)
  • Guild of Master Craftsmen (GMC)
  • Health and Safety Executive
  • Heat Pump Association
  • Heating and Hotwater Information Council
  • Heating and Ventilation Contractors Association
  • Hire Association Europe
  • Home Builders Federation (HBF)
  • Incorporated Society of Valuers and Auctioneers
  • Independent Committee for the Supervision of Standards of Telephone Information Services
  • Inland Revenue
  • Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineers
  • Institution of Civil Engineers
  • Institution of Fire Engineers
  • Institution of Highways and Transportation
  • Institution of Structural Engineers
  • Insulating Concrete Formwork Association
  • International Organisation for Standardisation
  • International Powered Access Federation
  • Investor In People
  • LABC District Surveyors Association Limited
  • Land Registry
  • Law Society
  • London Chamber of Commerce
  • London Development Agency
  • Loss Prevention Certification Board
  • Master Locksmiths Association
  • MasterBond Scheme (part of FMB)
  • Mastic Asphalt Council
  • NASIC (The Nationwide Association of Security Installation Companies)
  • National Access and Scaffolding Confederation
  • National Federation of Builders (NFB)
  • National Federation of Demolition Contractors
  • National Federation of Roofing Contractors
  • National Home Improvement Council
  • National House Building Council (NHBC)
  • National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting
  • NSI (The National Security Inspectorate)
  • Painting and Decorating Association
  • Plumbing and Heating Industry Alliance
  • Prefabricated Access Suppliers and Manufacturers Association
  • Road Safety Markings Association
  • Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland
  • Royal Institute of British Architects
  • Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors
  • Safecontractor
  • Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers Federation
  • Scottish Building Employers Federation
  • Scottish Building Federation
  • Scottish Master Wrights and Builders Association (SMWBA)
  • Security Industry Training Organisation
  • Solar Trade Association
  • SSAIB
  • The Basement Information Centre
  • Thermal Insulation Contractors Association & Asbestos Control & Abatement Division Insulation & Environmental Training Agency
  • Timber Frame Association
  • Timber Trade Federation
  • TrustMark
  • UK Trades Confederation
  • Underfloor Heating Manufacturers Association
  • United Kingdom Accreditation Service
  • WRAP - Waste & Resources Action Programme



  • Organic and Natural Materials


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    Renewable Energy and Micro Generation


    Links to other websites
  • sustainablebuild
  • EcoConstruction
  • Ecological Builders' Merchant
  • Code for sustainable homes


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